{ "version": "https://jsonfeed.org/version/1", "title": "Technology on Jamie Thingelstad", "icon": "https://avatars.micro.blog/avatars/2025/14/1545.jpg", "home_page_url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/", "feed_url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/feed.json", "items": [ { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2026/10/15/the-nnxyz-rooms.html", "title": "The nnxyz rooms", "content_html": "

Years ago I discovered the work of nnxyz on nifty.ink. I acquired a few of his pieces and grew to like it more and more. I ended up collecting four complete collections of hundreds of pieces. I had always wished to create a gallery like experience for anyone to experience. With the help of AI I was able to make that vision a reality.

\n

Check out the nnxyz rooms.

\n

Some highlights of what the website has.

\n\n", "date_published": "2026-10-15T21:11:13-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2026/10/15/the-nnxyz-rooms.html", "tags": ["Crypto","Technology","AI"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2026/10/13/years-ago-i-purchased-three.html", "content_html": "

Years ago I purchased three collections of art by nnxyz on nifty.ink. I’ve now archived them in better detail than they were ever before available on my nnxyz collection site. Nifty.ink captured all art in dots and strokes so I used that to render SVG versions of all the art. Lovely. 🎨

\n", "date_published": "2026-10-13T21:07:22-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2026/10/13/years-ago-i-purchased-three.html", "tags": ["Crypto","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2026/10/11/my-maker-space-is-now.html", "content_html": "

My Maker Space is now in a totally workable and ready spot!

\n\"Basement\n", "date_published": "2026-10-11T16:11:55-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2026/10/11/my-maker-space-is-now.html", "tags": ["Technology","Tech Community"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2026/09/25/it-still-gives-me-a.html", "content_html": "

It still gives me a big grin when you open a model and then later go to the BambuLabs P2S and there is the actual thing in real life as it were.

\n

\"Slicer\"Rows

\n", "date_published": "2026-09-25T21:15:29-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2026/09/25/it-still-gives-me-a.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2026/08/01/printed-these-post-caps-perfect.html", "content_html": "

Printed these post caps. Perfect fit. PETG for outside and water use.

\n\"\"\n", "date_published": "2026-08-01T13:22:18-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2026/08/01/printed-these-post-caps-perfect.html", "tags": ["Technology","Home"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2026/05/14/so-im-wondering-is-there.html", "content_html": "

So I’m wondering “Is there a way to store hats on a hanger like thing in the closet?” After a quick search on Maker World I printed a Hat Hanger.

\n

\"Blue\"Six

\n", "date_published": "2026-05-14T18:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2026/05/14/so-im-wondering-is-there.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2026/05/14/a-fun-thing-about-having.html", "content_html": "

A fun thing about having a 3D printer is being able to take something that appears only “on screen” and make it exist “in real life”. I printed some of these Clash Royale Crowns for Tyler and I, as well as some for friends that play the game.

\n\"Four\n", "date_published": "2026-05-14T17:30:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2026/05/14/a-fun-thing-about-having.html", "tags": ["Technology","Games"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2026/05/03/pla-storage-organized-and-ready.html", "content_html": "

PLA storage organized and ready to go!

\n\"Shelves\n", "date_published": "2026-05-03T12:11:12-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2026/05/03/pla-storage-organized-and-ready.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2026/05/02/pla-run-to-microcenter.html", "content_html": "

PLA run to Microcenter.

\n\"Blue\n", "date_published": "2026-05-02T19:08:04-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2026/05/02/pla-run-to-microcenter.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2026/04/26/it-is-really-important-that.html", "content_html": "

It is really important that you store your PLA in a dry environment. Humidity causes problems when printing. One of the cool things about 3D printing stuff is you mostly just print it. I now have ample PLA storage using this Drybox Sterilite 20 Qt project.

\n

\"Four\"3D

\n", "date_published": "2026-04-26T18:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2026/04/26/it-is-really-important-that.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2026/04/18/timelapse-video-of-d-printing.html", "content_html": "

Timelapse video of 3D printing is pretty cool.

\n

\n", "date_published": "2026-04-18T23:40:40-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2026/04/18/timelapse-video-of-d-printing.html", "tags": ["Videos","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2026/04/18/it-is-still-such-a.html", "content_html": "

It is still such a “wow” when you hit print and go downstairs a few hours later to grab something useful. Tyler and I are having a great time with the Bambu Labs P2S.

\n\"Gray\n", "date_published": "2026-04-18T16:02:24-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2026/04/18/it-is-still-such-a.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2026/04/12/my-first-meaningful-print-with.html", "content_html": "

My first meaningful print with the new Bambu P2S is a Gridfinity setup for my office desk. The grid is down and now I’m populating with various bins. There are so many options and the Bambu P2S prints things effortlessly. This may be showing up in more drawers soon.

\n\"Open\n", "date_published": "2026-04-12T19:55:59-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2026/04/12/my-first-meaningful-print-with.html", "tags": ["Productivity","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2026/04/09/your-efi-shell-is-showing.html", "content_html": "

“Your EFI shell is showing…”

\n\"Digital\n", "date_published": "2026-04-09T08:30:45-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2026/04/09/your-efi-shell-is-showing.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2026/04/04/testing-out-our-new-bambu.html", "content_html": "

Testing out our new Bambu Labs P2S with a Benchy print!

\n\"Bambu\n", "date_published": "2026-04-04T18:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2026/04/04/testing-out-our-new-bambu.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2026/04/03/ive-tried-to-get-used.html", "content_html": "

I’ve tried to get used to “Click wallpaper to show desktop” for long enough now and I still despise it. Also “Show menu bar background” is a must. Annoys me that I now have to go set esoteric settings to make macOS work the way I want it to.

\n", "date_published": "2026-04-03T15:33:45-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2026/04/03/ive-tried-to-get-used.html", "tags": ["Technology","Apple"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2026/03/24/cant-wait-to-try-out.html", "content_html": "

Can’t wait to try out Prompt 3.5 on the Vision Pro when we get home.

\n

www.youtube.com/watch

\n", "date_published": "2026-03-24T01:37:11-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2026/03/24/cant-wait-to-try-out.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2026/03/08/tammy-and-i-had-a.html", "content_html": "

Tammy and I had a great evening seeing Kara Swisher and Scott Galloway live for Resist and Unsubscribe, or Live PIVOT.

\n\"Two\n", "date_published": "2026-03-08T19:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2026/03/08/tammy-and-i-had-a.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2026/02/17/the-lex-fridman-podcast-openclaw.html", "content_html": "

The Lex Fridman Podcast: 491 – OpenClaw: The Viral AI Agent that Broke the Internet – Peter Steinberger is great and I loved his early comment on playing:

\n

“That’s how you learn. You do stuff, and you play.”

\n

Absolutely.

\n

\n

And again.

\n

\n", "date_published": "2026-02-17T16:04:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2026/02/17/the-lex-fridman-podcast-openclaw.html", "tags": ["Technology","AI"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2026/02/17/just-ordered-a-dedicated-mac.html", "content_html": "

Just ordered a dedicated Mac Mini so I can setup an OpenClaw instance. Can’t wait to experiment with this!

\n\"OpenClaw\n", "date_published": "2026-02-17T14:39:35-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2026/02/17/just-ordered-a-dedicated-mac.html", "tags": ["Technology","AI"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2026/02/01/tyler-and-i-went-to.html", "content_html": "

Tyler and I went to Micro Center just to browse and look around. Seeing the prices on DIMMs was crazy. All the memory production is going to AI. $500 and more for a DIMM means nobody is building their own machines.

\n\"Glass\n", "date_published": "2026-02-01T18:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2026/02/01/tyler-and-i-went-to.html", "tags": ["Technology","AI"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2025/09/28/john-prine-had-the-answer.html", "content_html": "

John Prine had the answer to being “too online” before being online was even a thing.

\n
\n

Blow up your TV, throw away your paper,
\nGo to the country, build you a home,
\nPlant a little garden, eat a lot of peaches,
\nTry and find Jesus, on your own.

\n
\n

Spanish Pipedream released in 1971.

\n", "date_published": "2025-09-28T22:05:43-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2025/09/28/john-prine-had-the-answer.html", "tags": ["Music","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2025/09/17/another-delightful-evening-for-the.html", "content_html": "

A delightful evening to mark 20 years of the CIO Wine Tasting organized by Dee Thibodeau of Charter Solutions. Chuck Kanski of Solo Vino always brings an incredible selection and takes us on an amazing journey through the different wines.

\n

\"Group\"Group\"Six

\n", "date_published": "2025-09-17T20:30:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2025/09/17/another-delightful-evening-for-the.html", "tags": ["Drinks","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2025/09/15/i-dont-run-the-public.html", "content_html": "

I don’t run the public betas for Apple OS releases — and days like today are the fun when I get to jump into the new release. Updated macOS, iOS, tvOS, watchOS, and lastly visionOS to 26! Having fun and it is cool to see all the apps updating with Liquid Glass. 🤩

\n\"macOS\n", "date_published": "2025-09-15T19:20:11-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2025/09/15/i-dont-run-the-public.html", "tags": ["Technology","Apple"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2025/09/09/updating-my-rabbit-r-to.html", "content_html": "

Updating my Rabbit r1 to rabbitOS 2. Going through many update cycles as the device has been powered off for months. Curious to see how they have “completely revamped” it.

\n", "date_published": "2025-09-09T19:44:36-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2025/09/09/updating-my-rabbit-r-to.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2025/07/26/updownio-affiliate-link-is-a.html", "content_html": "

updown.io (affiliate link) is a great example of a near perfect web service. Simple to use. Clear and easy pricing — pay only for what you use. Fast and easy to setup. I started monitoring POAP2RSS with it tonight and was just reminded how great it is. See POAP2RSS Status. 👏👏👏

\n", "date_published": "2025-07-26T20:36:41-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2025/07/26/updownio-affiliate-link-is-a.html", "tags": ["POAP2RSS","Software Development","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2025/07/22/my-god-its-full-of.html", "content_html": "

“My God, it’s full of phones.”

\n\"Large\n", "date_published": "2025-07-22T21:58:33-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2025/07/22/my-god-its-full-of.html", "tags": ["Music","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2025/06/17/i-am-upgrading-the-charging.html", "content_html": "

I am upgrading the charging infrastructure at our cabin for us and guests and decided to get this Anker Prime Charger. The thing is substantial and can output 250 watts. I was surprised to find out it has WiFi and, to my delight, I even got to update the firmware on it. 🤩

\n\"Smartphone\n", "date_published": "2025-06-17T20:25:24-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2025/06/17/i-am-upgrading-the-charging.html", "tags": ["Technology","Cabin"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2025/05/22/dave-winer-today-where-ai.html", "content_html": "

Dave Winer today…

\n
\n

Where AI fits in

\n\n
\n

It is interesting and I’ve made similar comparisons lately myself. It matters who your audience and point is for such a list. For technologists I keep saying it is like…

\n\n

I think of those because they changed nearly everything about how technologists do their craft. I believe AI is going to do that too.

\n", "date_published": "2025-05-22T17:30:16-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2025/05/22/dave-winer-today-where-ai.html", "tags": ["Technology","AI"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2025/05/11/we-went-to-a-live.html", "content_html": "

We went to a live recording of The Object podcast at the MIA today. Dessa was the special guest discussing Salvador Dalí and the surrealists. She is always engaging and entertaining.

\n\"Promotional\n", "date_published": "2025-05-11T15:30:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2025/05/11/we-went-to-a-live.html", "tags": ["Technology","Arts"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2025/05/10/thanks-to-the-recent-fix.html", "content_html": "

Thanks to the recent fix on micro.blog allowing blogs over 5G to export I got my first backup in 2 years and 4 months! My total backup is now 11.58 GB, and it seems in the last couple years I averaged 187.5 MB of additions a month. ☺️

\n\"Finder\n", "date_published": "2025-05-10T20:04:47-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2025/05/10/thanks-to-the-recent-fix.html", "tags": ["Technology","Blogging"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2025/05/06/my-minnebar-in-sessions.html", "title": "My Minnebar 19 in Sessions", "content_html": "\"A\n

Session 0 feat. Dr. AnnMarie Thomas!

\n

AnnMarie Thomas

\n
\n

AnnMarie is an engineer. An artist. An educator. A maker. A writer. A lifelong learner who built her career mixing science, art, tech, and curiosity into something new – over and over again.

\n

From Squishy Circuits (playdough that lights up!) to OK Go Sandbox (music videos as STEAM playgrounds), to founding the Playful Learning Lab (at the University of St. Thomas), her work reminds us: when we make space for play, we make space for possibility.

\n

Today, she leads Listo Idea Co., LLC, where she consults on projects ranging from workshop design to ocean focused VR/AR. She’s also an enthusiastic amateur in a wide range of hobbies – including trapeze and magic.

\n
\n

Recipe for play:

\n\n

Playful learning rules:

\n\n\"A\n

This Machine ____s Fascists (fill in the blank)

\n

Paul Cantrell

\n
\n

Around the world and at home, democracy is in decline and authoritarianism is on the rise. Technology is smack dab at the center of this authoritarian movement, both in terms of how it spreads and in terms of the damage it can do. Unfortunately, as designers, builders, managers, and funders of technology, we cannot look away.

\n

What actions can we, the creators and stewards of technology, take to protect democracy and human rights? What power do we have when our own spheres of influence feel small? What harms are preventable? What harms are not obvious? What choices do we have? What kinds of action can we take?

\n

When presented with an ethical dilemma, how will you fill in that blank?

\n
\n\n\"A\n

🐝 Honeybees: Click to Save

\n

Joe Meyer

\n
\n

Technology and beekeeping might seem like an unlikely pairing, but the “Save the Bees” movement has inspired a surge of tech innovation in the hive. In this session, we’ll take a look at the gadgets and technologies gaining traction in the beekeeping world. I’ll also talk about my own personal journey developing an app using AI not to disrupt tradition, but to support it. This talk is for anyone interested in the tension between tradition and innovation, and how we can design technology that honors the communities it’s meant to serve.

\n
\n\n\"A\n

Deepfakes 101: What’s Real, What’s Not, and What to Do About It

\n

Greg Swan, Jenny Swan

\n
\n

Deepfake fraud attempts have skyrocketed by 2137% in just three years. And today, it takes less than 27 seconds to clone someone’s voice.

\n

But what is a deepfake, and why should you care? AI-generated misinformation is more than just a tech curiosity–it’s a growing threat to trust, security, and even your personal identity. If people can’t tell reality from manipulation, skepticism toward AI will only grow.

\n

Join Jenny and Greg Swan from _The Cave Project_as they break down how deepfakes work, the risks they pose, and (most importantly) what you can actually do about it. From setting up family passwords to recognizing red flags, this session will arm you with the knowledge to stay ahead of the fake.

\n
\n\n\"A\n

Minimal Viable Polka: My 100 day plan to win valentines day

\n

Jim Bernard

\n
\n

This personal narrative includes practical tips and easy-to-implement suggestions that can be applied to your life. Bring your groaning to-do list, spiraling imposter syndrome and be prepared to be bossed into doing that thing that you’ve always wanted to do. You’ve got this!

\n

WARNING: This session will include a modest amount of beginner accordion music.

\n
\n\n\"People\n

3D Printing: How to Get Started

\n

Cameron MacDonald

\n
\n

Are you interested in 3D printing but don’t know how to get started?

\n

This session is to give newcomers to 3D printing a rundown of what it is, what it isn’t, and how to start trying it out if you’re interested.

\n

We’ll be exploring:

\n\n

There will be time for a Q&A at the end for anyone who has specific questions. 3D printing is an exciting, fun, sometimes frustrating, and extremely vast and deep hobby. I hope you’ll join and find out more about one of my favorite hobbies!

\n
\n

Materials from talk.

\n\"A\n

Build game changing products using Product Discovery workshops

\n

Bill Gintz, David Quinn

\n
\n

This presentation will delve into the dynamic use of Product Discovery workshops within our organization. We’ll explore the insights our team has garnered through these sessions and illustrate how they can help synchronize product, delivery, and stakeholder teams. This alignment will pave the way for a more efficient, stress-free delivery process, ultimately leading to the creation of game-changing products.

\n
\n

Great TeamSPS presentation on using discovery to make sure your doing the right things in the right way.

\n

How To Newsletter

\n

This was my session, you can read the article version.

\n", "date_published": "2025-05-06T21:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2025/05/06/my-minnebar-in-sessions.html", "tags": ["Minnestar","Technology","Tech Community"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2025/04/28/my-favorite-indieweb-services-microblog.html", "content_html": "

My favorite Indieweb services — Micro.blog and Buttondown — have had a tough week. They worked through it.

\n\"Weekly\n", "date_published": "2025-04-28T22:15:36-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2025/04/28/my-favorite-indieweb-services-microblog.html", "tags": ["Technology","Blogging"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2025/04/14/i-find-these-robot-vacuum.html", "content_html": "

I find these robot vacuum cleaners that roam the MSP airport kind of adorable. 🤖

\n

\n", "date_published": "2025-04-14T22:53:27-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2025/04/14/i-find-these-robot-vacuum.html", "tags": ["Videos","Travel","Technology","Warsaw 2025"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2025/04/06/telling-stories-with-maps.html", "title": "Telling Stories with Maps", "content_html": "

These days we mostly interact with maps in a singular, digital manner. However, if you want to have a guaranteed way to get a conversation going in a group put a map in front of everyone and shortly the stories will start coming. “I remember when we were here and this thing happened.” A long time ago I was in Canada at a remote location fishing. Every evening over dinner the entire group would hover over the map of the area and share stories of the day. “This is where we caught this huge Northern.” “Over here is where the Walleye are in the morning.” “We took the boat down this stream and it was too shallow for the prop.” Maps can be an incredible way to tell stories.

\n

Telling stories with maps is one of the things that I wish blogs did better. My blog has posts that I created from all over the place, but you wouldn’t know it to read it. You can see my archive of thousands of posts, but you cannot easily see the posts I created in Iceland, or various times I visited a specific state. How about the blog posts on a road trip that connect together to tell the story of the whole trip?

\n

This desire to tell stories through maps is why I got really excited to see Micro Social add support for locations. Micro.blog has supported location data for posts since the very beginning. However, it has always felt like an afterthought created to allow people to import Foursquare activity. I’ve wished for years that the Micro.blog app would attach my location to all my posts. I get not everyone would want this, but it would seem to be an easy add for those that do. Now at least I can use Micro Social to do this.

\n

Ultimately I wish that my blogging platform would allow me to use location like I use time stamps. The time stamp of a post is the when. The location is the where. The archive page shows posts by the when. There should be a map page that shows posts by the where. The same way I can create collections of photos, I would like collections of posts and then show a map of those collections. I can edit the time stamp of a post, I would like to edit the location of a post.

\n

Even social platforms that do collect this information do this poorly. I suspect they mostly use location as another surveillance tool to target advertising as opposed to creating a new way to share things.

\n

Full support of location data for posts would create a whole new way to tell stories and connect the writing on your blog together. I’ll keep wishing, but I know that if I could add and edit location data to posts I’d be doing that during gardening, and it would create an incredibly rich and vibrant way to tell more stories.

\n", "date_published": "2025-04-06T08:15:35-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2025/04/06/telling-stories-with-maps.html", "tags": ["Technology","Blogging","Privacy \u0026 Security"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2025/04/03/cool-to-see-the-apple.html", "content_html": "

Cool to see the Apple Sports app just got support for F1! 🏁 This app is how I connect to almost all sports I care about now.

\n", "date_published": "2025-04-03T20:01:51-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2025/04/03/cool-to-see-the-apple.html", "tags": ["Sports","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2025/03/16/we-stopped-into-microcenter-today.html", "content_html": "

We stopped into Microcenter today and they didn’t have a single Nvidia GPU in stock. Every case was empty. In fact they only had five individual GPUs of any brand!

\n\"Row\n", "date_published": "2025-03-16T15:45:09-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2025/03/16/we-stopped-into-microcenter-today.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2025/03/16/yesterday-tyler-was-talking-about.html", "content_html": "

Yesterday Tyler was talking about 3D printers. We had an entry level 3D Printer in 2019 and realized it was missing very fundamental features to do complex prints — notably the platform wasn’t heated. I’ve been researching a bit and these printers have come a long way since then.

\n", "date_published": "2025-03-16T07:41:04-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2025/03/16/yesterday-tyler-was-talking-about.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2025/03/14/i-watched-the-apple-immersive.html", "content_html": "

I “watched” the Apple Immersive Metallica concert experience tonight and was completely blown away. I turned the volume all the way up and had James Hetfield singing right in my face. You get to see Lars Ulrich drum while watching right behind his shoulder. Incredible!

\n\"Apple\n", "date_published": "2025-03-14T21:32:07-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2025/03/14/i-watched-the-apple-immersive.html", "tags": ["Music","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2025/02/18/mapquest-winning-the-internet-today.html", "content_html": "

MapQuest winning the Internet today with this name your own gulf site. 🤣

\n\"MapQuest\n", "date_published": "2025-02-18T23:15:56-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2025/02/18/mapquest-winning-the-internet-today.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2025/01/29/two-times-this-week-i.html", "content_html": "

Two times this week I attempted to add a link to Pinboard and found out I had already added it. In one case I added it two years ago and in another five years! It always makes me chuckle a little bit when that happens.

\n", "date_published": "2025-01-29T21:47:26-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2025/01/29/two-times-this-week-i.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2025/01/25/helped-my-brother-transfer-his.html", "content_html": "

Helped my brother transfer his domain name ikeating.com from GoDaddy to NameCheap this morning. We were able to complete the whole process in about an hour. As long as you do all the steps right it wasn’t too difficult. Also see his blog post covering the move.

\n", "date_published": "2025-01-25T12:14:39-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2025/01/25/helped-my-brother-transfer-his.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2025/01/16/after-much-debating-i-finally.html", "content_html": "

After much debating I finally decided to get a new laptop and ordered a MacBook Pro with M4 Pro and configured nicely. This thing is going to be fast! Will be especially nice for photography. 😎

\n\"MacBook\n", "date_published": "2025-01-16T21:51:16-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2025/01/16/after-much-debating-i-finally.html", "tags": ["Technology","Apple"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2025/01/12/i-was-emailing-a-friend.html", "content_html": "

I was emailing a friend about Drafts and how critical it is to my writing. It made me think I should share that there is a 50% off 1-year subscription offer until January 15! I do almost all of my writing in Drafts. Sync and automation are key features for me. “Where text starts…” 👨‍💻

\n", "date_published": "2025-01-12T10:18:56-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2025/01/12/i-was-emailing-a-friend.html", "tags": ["Technology","Blogging"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2025/01/11/payloads-for-rss-aka-podcasts.html", "title": "Payloads for RSS, aka Podcasts!", "content_html": "

24 years ago today Dave Winer introduced Payloads for RSS — which became the structure of the entire podcasting world. If you listen to a podcast, you are using RSS with enclosures. I love the backstory that he disagreed with the premise but Adam Curry “persisted” and convinced him of the value.

\n
\n

RSS already does most of what we want. With the addition of the <enclosure> sub-element of <item> any RSS element can describe a video or audio file (actually any type of file).

\n

<enclosure> has three attributes: url says where the file is located, length says how big it is, and type says what its type is. This way a workstation or aggregator can know in advance, without having to do any communication, what it’s going to get, and apply scheduling and filtering rules.

\n
\n

This is another great example of the power of open protocols and the open web! 🪄

\n", "date_published": "2025-01-11T10:21:04-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2025/01/11/payloads-for-rss-aka-podcasts.html", "tags": ["Technology","Blogging"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2025/01/10/podcast-trends-for-fewer-hours.html", "content_html": "

Podcast trends for 2024. 75 fewer hours of listening versus 2023. Pivot still my drive time podcast commuting to work. Subscribe to Making Sense and The Drive, but surprisingly low listen time with Attia. Mostly I listen to two, maybe three, podcasts.

\n\"Overcast\n", "date_published": "2025-01-10T18:23:30-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2025/01/10/podcast-trends-for-fewer-hours.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2024/12/27/i-make-a-recurring-donation.html", "content_html": "

I make a recurring donation to Wikipedia but I figured I would make an extra donation right now. Wikipedia is one of the true wonders of the web and I’m very happy to support it.

\n", "date_published": "2024-12-27T16:25:30-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2024/12/27/i-make-a-recurring-donation.html", "tags": ["Technology","Giving"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2024/12/15/another-price-increase.html", "title": "Another price increase for YouTube TV?", "content_html": "

We “cut the cord”, or more appropriately, cancelled our DirecTV service back in 2009. We’ve been an over-the-air HDTV, streaming, or “video on demand” household ever since. Before taking this leap I had done a comparison of costs and highlighted DirecTV was costing us $1,080 a year. Adjusting that for inflation that is $1,582 in 2024.

\n

Today we subscribe to many streaming services. Neflix, Hulu, Apple TV, Disney+, Paramount+. But the one thing that none of them can get us is live sports. For that, I’ve relied on YouTube TV. I think it is expensive, but it is the “best” way to get live TV. I first signed up for YouTube TV in 2019, and the prices have gone up wildly. The amounts here are the full amounts I was billed, not the list prices.

\n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n
MonthAmount
March 2019$43.01
May 2019$53.75
August 2020$70.21
November 2023$79.58
January 2025$90.48
\n

13.58% annual growth rate. If we inflation adjust the $43 the price would be $53 today. Instead we are $80 and soon to be over $90.

\n

I paused my subscription. The frustrating thing for me is of all the services we subscribe to YouTube TV is used the least, and is three to six times more expensive than any of them.

\n

I’ve been waiting for the various sports that I care for to go direct so I can get just what I want. But if the past is any indicator, this will actually just result in an even more expensive service. Maybe it is time to go back to the over-the-air HDTV.

\n", "date_published": "2024-12-15T08:54:08-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2024/12/15/another-price-increase.html", "tags": ["Sports","Movies","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2024/12/02/ready-for-cyber.html", "content_html": "

The SPS Observation Station is ready for Cyber Monday 2024!

\n\"Group\n", "date_published": "2024-12-02T09:04:32-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2024/12/02/ready-for-cyber.html", "tags": ["Technology","Work"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2024/10/23/having-this-frustrating.html", "content_html": "

Having this frustrating issue with iOS 18.0.1 on my new iPhone 16 Pro where it refuses to connect to any Bluetooth devices — even my Apple Watch. A reboot of the phone solves it. Particularly annoying when this is the key for my car!

\n\"iPhone\n", "date_published": "2024-10-23T17:45:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2024/10/23/having-this-frustrating.html", "tags": ["Technology","Apple"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2024/09/28/two-ai-bots.html", "title": "Two AI Bots Discussing the Weekly Thing", "content_html": "

My friend Garrick recently shared about Two AI Bots Discussing His Work — a test he did using Google’s Notebook LM. I listened to the three recordings that he shared and it was incredible.

\n

I had to try this myself so I fired up Notebook LM and decided to throw some issues of the Weekly Thing at it. The results were interesting to say the least!

\n

292 / Signal, Checkboxes, Hope

\n

\n\n

\n

Notes:

\n\n

287 / Plinky, Piccolo, Privacy

\n

\n\n

\n

Notes:

\n\n

276 / Contextual, Copilot, Collections

\n

\n\n

\n

Notes:

\n\n

Multiple Issues

\n

\n\n

\n

At this point I was pretty impressed and intrigued by what this was doing. I wanted to try something with more content so this time I uploaded 14 recent issues of the Weekly Thing into the notebook and told it to generate. I was curious what it would do with this much material! This one has an entirely different structure.

\n

Notes:

\n\n", "date_published": "2024-09-28T09:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2024/09/28/two-ai-bots.html", "tags": ["Weekly Thing","Technology","AI","Blogging"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2024/09/26/fall-cio-wine.html", "title": "Fall CIO Wine Tasting Evening", "content_html": "

Another incredible evening for the CIO Wine Tasting event hosted by Dee Thibodeau of Charter Solutions and Terri Naughtin of Naughtin Group. Tony Peleska of Kraus Anderson provides a stunning venue on their balcony in downtown Minneapolis. What a wonderful group of technology leaders to connect with. And the highlight of the evening is Chuck Kanski of Solo Vino providing an incredible array of unique wines with the background on each of the grapes. 🍷

\n

\"Rooftop\"Multiple

\n", "date_published": "2024-09-26T21:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2024/09/26/fall-cio-wine.html", "tags": ["Drinks","Technology","Work"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2024/08/30/first-challenge-for.html", "content_html": "

First challenge for my lake camera was getting it off the ground to keep the raccoons from playing with it.

\n

Second was protecting the cable from water and making sure that the cords were waterproof.

\n

Now the third issue is keeping the lawn guys from shredding the USB cable with the weed whipper. 😬

\n", "date_published": "2024-08-30T15:24:13-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2024/08/30/first-challenge-for.html", "tags": ["Technology","Cabin"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2024/08/22/extended-my-domain.html", "content_html": "

Extended my domain registrations with NameCheap for thingelstad.com, weeklything.com, jamiethingelstad.com, thinglestad.com, thingelstad.xyz, roadsignmath.xyz, and things4good.xyz before price increases in September.

\n", "date_published": "2024-08-22T20:06:08-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2024/08/22/extended-my-domain.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2024/08/13/tyler-got-his.html", "content_html": "

Tyler got his gaming PC assembled and running tonight! It was super fun to help him out with this. So many LEDs! 🤩

\n\"White\n \"White\n", "date_published": "2024-08-13T23:17:53-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2024/08/13/tyler-got-his.html", "tags": ["Family","Technology","Games"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2024/08/02/i-realized-tonight.html", "content_html": "

I realized tonight that with fiber at our cabin the very old Apple TVs I have are limited by their Ethernet ports — can’t exceed 100 Mbps!

\n

Ordered two new Apple TVs to put in next weekend. 🎉

\n", "date_published": "2024-08-02T23:09:10-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2024/08/02/i-realized-tonight.html", "tags": ["Technology","Cabin"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2024/07/18/resurrecting-two-raspberry.html", "content_html": "

Resurrecting two Raspberry Pi 3 Model B+ units that I had from when I was running Pi-hole. Putting new images on them and will be a fun host for Tyler to learn some Linux skills on. Not sure what I’m going to do with mine yet.

\n\"Raspberry\n", "date_published": "2024-07-18T19:35:50-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2024/07/18/resurrecting-two-raspberry.html", "tags": ["Family","Software Development","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2024/07/14/blog-pensieve.html", "title": "Blog Pensieve", "content_html": "

I’ve been curating my blog for a couple of years now using a method I call Blog Gardening. I continue to garden my blog each day. It is a great way to tend to the archive of posts I’ve created over more than twenty years and gives me a moment of nostalgia in my day that often brings a smile to my day. It is pretty common that I share a memory from gardening with my family.

\n

I’ve been pondering a blog activity that is less common for me but is another way to curate my blog. There are times when life is busy, or I lack connectivity to the web, or who knows why but something that I would have blogged about goes without a blog post. A common situation for me involves video which requires more bandwidth than I have when we are traveling. What to do when I find these notable historical gaps in my blog?

\n

I can of course create a blog post with whatever date I want and have an opportunity to fill a gap when able. Micro.blog itself supports scheduling a post in the future which you can “misuse” and schedule a post in the past — it works great1. You can use an app like MarsEdit to create a post with any timestamp you wish.

\n

What to call creating posts from the past? It made me think of Harry Potter and the Pensieve.

\n
\n

A Pensieve was a very rare and powerful magical item. They were a magical device used to store and review memories.

\n
\n

Blog Pensieve it is! Love it.

\n

For me Pensieve posts are anchored in my Photo Library. My photos have a clear history of visual events and critically also have location and timestamp information. Together these photos give the important metadata needed to “populate the pensieve”. The most important part to get right for a pensieve post is the timestamp! And when you are traveling in different timezones this may take some careful consideration.

\n

And a great bonus about this is that these Pensieve posts will now populate in your Blog Gardening!

\n

Here are some Blog Pensieve posts that I’ve created. I’ve also decided as a technical matter to have these in a Pensieve category.

\n\n

I also use the schedule feature to create posts from a day or two ago. I don’t consider these Pensieve posts. They are really just me catching up on some things. I probably created a task in OmniFocus to post it. Pensieve posts are for going back in time, dipping into those gaps, and adding to my blog for the future.

\n

I like the term Pensieve too because just like in Harry Potter, too much of it could be dangerous:

\n
\n

Pensieves were rare because only the most advanced wizards ever use them, and because the majority of wizardkind is afraid of doing so.

\n
\n

With great power, comes great responsibility.

\n
\n
\n
    \n
  1. \n

    Unfortunately micro.blog on iOS doesn’t support scheduling posts, which is usually fine but there are times when I have wished I could do this from my phone. Also micro.blog on the web does support scheduling posts but I find the workflow confusing compared to the macOS client. ↩︎

    \n
    2. \n
\n
\n", "date_published": "2024-07-14T09:33:06-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2024/07/14/blog-pensieve.html", "tags": ["Technology","Blogging"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2024/07/07/i-picked-up.html", "content_html": "

I picked up four of these Weatherproof Electrical Connection Boxes to keep connectors safe outside at the lake, power and USB. Seems like a great solution.

\n\"Hand\n\"Gray\n", "date_published": "2024-07-07T11:50:59-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2024/07/07/i-picked-up.html", "tags": ["Technology","Cabin"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2024/07/04/just-realized-that.html", "content_html": "

Just realized that the Ubiquiti U6 Long-Range access points I’m using at the cabin need PoE+ (30W) and I’ve been using PoE-af (15W) injectors. May explain some of the odd performance I’ve been seeing. Two U-PoE-at adapters ordered!

\n", "date_published": "2024-07-04T23:05:09-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2024/07/04/just-realized-that.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2024/07/03/fiber-installed-at.html", "title": "Fiber Installed at Cabin", "content_html": "

I met with Bevcomm on July 1 2023 to give them the go ahead to install fiber at our cabin. They thought it would take about a year and today — one year and two days later — it was installed and activated! Bevcomm sent two technicians out and everything went very smooth.

\n

I had made several upgrades to the network infrastructure in preparation. I don’t have ethernet here and was using ethernet-over-power adapters before with Eero infrastructure.

\n

I knew I wanted to switch everything to UniFi. I use UniFi at home and am very pleased with it. I decided to use the existing coax wiring for the backbone using MoCa adapters. Each of the four MoCa adapter then has a little 4-port switch. I’ve also got 2 WiFi 6 LR access points and a UniFi U6 Mesh access point that is installed outside. I’ve now got direct line-of-site for my external network devices. External WiFi signal is way better!

\n

Today the last part clicked in with the fiber getting turned on. I provisioned 500 Mbps service. I didn’t think full gigabit made sense. Speeds look great and response times are very snappy.

\n\"Speed\n", "date_published": "2024-07-03T21:23:20-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2024/07/03/fiber-installed-at.html", "tags": ["Technology","Cabin"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2024/06/30/lake-cam-properly.html", "title": "Lake Cam Properly Mounted", "content_html": "

Last week when I repositioned one of the UniFi G4 Cameras so that I could keep an eye on the flooding and the pontoon I didn’t consider raccoons getting interested in the camera. I had just put it on a 2x4 on the ground. The 2x4 was to keep it from being on any pooled water. That didn’t even make it 24 hours.

\n

Luckily I had a yard stake and some scrap wood. Problem solved! Additionally I’m now looking closer to eye height instead of having a view from the ground. Stay away raccoons! 🦝

\n

Wondering about all that green stuff on the water? That is floating algae that collects in the little alcove that our dock sits.

\n

\"UniFi\"Lake

\n", "date_published": "2024-06-30T16:47:21-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2024/06/30/lake-cam-properly.html", "tags": ["Technology","Cabin"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2024/06/25/ledger-stax-arrived.html", "title": "Ledger Stax Arrived", "content_html": "

This weekend I received my Ledger Stax crypto wallet! I pre-ordered this in December 2022 because I loved hearing how Tony Fadell, who designed the original iPod, approached designing this. The device is meant to look like a book and you can customize the spine and cover however you wish to help see what is “inside” the wallet. I unboxed it tonight.

\n

The packaging is well done but very big for such a small device. The box it comes in is the same book shape as the Stax itself, and then the Stax is simply tucked away inside. Very nicely done and all simple cardboard so very recyclable.

\n

I didn’t set it up yet, but I did power the Stax up and it makes a nice twinkle sound and the screen comes to life. It is a touch sensitive screen and is surprisingly responsive when you touch it. Very cool.

\n

I have a Ledger Nano X already so I’m going to need to sit down and figure out how I want to configure and setup the Stax. I actually pre-ordered two of these so am expecting another one to show up soon.

\n
\"A\"A\"A\"A\"A
\n", "date_published": "2024-06-25T21:14:25-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2024/06/25/ledger-stax-arrived.html", "tags": ["Crypto","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2024/06/24/i-received-my.html", "content_html": "

I received my Rabbit R1 tonight! I only had time to get it out of the box, do the basic setup, and get it updated. Will play more later.

\n\"Orange\n", "date_published": "2024-06-24T21:32:25-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2024/06/24/i-received-my.html", "tags": ["Technology","AI"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2024/06/23/helped-tyler-order.html", "content_html": "

Helped Tyler order the first three components for his Gaming PC from NewEgg. He’s officially starting that project. Fun!

\n", "date_published": "2024-06-23T20:59:45-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2024/06/23/helped-tyler-order.html", "tags": ["Family","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2024/06/21/tech-challenge-spec.html", "title": "Summer Challenge: Spec a Gaming PC", "content_html": "

This post is part of the Summer Challenge Collection, a collection of tasks or projects for our kids to do over the summer.

\n

For this challenge you’ll need to spec out the components of a Gaming PC. Make sure to include all of the components that you would need, with links for each of them, as well as an explanation of why you are picking that specific component and how it all fits together for what your goal is.

\n

Completed! ✅

\n", "date_published": "2024-06-21T21:03:56-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2024/06/21/tech-challenge-spec.html", "tags": ["Family","Technology","Summer Challenge 2024"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2024/06/03/omni-show-how.html", "title": "Omni Show 136: How Jamie Thingelstad Uses OmniFocus", "content_html": "

Episode 136 of the Omni Show podcast just showed up with me as the guest! I recorded this a couple weeks ago with Andrew Mason and it is great to see it live. The Omni Show is also trying out video and I agreed to give it a try so there is also a video version on YouTube.

\n

This was really fun for me because I am a regular listener of the Omni Show podcast and an avid user of OmniFocus for a very long time. I was excited to get an opportunity to share and go deeper on this topic. I hope you enjoy it too!

\n
\n \n
\n\n

Some links to things that I mentioned in the interview:

\n\n

P.S.: A huge thank you to Pete Edstrom who was on episode 133 for introducing me to Andrew and team!

\n", "date_published": "2024-06-03T16:20:21-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2024/06/03/omni-show-how.html", "tags": ["Productivity","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2024/05/28/im-giving-microblogs.html", "content_html": "

I’m giving micro.blog’s new audio narration feature a try. I used the new Zoom H1 Essential to record and added narration to my First Coffee in 54 Days post, and Tiny Theme added support just in time.

\n", "date_published": "2024-05-28T21:29:38-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2024/05/28/im-giving-microblogs.html", "tags": ["Technology","Blogging"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2024/05/08/mntech-tech-connect.html", "title": "MnTech Tech Connect 2024", "content_html": "

Today was Tech Connect 2024 hosted by MnTech at the Saint Paul RiverCentre. There were over 600 people this year and a number of good presentations.

\n

Sessions I attended:

\n\n

Overall observations:

\n\n\"Bald\n\"Speaker\n\"Large\n\"Four\n\"Large\n\"Group\n", "date_published": "2024-05-08T20:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2024/05/08/mntech-tech-connect.html", "tags": ["Technology","AI","Tech Community"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2024/05/06/i-preordered-the.html", "content_html": "

I pre-ordered the Ledger Stax on Dec 10, 2022 and after a very long wait I got notified that they will be shipping in June! I have two on the way. I am looking forward to trying the Ledger Stax out after a 17 month wait!

\n\"Four\n", "date_published": "2024-05-06T18:56:59-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2024/05/06/i-preordered-the.html", "tags": ["Crypto","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2024/04/08/these-new-custom.html", "content_html": "

These new custom perspective capabilities in OmniFocus 4.2 are very welcome. I’ll be able to do some long desired use cases with these! 👏

\n
\n\n
\n", "date_published": "2024-04-08T19:12:13-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2024/04/08/these-new-custom.html", "tags": ["Productivity","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2024/03/10/microblog-uploads-wish.html", "title": "Micro.blog Uploads Wish List", "content_html": "

I’m a fan of Micro.blog for hosting my website. For me it is a great mix of ease-of-use and powerful capabilities. Manton and team have done a great job enhancing and improving it over the years. However, Uploads is one part of the service that I stumble with and routinely wish it had additional capabilities.

\n

Here is my wish list for Uploads:

\n\n

I can’t decide if Duplicate Uploads would be a win too. It feels similar to Orphaned Uploads as a bulk task that would run weekly or monthly and prompt the user to do some cleaning up.

\n

These features aren’t gaps for normal day-to-day posting. They mostly show up when I’m doing blog gardening. But having them would be a great add to Micro.blog.

\n", "date_published": "2024-03-10T13:29:37-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2024/03/10/microblog-uploads-wish.html", "tags": ["Technology","Blogging"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2024/03/05/power-has-been.html", "content_html": "

Power has been shut off to the entire house now for nearly an hour for the electrical upgrades. Happy to see that the combination of UPS batteries and PoE for infrastructure has left the network and fiber connection online! ⚡️

\n", "date_published": "2024-03-05T12:00:55-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2024/03/05/power-has-been.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2024/02/10/very-fun-time.html", "content_html": "

Very fun time playing in virtual reality at REM5VR today. Space Pirate and Elven Assassin still favorites.

\n\"Person\n", "date_published": "2024-02-10T17:56:52-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2024/02/10/very-fun-time.html", "tags": ["Technology","Games"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2024/02/09/i-got-a.html", "content_html": "

I got a Magic Keyboard to pair with the Apple Vision Pro. I want to use the Vision Pro for productivity and typing is a must. I hooked it up (it is charging in the picture) and I was surprised to see this typing display that floats above the keyboard. it also knew which keyboard I was using?

\n\"Apple\n", "date_published": "2024-02-09T22:47:57-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2024/02/09/i-got-a.html", "tags": ["Productivity","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2024/02/06/ordered-a-magic.html", "content_html": "

Ordered a Magic Keyboard to pair with the Apple Vision Pro so I can dive into more of the productivity use cases.

\n", "date_published": "2024-02-07T00:16:27-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2024/02/06/ordered-a-magic.html", "tags": ["Productivity","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2024/02/03/i-wanted-to.html", "content_html": "

I wanted to celebrate getting my Apple Vision Pro and what better way than with a POAP! I’m sharing this POAP with anyone that demos it with me and experiences Spatial Computing — likely for the first time! I’m attaching POAP Moments to this event, and see on POAP Family.

\n\"Man\n", "date_published": "2024-02-03T17:55:17-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2024/02/03/i-wanted-to.html", "tags": ["POAP","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2024/02/03/you-can-drink.html", "content_html": "

You can drink a coffee while using the Vision Pro, but you may need to tip your head back so the coffee mug doesn’t get blocked by the Vision Pro.

\n", "date_published": "2024-02-03T09:42:09-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2024/02/03/you-can-drink.html", "tags": ["Coffee","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2024/02/02/first-experience-in.html", "content_html": "

First experience in Spatial Computing. 🤩

\n\"Man\n", "date_published": "2024-02-02T13:31:26-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2024/02/02/first-experience-in.html", "tags": ["Technology","Apple"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2024/02/02/at-the-apple.html", "content_html": "

At the Apple Store picking up my Apple Vision Pro!

\n

\"Apple\"Apple\"Apple

\n", "date_published": "2024-02-02T13:07:37-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2024/02/02/at-the-apple.html", "tags": ["Technology","Apple"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2024/01/30/backed-project-tapestry.html", "title": "Backed Project Tapestry from Iconfactory", "content_html": "

Iconfactory launched a Kickstarter campaign for Project Tapestry today. Iconfactory is a great company that has built some of the most delightful experiences (Linea, Frenzic, Twitterific). Tapestry intends to be an open “timeline” of content from a variety of services. I’m intrigued because of the focus on open systems and the world-class skills of Iconfactory. Backed!

\n\"Promotional\n", "date_published": "2024-01-30T19:45:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2024/01/30/backed-project-tapestry.html", "tags": ["Technology","Social Media"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2024/01/29/online-handle.html", "title": "Online Handle", "content_html": "

Jim Nielsen’s Online Handles blog post caught my eye. I figured I would share too.

\n

Recently I started using jthingelstad just for clarity. However, decades prior I always went by thingles, which was my very first Unix account username at the U of MN. It was just my last name truncated to eight characters, but the list had misspelled and transposed the e and l in my name.

\n

I embraced it, but it aggravated even more the most common misspelling of my name.

\n", "date_published": "2024-01-29T21:55:30-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2024/01/29/online-handle.html", "tags": ["Technology","Social Media"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2024/01/28/trying-a-roomba.html", "content_html": "

Trying a Roomba for the first time and have it on a mapping run. I find myself talking to it:

\n

“No, don’t go there.”

\n

“Avoid that shag rug! You got stuck there before.”

\n

“Nice job on that turn.”

\n", "date_published": "2024-01-28T12:17:47-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2024/01/28/trying-a-roomba.html", "tags": ["Technology","Home"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2024/01/19/exciting-morning-warming.html", "content_html": "

Exciting morning — warming up my fingers to get the Apple Vision Pro ordered!

\n

✅ Pre-order complete with pickup scheduled at Apple Store on Friday, February 2nd. Purchase process with face scanning via the iPhone was simple and easy. Ordered the 512 GB storage option along with the travel case.

\n\"Apple\n", "date_published": "2024-01-19T07:41:40-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2024/01/19/exciting-morning-warming.html", "tags": ["Technology","Apple"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2024/01/13/there-is-certainly.html", "content_html": "

There is certainly some luck involved with Microsofts early investment and partnership with OpenAI. However, the strategy they have built to bring AI to “where work happens”, productize it through Copilot, and create enterprise-ready capabilities to build off of is truly impressive.

\n
\n

Microsoft surpassed Apple to become the world’s most valuable public company. Microsoft was valued at $2.89trn as markets closed on Friday; Apple at $2.87trn. The iPhone-maker has been the most valuable listed firm for most of the past 12 years. But Microsoft’s investments in artificial intelligence have helped it catch up. The software giant last closed above Apple in 2021. — The Economist (Jan 13, 2024)

\n
\n", "date_published": "2024-01-13T08:43:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2024/01/13/there-is-certainly.html", "tags": ["Technology","AI"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2024/01/08/just-set-calendar.html", "content_html": "

Just set calendar event to pre-order Apple Vision Pro on January 19th! 🎉

\n\"Apple\n", "date_published": "2024-01-08T22:47:42-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2024/01/08/just-set-calendar.html", "tags": ["Technology","Apple"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2024/01/07/my-top-podcast-listening-for.html", "content_html": "

My top podcast listening for 2023. I subscribe to Making Sense and The Drive. Omni Show is always a fun listen. The Next Year in Moscow was a very good series from the Economist. Pivot is my drive time listen.

\n\"Overcast\n", "date_published": "2024-01-07T19:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2024/01/07/my-top-podcast-listening-for.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2023/12/13/upgraded-to-omnifocus.html", "title": "Upgraded to OmniFocus 4", "content_html": "

I’ve been eagerly awaiting the release of OmniFocus 4.0 and today is the day! I haven’t used any of the betas so it is all new to me. It was an easy decision to upgrade because OmniFocus is one of my most frequently used apps and the cornerstone of my GTD system.

\n

I upgraded three Macs, my iPhone, iPad, and was excited to see a proper Apple Watch version that now runs completely independently.

\n

My initial impressions:

\n
    \n
  1. The user experience is a big change. It will take me a bit to get used to it, but I can already see how it is more streamlined.
    2. \n
  2. The logical role of perspectives in the user experience is way better.
    3. \n
  3. Love that the Apple Watch version is useful. I never used the previous version and it hadn’t been updated in years. This one I will use.
    4. \n
\n\"OmniFocus\n", "date_published": "2023-12-13T22:48:41-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2023/12/13/upgraded-to-omnifocus.html", "tags": ["Productivity","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2023/11/27/cyber-monday.html", "content_html": "

Cyber Monday 2023! 🚀

\n\"Six\n", "date_published": "2023-11-27T08:27:41-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2023/11/27/cyber-monday.html", "tags": ["Technology","Work"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2023/11/22/wow-we-have.html", "title": "OpenAI Rewind: New Board, Altman Returns ⏪", "content_html": "

Wow. First OpenAI…

\n
\n

We have reached an agreement in principle for Sam Altman to return to OpenAI as CEO with a new initial board of Bret Taylor (Chair), Larry Summers, and Adam D’Angelo. — OpenAI

\n
\n

Then Sam Altman…

\n
\n

i love openai, and everything i’ve done over the past few days has been in service of keeping this team and its mission together. when i decided to join msft on sun evening, it was clear that was the best path for me and the team. with the new board and w satya’s support, i’m looking forward to returning to openai, and building on our strong partnership with msft. — Sam Altman

\n
\n

Then Satya Nadella…

\n
\n

We are encouraged by the changes to the OpenAI board. We believe this is a first essential step on a path to more stable, well-informed, and effective governance. Sam, Greg, and I have talked and agreed they have a key role to play along with the OAI leadership team in ensuring OAI continues to thrive and build on its mission. We look forward to building on our strong partnership and delivering the value of this next generation of AI to our customers and partners. — Satya Nadella

\n
\n

All messages posted in a 6 minute period. Is Humpty Dumpty together again?

\n

\"Cartoon
\nDALL-E rendition of Satya Nadella and Sam Altman celebrating after successfully putting Humpty Dumpty back together.

\n

Related Links

\n

If you want to read more than you really ever could justify reading about this.

\n\n", "date_published": "2023-11-22T01:46:27-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2023/11/22/wow-we-have.html", "tags": ["Technology","AI"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2023/11/21/prediction-microsoft-will.html", "title": "Prediction: Microsoft will acquire OpenAI", "content_html": "

I’ve been following the self-created chaos at OpenAI since Friday’s shocking announcement that the OpenAI board fired Sam Altman. I thought it was a made up headline at first, probably AI generated. My son asked me what I thought would happen and there were three paths I felt were likely.

\n
    \n
  1. Every venture firm in Silicon Valley would be offering blank checks to Altman to create a new AI company not limited by the non-profit aspects of OpenAI.
    2. \n
  2. Satya Nadella at Microsoft would offer Altman to join Microsoft and lead all things AI with an unlimited investment budget.
    3. \n
  3. OpenAI would hire Altman back because they can’t move forward without him.
    4. \n
\n

On Sunday night Nadella announced Altman was joining Microsoft, along with others. Option 2 seems to be the choice.

\n

However, now we know that Altman hasn’t signed any agreement with Microsoft. We also know that 700 of 770 employees at OpenAI have requested the board to resign and for Altman to return.

\n

The OpenAI board seems to be fairly clueless here. With the firing of Altman, they effectively pushed Humpty Dumpty off the wall and broke OpenAI into pieces. I suspect that right now Nadella and Altman are the ones trying to figure out how to put it back together again. And I suspect there is only one real option:

\n

Prediction: Microsoft will acquire OpenAI.

\n
    \n
  1. Altman can’t be two places1.
    2. \n
  2. Microsoft is a big investor and partner in OpenAI.
    3. \n
  3. There would be collateral damage to letting OpenAI fail.
    4. \n
\n

In the end Nadella wins in every dimension here. He ends up being the adult in the room putting Humpty Dumpty back together. Altman continues as the visionary AI leader he is. OpenAI remains as a strongly recognized brand. The OpenAI board is dismissed and noted for smashing the bottle after they captured lightning in it.2

\n
\n
\n
    \n
  1. \n

    Yes Jack Dorsey led Square and Twitter and Elon Musk leads multiple companies. I’m doubtful Altman ends with two roles, leading OpenAI and at Microsoft? Seems unlikely but is possible. ↩︎

    \n
    2. \n
  2. \n

    OpenAI’s rather unique governance structure with a non-profit at the heart of it makes this more complicated, but I don’t think impossible. ↩︎

    \n
    3. \n
\n
\n", "date_published": "2023-11-21T08:08:48-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2023/11/21/prediction-microsoft-will.html", "tags": ["Technology","AI"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2023/11/12/unifi-protect-first.html", "title": "UniFi Protect First Impressions", "content_html": "

I’ve used Ubiquiti UniFi networking at home for about five years. I’ve been very impressed with it, and when I heard that we were getting fiber installed at our cabin, I decided it was time to ditch the Eero network I had there and put in a UniFi network as well.

\n

Since we’ve gotten our cabin, I’ve had a Dropcam, then a Nest camera, and then part of Google since they bought it all. I like seeing the driveway, the yard, the dock, and the boat. Particularly when there are storms. I’ve wanted to ditch the Nest cameras for a long time. I tried using a HomeKit solution, and that was abysmal.

\n

Now, with the UniFi network in place and the Dream Router, which can run both the UniFi Network and UniFi Protect, I had an off-ramp from the Nest setup. I ordered three G4 Instant cameras and installed them this weekend.

\n

My initial impression of UniFi Protect is very positive. Adopting each of the cameras was incredibly easy; they automatically updated themselves, and configuration was a breeze. I installed the UniFi Protect app on my iPhone and iPad to run alongside the UniFi network app. I was immediately happy with basic usability features like seeing all the cameras in a grid, controlling with more detail how each one behaved, and setting global defaults like I wanted them.

\n\"UniFi\n

My initial setup was to place these on window sills, which is how I’ve used the Nest cameras for years. However, these cameras have a straightforward mounting system, including everything you need, even a sticker template to guide your drilling. It only took a few minutes, and I mounted this one on the shed.

\n\"Gray\n

It is a “weatherproof” device but not specifically rated for a Minnesota winter. I’m going to leave it out and see how it does. Many people online have said they have them mounted outside, and work fine. This is also slightly protected under the eve. The camera is just to the upper left of the door.

\n\"Bald\n

It didn’t take long to know this would be a far superior setup to the Nest cameras. I went ahead and pulled that system out entirely. Does anyone want some Nest cameras?

\n

With this setup, I’m intrigued to figure out better mounts for the other two cameras and will likely add two more to have a full view of the property. However, the Dream Router only minimally supports UniFi Protect. It can get overloaded with just two cameras; I already have three connected. I need to figure out the best option to support a few cameras instead and get the network video recording option more robust.

\n

Overall, if you need this type of setup, UniFi Protect is a great option.

\n", "date_published": "2023-11-12T13:08:04-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2023/11/12/unifi-protect-first.html", "tags": ["Technology","Home"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2023/11/10/remarkable-you-can.html", "content_html": "

reMarkable — you can do better than this? 😬 No, I’m not going to install Rosetta. I guess I’ll try to get along with using the web browser to import PDFs into my reMarkable.

\n\"macOS\n", "date_published": "2023-11-10T17:56:17-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2023/11/10/remarkable-you-can.html", "tags": ["Technology","Apple"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2023/10/30/imac-upgrade.html", "title": "iMac Upgrade", "content_html": "

It has been time for us to upgrade our 27" 3.7 GHz 6-Core Intel Core i5 (2019) and 27" 3.8 GHz Quad-Core Intel Core i5 (2017) both with 2TB Fusion Drives. The later can’t even upgrade to macOS Sonoma.

\n

The iMac is the form factor I wanted, but I wasn’t willing to go with an M1 Chip in 2023! With the “Scary Fast” announcements tonight and the Apple Silicon M3 iMacs I can get the chip I want! Placed orders for two of them, both with 24GB of unified memory and 2TB SSD storage. Decided to get the Blue and Orange combination.

\n\"Two\n", "date_published": "2023-10-30T21:11:39-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2023/10/30/imac-upgrade.html", "tags": ["Technology","Apple"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2023/10/30/apple-silicon-m.html", "content_html": "

Apple Silicon M3 is here! A MacBook Pro with an M3 Max has an incredible amount of power. Wow! I’ll be ordering two of the iMacs with M3.

\n", "date_published": "2023-10-30T19:06:26-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2023/10/30/apple-silicon-m.html", "tags": ["Technology","Apple"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2023/10/28/excited-to-see.html", "content_html": "

Excited to see the optical fiber connection installed to the outside of our cabin! Still won’t be setup until spring but this is a big milestone!

\n\"Optical\n", "date_published": "2023-10-28T16:31:56-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2023/10/28/excited-to-see.html", "tags": ["Technology","Cabin"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2023/10/28/last-night-eight.html", "content_html": "

Last night Eight Sleep Autopilot made 25 temperature adjustments throughout the night. I can’t speak to the specifics (I was sleeping!) but I did sleep well and was comfortable all night. 😴

\n\"Eight\n", "date_published": "2023-10-28T09:38:10-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2023/10/28/last-night-eight.html", "tags": ["Fitness","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2023/10/21/road-sign-math.html", "title": "Road Sign Math Rebooted", "content_html": "

As you drive on I-94 East toward the Twin Cities there is a wonderful road sign that always made me smile. I saw it regularly when I would return from visiting family in North Dakota. The sign had this wonderful mathematical significance to it. 3 times 33 equals 99.

\n\"Green\n

After seeing this sign for a while I kept wondering how many other mathematically significant road signs are there? And just like that the idea for Road Sign Math was born.

\n

History

\n

Thanks to the Internet Archive’s Wayback Machine I can see the history. I launched the website in February 2005 with a simple post. Initially it was a blog that I posted my signs on, but people were also welcome to send photos of their own mathematically significant signs as well. Since multiple people were playing, there needed to be some rules on how to play.

\n

We had multiple people playing and I thought it would be fun to have a scoring system and a scoreboard for players as well as states!

\n

I believe we got signs from all 50 states. We had a sign from the Serengeti. We had signs from most continents. In 2011 I moved the site from a blog to a wiki with the idea that folks could submit and maintain their own signs. This was all before the rise of mobile phones. When the iPhone arrived I thought it would be amazing to make an iOS app to capture road signs, but that never happened.

\n

In 2016, after 11 years of running this site and several others, I made the decision to do some technical downsizing and turned off a number of hobby projects I had been running.

\n

Road Sign Math was one of the sites shut down. I let the domain name expire and squatters have had the domain ever since, and still do. But the idea of Road Sign Math has never left completely…

\n

Reboot!

\n

In 2021 I registered the domain roadsignmath.xyz. That is an even better domain name for Road Sign Math!

\n

I’ve had multiple sessions looking through various backups thinking about relaunching Road Sign Math in all its wonder, but I’ve got gaps in my archives. Also, the transition from blog to wiki made the archive hard to track.

\n

On some recent road trips we’ve been grabbing some signs. And earlier this year I captured anew the Genesis (2023) sign.

\n

I decided it was time to reboot it, not relaunch it. Start back as a simple blog with the awesome MathJax library. Just my signs. No scoring system or leaderboards. Just a fun place to share mathematically significant road signs.

\n

Consider it my little contribution to keeping the Web weird. 😎

\n", "date_published": "2023-10-21T08:30:29-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2023/10/21/road-sign-math.html", "tags": ["Road Sign Math","Technology","Games"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2023/10/15/comparing-sleep-stages.html", "title": "Comparing Sleep Stages with Eight Sleep and Oura Ring", "content_html": "

I find sleep data to be notoriously hard to correlate to reality. I’ve used a variety of devices over the years to track sleep and sometimes it is really hard to correlate it with my actual experience. Thus far, the Oura Ring has been better at this than any other device I’ve used. What it shows me aligns well with my perceived experience.

\n

This week we setup the Eight Sleep and just like the Oura Ring, it also tracks your sleep and gives you a view of the various stages of sleep. I was super intrigued to see if the Oura Ring and the Eight Sleep would agree at all. I was skeptical and was expecting that they would produce very different data. I looked at three nights of data and to my surprise it was more correlated than I expected.

\n\"Side-by-side\n

Some observations:

\n
    \n
  1. The Eight Sleep generally interprets more Deep Sleep than the Oura Ring. I have no independent way to assess Deep Sleep.
    2. \n
  2. Generally the Oura Ring sees my waking periods much longer than the Eight Sleep. This is a little easier for me to asses, and I think neither is spot on. Both got some of this right and some wrong. Overall, the Eight Sleep data seems closer to reality.
    3. \n
  3. On the whole, the Oura Ring data presents a “less good” picture of my sleep patterns.
    4. \n
\n

There isn’t a conclusion to draw from this since this isn’t a controlled study. However, the two data sources align much more than I expected. Comparing price of the two solutions isn’t meaningful since they do very different things. However, it is notable that a little ring on my pinky finger gets pretty close to a grid of sensors that is under my entire body as I sleep.

\n", "date_published": "2023-10-15T07:43:46-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2023/10/15/comparing-sleep-stages.html", "tags": ["Fitness","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2023/10/11/we-got-our.html", "content_html": "

We got our Eight Sleep setup and ready to use. First night using it! Currently cooling my side, and warming Tammy’s. I’m very hopeful that this helps me get better quality and duration of sleep. 😴

\n\"Eight\n", "date_published": "2023-10-11T21:21:23-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2023/10/11/we-got-our.html", "tags": ["Fitness","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2023/09/28/huge-thank-you.html", "content_html": "

Huge thank you to Dee Thibodeau, Nick Hernandez, Ahmed Jamil for hosting the Fall CIO Wine Tasting! And thanks to Tony Peleska for hosting on their amazing patio! Lastly, Chuck Kanski of Solo Vino was an amazing guide through delightful wines.

\n\"Professionals\n", "date_published": "2023-09-28T20:30:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2023/09/28/huge-thank-you.html", "tags": ["Drinks","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2023/09/27/ive-had-the.html", "content_html": "

I’ve had the ScanSnap iX500 for years and the scanner is great but the software gets worse by the day. The “Scan to the Cloud” feature fails silently! You can be scanning away thinking it’s all going to my Box account to retrieve later, but in reality the scans are going nowhere, no error message, and no file to recover!

\n", "date_published": "2023-09-27T07:03:26-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2023/09/27/ive-had-the.html", "tags": ["Software Development","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2023/09/27/i-just-realized.html", "content_html": "

I just realized that one of our iMacs (Retina 5K, 27-inch, 2017) isn’t able to upgrade to macOS Sonoma! I’ve been debating if it is time to update it as well as the other iMac (Retina 5K, 27-inch, 2019). Seems like it is time to put these Intel iMacs to pasture.

\n", "date_published": "2023-09-27T06:59:54-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2023/09/27/i-just-realized.html", "tags": ["Technology","Apple"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2023/09/04/wordpress-year-plan.html", "title": "WordPress 100-Year Plan", "content_html": "

Recently WordPress.com announced a profound new 100-Year Plan for hosting websites. I’ve thought a lot about how to keep websites (mostly personal blogs) alive after the authors of those blogs are no longer here so this is something I was curious about. I’ve written about preserving your writing as recent as July.

\n

Love This

\n

First, I applaud what WordPress is doing here and think that we need more organizations providing technology, infrastructure, and logistical solutions to help content stay online for a very long time, preferably many hundreds if not thousands of years. This offering strikes me as the most significant, and from an organization that I would be comfortable trusting, that has ever been provided.

\n

I hope this urges other tools and organizations to consider ways that they can provide similar capability, or even slightly different since this 100-Year plan doesn’t seem to differentiate between an active site versus an archived site. I would think that if you make a clear decision that a site is now archived and new content isn’t being created you could reduce the hosting costs dramatically.

\n

Cost

\n

Much has been made about the fact that this 100-Year Plan costs $38,000. I think a lot of people are just looking at this number and reacting without parsing it through. Let’s break it down.

\n

This service is provided as part of WordPress VIP hosting solution which is their more advanced service. Your domain name is also baked into this. A domain costs approximately $12/year, or $1,200 for the duration.

\n

That leaves $36,800 for hosting, or $368 a year, or about $30/month of hosting cost. That seems like a reasonable cost for WordPress VIP.

\n

This also all has to be paid up-front, which makes sense since the paying entity is going to “disappear” at some point during the 100 years, and it isn’t predictable when that will be.

\n

Is $38,000 a lot of money? Very much so. But I don’t think this is terribly priced for the components that you are getting, and the need to pay up front makes logistical sense.

\n

Probably Not For Me

\n

So, am I going to use this? Probably not, or at least for now. I don’t host on WordPress and I’d rather not start. The idea of having your content in a database with all of that complexity for 100 years seems like an odd approach. Of course that also depends on the use case. If it is a website that is meant to outlive you, a static site seems like a better solution. If it is a website that you plan to evolve and change for 100 years then maybe.

\n
\n

I’m happy seeing innovation here. Lets hope for continued activity to create even better solutions.

\n", "date_published": "2023-09-04T18:45:38-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2023/09/04/wordpress-year-plan.html", "tags": ["Software Development","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2023/09/04/tyler-and-levi.html", "content_html": "

Tyler and Levi having a great time at Sandbox VR in Eden Prairie. Very cool setup and an incredibly immersive experience.

\n\"Two\n", "date_published": "2023-09-04T11:32:25-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2023/09/04/tyler-and-levi.html", "tags": ["Family","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2023/08/21/making-sense-health.html", "title": "Making Sense: Health \u0026 Longevity with Peter Attia", "content_html": "

The Health & Longevity episode of Making Sense with Sam Harris is a great overview of Peter Attia’s new book Outlive.

\n
\n

Sam Harris speaks with Peter Attia about his book, Outlive: The Science and Art of Longevity. They discuss “healthspan,” centenarians, diet and nutrition, sugar, macronutrients, alcohol, fasting and time-restricted eating, exercise, Zone 2 training, heart disease, blood pressure, cholesterol, cancer, brain health, metabolic disorders, proactive medical testing, medication side effects, Rapamycin, emotional health, and other topics.

\n
\n

I actually listened to all three hours myself, and then listened again as a whole family. As a subscriber to Making Sense, I can now share the full length episode for anyone to listen to.

\n

It is worth a listen and am now reading the book.

\n", "date_published": "2023-08-21T20:06:06-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2023/08/21/making-sense-health.html", "tags": ["Fitness","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2023/08/18/remarkable.html", "title": "reMarkable", "content_html": "

I got a reMarkable 2. ✍️

\n\"Handwritten\n", "date_published": "2023-08-18T20:47:17-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2023/08/18/remarkable.html", "tags": ["Productivity","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2023/08/04/it-dawned-on.html", "content_html": "

It dawned on me that my Blockclock has upgradeable firmware and today I jumped from 1.07 to 1.22!

\n

I was also having intermittent WiFi issues and realized that the Blockclock binds to a specific WiFi access point by MAC address, so I added multiple ones for more reliability.

\n\"Blockclock\n", "date_published": "2023-08-04T20:25:25-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2023/08/04/it-dawned-on.html", "tags": ["Crypto","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2023/07/08/preserving-your-writing.html", "title": "Preserving your Writing on the Web Forever", "content_html": "

I suggested to some friends that I wanted to do everything I could to keep my websites and online writing around well after I’ve died. One of them asked how I was approaching this, and what I was doing today to make this happen.

\n

What am I doing to make it so my content online lives for as long as possible? It may be easiest to start with what I’m not doing.

\n
    \n
  1. I am not writing and publishing into a corporate database that I cannot own my words. Not your domain, not your words.
    2. \n
  2. I am not writing for a timeline. Mostly in this context this means my writing should stand on its own. I try to avoid implying current context that a future reader will not know.
    3. \n
  3. I am not using a database or other software at runtime to display my writing. My writing is rendered from markdown to HTML and then published. The markdown is plenty readable on its own if need be.
    4. \n
\n

Now what I am doing.

\n
    \n
  1. I’m publishing with micro.blog because it meets all of my criteria, and then some. It even goes beyond. For example, when I link to an external site, micro.blog grabs an archive of that link so in the future I could reference that archive instead of the live site.
    2. \n
  2. I publish the Weekly Thing with Buttondown which uses easy Markdown to publish.
    3. \n
  3. I export my entire blog archive from micro.blog every 3 months to my local storage.
    4. \n
  4. I export my Buttondown archive of the Weekly Thing every 3 months to my local storage.
    5. \n
  5. I download my entire Pinboard archive every month. This is the source markdown that is also included in Buttondown, but this is indexed by link.
    6. \n
\n

Problems to solve still.

\n
    \n
  1. All of my content can be served with any static HTTP endpoint. This could be done easily with AWS S3. However, paying for an AWS account after your death is not obvious. Possibly you can prepay for decades, but then you rely on a company. A small trust could be created that has funds to renew domain names and pay the content hosting fees for decades. That trust could be funded by future generations if they continue to see interest.
    2. \n
  2. The solution I like the most is distributed storage with IPFS paid for via Smart Contract. I can fund a Smart Contract that can hold my ENS asset, and pay the IPFS hosting fees to maintain the data for as long as there are funds. This avoids a legal trust, and can easily receive funds via anyone on the web. You could have a simple way to keep your own archive alive.
    3. \n
  3. Adding this content to Internet Archive is good, but I don’t want to only rely on that.
    4. \n
  4. I consider the idea of printing all of this onto paper, or eBook, and distributing it broadly. I think that is a good backup method as well.
    5. \n
\n

In short.

\n
    \n
  1. Control all aspects of what you create.
    2. \n
  2. Keep is simple, no runtime requirements.
    3. \n
  3. Durable hosting and figure out economonics.
    4. \n
\n", "date_published": "2023-07-08T08:56:30-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2023/07/08/preserving-your-writing.html", "tags": ["Technology","Blogging"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2023/07/02/im-trying-some.html", "content_html": "

I’m trying some changes to my feeds. I’ve been a happy user of Feedbin for years and am going to give the Feedbin app a go on my phone instead of Unread. I’m also trying the newest Airshow which is also by Feedbin and syncs with the reader instead of Overcast.

\n", "date_published": "2023-07-02T07:16:19-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2023/07/02/im-trying-some.html", "tags": ["Technology","Blogging"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2023/07/01/bevcomm-is-the.html", "content_html": "

Bevcomm is the Internet provider for our cabin and I met with the tech yesterday to help with the site assessment for installing fiber! It is likely still a year away, but we will be getting a massive jump from DSL with speed choices up to 1 Gbps! I’ll be upgrading the network in preparation. ⚡️

\n", "date_published": "2023-07-01T07:50:10-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2023/07/01/bevcomm-is-the.html", "tags": ["Technology","Cabin"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2023/07/01/wild-milestone-apple.html", "content_html": "

Wild milestone.

\n
\n

Apple, an American tech giant, surpassed $3trn in market value for the first time since January 2022, when it briefly became the first publicly listed company to do so. Shares in the iPhone-maker subsequently slipped back, but they have increased in value by almost 50% this year, despite two consecutive quarters of declining revenues. The firm is now worth $500bn more than Microsoft, a tech rival. — Economist Espresso, July 1, 2023

\n
\n

$3 trillion? 💰💰💰

\n", "date_published": "2023-07-01T07:44:30-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2023/07/01/wild-milestone-apple.html", "tags": ["Technology","Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2023/06/11/surveillance-in-urls.html", "title": "Surveillance in URLs", "content_html": "

The Uniform Resource Locator is the glue of the web. Mostly we don’t think about URLs unless you create content on the web. Some browsers have even started to “simplify” the URL display worried that people might get confused. Or are they hiding it on purpose? URLs are however, a place where you can be tracked and surveilled right in the open. There are a myriad of ways to make URLs completely unique so that you are the only person in the universe that has it and whoever created that link can specifically know that you, or someone you shared it with, clicked on it. They also know when, where, and on what device. Every time.

\n

I don’t think that is acceptable.

\n

I curate and collect URLs and am always on the lookout for tracking information in them. It is usually easy to spot and remove. I got really excited when I saw that iOS 17 automatically removes tracking parameters from links. Unfortunately the feature is far too limited. It is nice that it works in a variety of applications, including Mail. However it only removes the unique tracking, and doesn’t get rid of the rest of the surveillance. And it only activates in Safari Private Browsing mode.

\n

This is what URL surveillance looks like from a link I recently received from a friend. The link itself was a slight 28 characters. The surveillance was 302 characters. Over 90% of the information in the URL was to surveil and track the users of the link. I’ve changed the specifics so this isn’t a valid link, but here is what it looks like split onto multiple lines for readability.

\n

https://abcdefg.com/a/123456
\n?utm_source=Instagram_Stories
\n&utm_medium=ad_story_smartly
\n&utm_campaign=123456_msp
\n&ad_id=123456789012
\n&utm_term=987654321098765
\n&fbclid=PAAaZnG…5kyWFFJ

\n

The person that sent me this got it from Instagram, apparently in an Instagram Story. They were advertised with a utm_campaign focusing on “msp”, our nearest airport code. The creepiest parameter is fbclid which specifically identifies the click event for this paid content and will track the specific link of humans that this goes through. Letting the originator know that my friend also shared it with other people, and all of their metadata too.

\n

The good news is you can just delete everything after the ? and it works great. Which is the thing I do a lot. A truly privacy aligned feature for a browser would be to strip all URLs of all surveillance parameters. There is a corollary too. Browsers that hide URL parameters are assisting in the surveillance of users.

\n

As a user, you can significantly improve your privacy and fight surveillance by being aware of the tracking parameters placed routinely in URLs and removing them. Remove it before you share it. Remove it before you create a bookmark. You often can just delete anything after the ?. Doing this helps your privacy, and helps protect the privacy of those you send links to.

\n", "date_published": "2023-06-11T07:50:21-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2023/06/11/surveillance-in-urls.html", "tags": ["Technology","Privacy \u0026 Security"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2023/06/10/bitcoin-lightning-makes.html", "content_html": "

Bitcoin Lightning makes the majority of the micropayment models that have been envisioned for the last two decades possible today. Instant, nearly free, person-to-person digital transactions — and the usability is reasonable even at this early stage. ⚡️thingelstad@walletofsatoshi.com

\n", "date_published": "2023-06-10T07:55:46-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2023/06/10/bitcoin-lightning-makes.html", "tags": ["Crypto","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2023/06/09/i-got-a.html", "content_html": "

I got a Sonos Move to add to my system and have a portable speaker that still has high audio quality. Happy with initial results! Sound quality is great. Heavy but I like that it is very stable. Might be nice to have a second.

\n\"Sonos\n", "date_published": "2023-06-09T20:55:53-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2023/06/09/i-got-a.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2023/06/06/apple-vision-pro.html", "title": "Apple Vision Pro Reactions", "content_html": "

We all watched the Apple Vision Pro segment of WWDC tonight. I wanted to watch it again, and I was curious to see what the rest of the family would think.

\n

Tammy: “Looks cool but scared of where it takes us.”
\nMazie: “Exciting, extremely cool, but destructive to humankind.”
\nTyler: “Wow. I want to try it.”
\nJamie: “When can I get one?”

\n\"Apple\n", "date_published": "2023-06-06T22:22:12-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2023/06/06/apple-vision-pro.html", "tags": ["Family","Technology","Apple"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2023/06/05/foveated-renderer-oh.html", "content_html": "

Foveated Renderer. Oh yeah, always wanted one of those. 🤣 Apple Vision Pro announcement at WWDC 2023.

\n", "date_published": "2023-06-05T13:56:46-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2023/06/05/foveated-renderer-oh.html", "tags": ["Technology","Apple"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2023/06/05/apple-vision-pro.html", "content_html": "

Apple Vision Pro is a real thing! Can Apple do for headsets what they did for Phones and Watches? Maybe.

\n

Partnering with Disney to bring their incredible catalog of stories to Vision Pro is super smart. Both companies benefit.

\n

The hardware package behind the Vision Pro is wild.

\n

🤔

\n", "date_published": "2023-06-05T13:25:26-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2023/06/05/apple-vision-pro.html", "tags": ["Technology","Apple"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2023/05/25/lightning-ideas.html", "title": "Lightning Ideas", "content_html": "

Having finally gotten first-hand experience with Bitcoin Lightning, a workable and functioning micropayments option, it opens up a variety of interesting and fun use cases.

\n
    \n
  1. Create a circular economy at home. Set your kids up with Bitcoin Lightning wallets and create bounties for projects and milestones they earn Satoshis for. Earn your allowance in Bitcoin. You are the bank to offramp back to USD as they want.
    2. \n
  2. Send Satoshis as Antispam. AI is going to make spam detection ever more difficult. You could Satoshis to an address and then reference the receipt in an SMTP header that the recipient could use to validate the email. More Satoshis could be more priority? Even works for newsletters since a few thousand Satoshis is about $1.
    3. \n
  3. Little Free Library Support. There are many Little Free Libraries in our neighborhood. Since “things” can have a lightning wallet, put a QR code on the library so people can send some Satoshis to support the library as an optional Thank You.
    4. \n
  4. Lightning as Creator Support. Send tips to creators you appreciate, potentially triggered on events. When a newsletter is received send 3,000 sats. When this RSS feed has a new item send 1,000 sats. Many Lightning wallets are adding support for automated sends under a user set threshold to remove friction for micropayments.
    5. \n
  5. Subscriptions with Privacy. Lightning invoices can be paid by any wallet, and the payment is immediate. Instead of subscribing to a service and needing an address and credit card details just get what you need and present an invoice to immediately pay. Fast, easier, and private.
    6. \n
  6. Buy a fridge with a year of electricity. Since “things” can have wallets, create one for each fridge. The fridge meters it’s electrical usage, uses a lookup to determine cost, and the fridge manufacturer sends Satoshis via Lightning to offset the first year of electricity.
    7. \n
\n", "date_published": "2023-05-25T21:22:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2023/05/25/lightning-ideas.html", "tags": ["Crypto","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2023/05/23/ordered-one-of.html", "content_html": "

Ordered one of these orange Bitcoin Miami 2023 Special Edition Worlds Smallest Bitcoin Hobby ATM. I was blown away by this project at the show. It will be fun to be able to share how fast and fun Bitcoin Lightning is! 🤩⚡️🟠

\n\"Orange\n", "date_published": "2023-05-23T23:17:27-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2023/05/23/ordered-one-of.html", "tags": ["Crypto","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2023/05/21/bitcoin-lightning-fun.html", "title": "Bitcoin Lightning: Fun, Fast, and Free-ish", "content_html": "

I’ve been casually investigating Bitcoin Lightning for a while. Lightning is a Layer 2 network on-top of Bitcoin and promises nearly free instantaneous transactions. Apps like Strike and Cash support Lightning, but I got frustrated with them because it wasn’t clear where Lightning was doing the work. Perhaps a good thing for normal use, but not great for learning the tech.

\n

As Bitcoin 2023 approached one of the objectives I had was to get first-hand experience with Lightning. ⚡️ I did some digging before getting to Miami and had Wallet of Satoshi installed, and via Strike transferred 100,000 or so Satoshis.

\n

Before going further, a Satoshi is the smallest unit of Bitcoin and it is named after the creator of Bitcoin. 1 bitcoin = 100,000,000 satoshis. At current market 1 Satoshi is worth $0.00027, and $0.01 is worth 37 Satoshis. Satoshis are often referred to as “Sats”. Sometimes people will say “Stacking Sats” which is to imply slowly building value in Bitcoin with small dollar purchases.

\n

First Transaction

\n

We arrived at the Miami Beach Convention Center early on Friday and desperately needed coffee. We queued up and noticed that they (and we would realize all vendors here) had IBEX terminals to accept Bitcoin payment using Lightning.

\n

A little background, in 2015 I had gone on a mission to buy something with Bitcoin in Minneapolis. I couldn’t find any merchant selling anything that would accept Bitcoin. I’ve long felt that Bitcoin is a great store of value, but have many times said that you would never use Bitcoin for day-to-day purchases. Transaction fees are high, and block times are not deterministic so you can’t confirm payment immediately.

\n

\n

Lightning proved me totally wrong. Thanks to Kerry for whipping out his phone to catch my very first Lightning purchase for some coffees and empanadas on video.

\n

The payment is instantaneous, and the fees are nearly free. The merchant put in the total amount I owed on their device, it generated a Lightning “invoice” that I scanned with my wallet, and after confirming payment it was done in a flash.

\n

Amazing. 🤩

\n

Nostr & Damus

\n

So how is it that I showed up in Miami with Wallet of Satoshi setup and ready to make Lightning transactions?

\n\n

Setup was pretty simple actually. I downloaded Damus and it walked be through getting my Nostr public and private keys setup. Damus had a list of Lightning wallets that worked with it and Wallet of Satoshi was the best rated in the App Store. And then I stumbled a bit but finally figured out how to send some Satoshis from Strike to Wallet of Satoshi.

\n

Off to the races! 🏇⚡️

\n

This is the first application experience I’ve ever used where micropayments really work.

\n

This is truly exciting to me as a potential way to fix the Original Sin of the Internet — building everything off of a surveillance economy funded by advertising! Traditionally micropayments are far too cumbersome to work. Zaps powered with Bitcoin Lightning are completely friction free.

\n

At the show Damus was selling (for 27,800 Sats) “Zap Me” buttons with an embedded NFC chip. When you bought it they associated the chip with your profile so people could tap the button with their phone and automatically be brought to your profile where they could send you a Zap! ⚡️

\n

PS: I’m planning to add Lightning options to thingelstad.com and the Weekly Thing to encourage folks to experiment.

\n

Login and Signing

\n

Finally, Lightning also brings some functionality to Bitcoin that I’ve enjoyed for a long time with Ethereum. You can use your Lightning wallet to authenticate with a service, as well as signing messages.

\n

Over dinner I was able to authenticate and provision a Bitcoin mining unit just by signing in with Lightning.

\n

Moving beyond passwords, and digital signatures to prove validity of content, are going to increase in significance over time and it is great to see Lightning bring that capability to the Bitcoin ecosystem.

\n
\n

During the 2 days of Bitcoin 2023 I relied almost exclusively on Bitcoin to pay for lunches, coffees, and anything else I wanted. I also took the opportunity to send Satoshis to some of the speakers and people that I met at the event. It was incredible. It gave me all the privacy and benefit of cash, along with all the benefit of digital money.

\n\"Bitcoin\n

So my earlier assertion that Bitcoin is a store-of-value but not useful for day to day purchases? Wrong.

\n

In fact I’m on the hunt to get a Lightning coin machine like the one at the event to have in my house. I’d love to be able to have people come over and get their first Bitcoin experience by installing a free Lightning Wallet, putting a quarter in a box and scanning a QR code to leave with 1,000 satoshis! 🥳

\n", "date_published": "2023-05-21T16:01:49-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2023/05/21/bitcoin-lightning-fun.html", "tags": ["Videos","Travel","Crypto","Technology","Bitcoin 2023"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2023/05/21/i-got-my.html", "content_html": "

I got my Blockclock Mini at Bitcoin 2023 in Miami and have it setup at my desk. I’ve wanted one of these for a while and now I can remember the conference with it.

\n\"Blockclock\n", "date_published": "2023-05-21T11:51:30-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2023/05/21/i-got-my.html", "tags": ["Travel","Crypto","Technology","Bitcoin 2023"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2023/05/21/my-qr-codes.html", "title": "My QR Codes", "content_html": "

At Bitcoin 2023 we were talking with some folks from New York at our table while enjoying some Cuban chicken and rice. At the end of the conversation one of the guys showed everyone his phone with a QR code for his LinkedIn profile so we could connect. Everyone loved it — very easy.

\n

I’d like to be able to do that, and I know Shortcuts makes it very easy to do. So I whipped up My QR Codes. Tap on that and it should allow you to add that to Shortcuts. The shortcut is very simple, and you will want to modify the Dictionary at the very top with your own list of links and names.

\n

After you have customized it, add it to your Home Screen using the share function and you have a super simple way to share your most common links with people.

\n

This post is part of the Shortcuts Collection.

\n", "date_published": "2023-05-21T09:07:33-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2023/05/21/my-qr-codes.html", "tags": ["Travel","Technology","Apple","Shortcuts","Bitcoin 2023"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2023/05/20/oh-no-neeva.html", "content_html": "

Oh no! 😲 Neeva is shutting down. I’m saddened by this — I’ve enjoyed not having advertising alongside search results and seeing what an innovative search company would do. Sadly they didn’t make it.

\n\"Warning\n", "date_published": "2023-05-20T17:53:39-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2023/05/20/oh-no-neeva.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2023/05/20/this-bitcoin-atm.html", "title": "Worlds Smallest Bitcoin Hobby ATM", "content_html": "

This Bitcoin ATM is one of my favorite things I’ve seen at Bitcoin 2023. You put coins in the device, I put 3 pennies. You tap the screen and it gives you a Lightning code to scan and I got 99 sats in my wallet. 🤩

\n\"Orange\n\"Lightning\n

Update (May 23):

\n

I did some digging and found that “Tortcher” is the one who made this awesome device. I found him online and was excited to see that he is selling the World’s Smallest Bitcoin Hobby ATM. I’ve ordered the Multi-ATM and can’t wait to show people how fun, easy, and fast Bitcoin and Lightning can be with it! 🤩⚡️ Oh yeah, and Tortcher lives in the Twin Cities area — small world! The code is on GitHub as well.

\n", "date_published": "2023-05-20T09:46:39-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2023/05/20/this-bitcoin-atm.html", "tags": ["Travel","Crypto","Technology","Bitcoin 2023"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2023/05/18/having-free-and.html", "content_html": "

Having free, and reasonably performant WiFi on flights is a real game changer. Paired with a small device like an iPad with a good keyboard it is very workable.

\n", "date_published": "2023-05-18T20:58:47-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2023/05/18/having-free-and.html", "tags": ["Travel","Technology","Bitcoin 2023"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2023/05/03/mntech-tech-connect.html", "title": "MnTech Tech Connect 2023", "content_html": "

I had a good time learning new topics and connecting with other technology leaders at the MnTech Tech Connect event today.

\n

My sessions:

\n\n

\"Large\"Speaker\"Panel

\n", "date_published": "2023-05-03T18:20:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2023/05/03/mntech-tech-connect.html", "tags": ["Technology","Tech Community","Work"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2023/05/01/a-thesis-ive.html", "content_html": "

A thesis I’ve pondered for years and won’t go away…

\n

The real “threat” to capitalism isn’t socialism or communism. The thing that may break capitalism is technology.

\n
\n

Give me a place to stand, and a lever long enough, and I will move the world. — Archimedes

\n
\n

Technology is leverage. Technology allows a small number of people to create immense output. The potential present in AI will allow new kinds of output that were never before possible, in some cases with no people at all. Technology has brought efficiency improvements for as long as it has existed, and we should assume that will continue.

\n

With so much leverage the labor market fails. There is no market to exchange your abilities for. There may be no buyer for human capacity. It isn’t a question of retraining if there isn’t anything to train to.

\n", "date_published": "2023-05-01T21:29:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2023/05/01/a-thesis-ive.html", "tags": ["Technology","AI","Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2023/04/21/wasnt-planning-on.html", "content_html": "

Wasn’t planning on it but walked by B&H Photo Video and had to go in and experience the most amazing electronics store I’ve ever been to. It’s like a candy store for gear!

\n\"Smiling\n", "date_published": "2023-04-21T10:10:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2023/04/21/wasnt-planning-on.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2023/03/11/from-the-economist.html", "content_html": "

From The Economist Espresso on March 11, 2023.

\n
\n

American regulators closed Silicon Valley Bank amid a run on the tech-focused lender. The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation took control of SVB’s $175bn-worth of deposits and said insured depositors would have access to their money on Monday. America’s 16th-largest bank, having seen its deposits shrink during the VC winter, had failed to raise enough cash to stay afloat. The S&P 500 dipped by 1.5% on Friday to finish its worst week since September.

\n

* * *

\n

Signs of the stress at SVB were spilling over into other parts of the financial world late on Friday. The price of cryptocurrency USDC, a stablecoin which is pegged to the value of the dollar, fell to as low as $0.88. Circle, the payments company which manages USDC, confirmed that around $3.3bn of its $40bn in reserves was deposited with SVB.

\n
\n", "date_published": "2023-03-11T09:13:57-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2023/03/11/from-the-economist.html", "tags": ["Crypto","Technology","Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2023/02/13/just-received-and.html", "content_html": "

Just received and registered IYK Disc 585! I’m eager to put this to use for an upcoming POAP distribution! 🤩

\n\"Black\n", "date_published": "2023-02-13T19:52:03-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2023/02/13/just-received-and.html", "tags": ["POAP","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2023/02/08/three-kinds-of.html", "title": "Three Kinds of Listening", "content_html": "

I loved the framing of these three kinds of listening from Carolyn Coughlin “Become a Better Listener” in episode 157 of the Knowledge Project Podcast.

\n

Listening to Win: Let me make the problem go away, by telling you don’t have a problem.

\n

Listening to Learn: Getting underneath what is being said and reflecting back to the person.

\n

Listening to Fix: Let me take your problem and solve it for you.

\n", "date_published": "2023-02-08T18:16:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2023/02/08/three-kinds-of.html", "tags": ["Technology","Work"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2023/02/05/fun-and-busy.html", "content_html": "

Fun and busy afternoon at REM5VR.

\n\"Person\n", "date_published": "2023-02-05T16:31:22-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2023/02/05/fun-and-busy.html", "tags": ["Family","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2023/01/14/neeva-recently-introduced.html", "content_html": "

Neeva recently introduced AI search results. It works well for something so new. This search is a good example I was doing for Tyler where the AI was great. The references to sources are key.

\n\"Neeva\n", "date_published": "2023-01-14T09:06:51-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2023/01/14/neeva-recently-introduced.html", "tags": ["Technology","AI"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2022/12/29/where-in-north.html", "title": "Where in North Dakota is Carmen Sandiego?", "content_html": "

When I was in high school in Minot, ND I used to volunteer for Craig Nansen, the Technical Coordinator for the Minot Public School District. I got connected to Nansen when I got my Apple //c for Christmas and wrote a letter to the Apple User Group of Minot, which was organized by Craig and was defunct. If I remember right I had also written to Apple to get the name of the local user group.

\n

That connection turned into an opportunity to work with him after school which I leapt after to get access to the labs of Apple and Macintosh computers. A lot of what I remember doing was using the special software from MECC to make hundreds and hundreds of copies of 5.25" floppy disks for the various labs.

\n

When I was volunteering Craig was deeply involved in a cool project with Brøderbund to create a new game in the Carmen Sandiego franchise, Where in North Dakota is Carmen Sandiego?.

\n\"Retro\n

I knew of the Carmen Sandiego games and had played a couple of them myself. It was really cool to think that the storyline could extend to North Dakota.

\n\"Two-page\n

I didn’t know however how rare the game was. All of the other Carmen Sandiego titles were well known, but this specific title was even missing from the founder of Brøderbund’s collection.

\n
\n

While examining Carlston’s donations at The Strong, Video Game History Foundation founder Frank Cifaldi noted that Where in North Dakota was missing. Cifaldi tweeted about the game, explaining that he’d only recently heard about it and requested information from anyone who had more details.

\n

That tweet initiated a domino effect. Former Minot school district administrator Craig Nansen noticed Cifaldi’s tweet, wrote him back, and arranged a sit-down conversation with as many of his ex-design colleagues as he could locate.

\n
\n

Craig’s reply to that tweet was the genesis of what eventually turned into a hunt to fully document this rare title. The journey is chronicled in this Screenland S1 E6: Eight-bit archaeologists episode with Frank Cifaldi of the Video Game History Foundation. The segments are 5:46 - 10:41, 15:09 - 19:06, and 21:34 - 24:02.

\n

At 18:00 into the Screenland episode you get a great overview of the history of the game. Craig as well as other contributors to the game are there. Craig was a master archivist and had a tremendous amount of material to share about the game.

\n

Carmen North Dakota was a little unique because in addition to being a game for consumer sale, it was intended to be used in North Dakota classrooms to teach kids about the state. To go with it, there was this blue covered Carmen’s North Dakota Almanac.

\n\"Person\n

The Carmen’s North Dakota Almanac was my very small part in this project. Noted from the cover sheet of the almanac:

\n
\n

I have the full Almanac and the ND Database Project with the cover sheet that included all of the committee members names.

\n

Here they are:

\n\n
\n

Back then I had gotten pretty good at QuarkXPress and did some page layout assistance for the Yearbook committee and used it for some personal projects too. I don’t recall very well, but I’m guessing that is where the “Page Layout” part came in.

\n

Additional References

\n

You can play Where in North Dakota is Carmen Sandiego? on Internet Archive in an emulator.

\n

I’ve independently archived the ROM (disk) files for the game. You need to download the disk images and then load them in an Apple II Emulator.

\n

There is a full and super detailed writeup on the game by David Craddock at The Video Game History Foundation.

\n

Also see Why in the world was Carmen Sandiego in North Dakota? from July 2016 in the Fargo Forum.

\n

The Carmen North Dakota committee turned over some disks and other resources to Frank Cifaldi to be housed in the Strong Museum of Play in Rochester, NY as a donation of materials. They also have Doug Carlston’s personal archive from Brøderbund.

\n", "date_published": "2022-12-29T10:57:31-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2022/12/29/where-in-north.html", "tags": ["Technology","Games"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2022/12/12/crypto-in-three.html", "title": "Crypto in Three Words", "content_html": "

While driving around on some errands I was yammering about something crypto related with the family. This is when they patiently listen a bit, and then change the subject back to something else when I leave a break in the conversation.

\n

This time though my break was met with a question from my daughter. “Dad, describe crypto in three words or less.” I’m going to ignore the presumed verbosity in limiting me to three words. I decided to embrace the challenge.

\n

I thought for a bit and hit on the three words:

\n

Common Digital Ownership

\n

I suspect that these are not the three words that everyone would come up with. So, let me give some context.

\n

Digital

\n

Let’s start in the middle. It is very clear that the digital world is continuing to grow in significance for our lives. Certainly the amount of time we spend online has increased significantly over the last decade. But that is just the beginning. Nearly every part of our life now involves some form of digital interaction. We do our banking digitally. We watch nearly all of our entertainment and news digitally. We keep track of our favorite sports digitally. We book our restaurant reservations, haircuts, Doctor visits, and everything else digitally.

\n

With every passing day the digital world becomes increasingly important to everything we do. In fact, many of us now have a digital identity that is part of our overall identity.

\n

In short, we need to care and pay attention to our digital experiences.

\n

Ownership

\n

As digital becomes an ever increasing part of our life there are concepts that are obvious in the real world but are very complicated in the digital world. Ownership is one of those.

\n

Since the beginning of computing, technology has made it increasingly cheaper to make perfect copies of anything. In fact, so cheap that we could consider it free. If I have a song or a photo, I can make copies forever for nearly no cost.

\n

In the real world we like to say that “possession is 9/10ths of the law”. Mostly, if I physically have an object, more than likely I own it as well. This is patently not true in the digital world.

\n

I could have an application, an image, a song, or any number of different things that I have gotten digitally but not own any of them. However, ownership is still important, particularly as more of our life happens online.

\n

There have been workarounds. When we buy software now we get a long string of random characters that is a license key for us to use that software. That is a form of asserting ownership. I could embed into the IPTC and EXIF metadata for a photo a copyright statement to assert ownership. But none of these have the same qualities of actually possessing something, like if I have a hammer in my house. It is almost certainly my hammer. Or my neighbor is missing a hammer.

\n

Crypto gives us a means of asserting, verifying, and proving ownership. In fact, enables the first digital asset that cannot be copied at any cost.

\n

This ownership could be of anything. It could prove that you own some Bitcoin or Ethereum. It could prove that you own an NFT that represents the right to use a piece of software. It could be a certificate that proves you have a degree from a certain college. It could be the literal digital file for a song that you have ownership of. It could be a POAP that proves you were at my cabin one summer.

\n

I believe that being able to own things, and transfer that ownership, is an important feature of our digital world.

\n

Common

\n

The first word is last because I want to first establish that the digital world is critically important, and then second that ownership is an important feature of the world that should be represented in that digital world.

\n

It could be argued that we have this feature already. In fact, if I login to the iTunes Store and buy a DRM-free song, I have ownership of that song. Or at least I do as long as iTunes agrees with me. If I buy an eBook on Amazon I think I sort of own that book, although I really don’t since they have recalled books that people have purchased.

\n

I believe it is vitally important that we have a way of owning digital assets that is independent of corporations and governments, relying on something akin to “the commons” as much as possible.

\n

Common wasn’t the first world that came to mind here. First was “decentralized” which I think is a fine word, but it is a how more than a why. Plus it’s a $5 technical word that most people will scratch their heads about. Yes decentralized is important, but more important is that it is decentralized in “the commons”, meaning average people running average infrastructure to make this service work.

\n

The other word I liked was “public”. I think that works well too, but I worry about potential interpretation as a government service. Ownership must be done without corporations, non-profits, the government, or any other finite “entity”.

\n

Important to “common” is the legitimacy that comes along with it. There is a common argument that critics of crypto make, that blockchains are just a database, and a bad one at that. Blockchain isn’t a database, because it has legitimacy as a feature. A database only gets legitimacy from the organization that runs it, companies or governments. For us to have ownership that is more akin to the hammer being in my house, it needs to be legitimate and owned as a common capability.

\n

✧✧✧

\n

Common Digital Ownership

\n

This is the foundational argument that I would make for crypto. There are a near infinite number of things that can be built on Common Digital Ownership, but the core is simple. We shouldn’t rely on corporations or governments granting us the right to own digital things. We need to be able to create, own, share, transfer, and sell things completely on our own in the digital space. Just like we can in real life right now.

\n", "date_published": "2022-12-12T21:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2022/12/12/crypto-in-three.html", "tags": ["Crypto","POAP","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2022/12/10/i-think-one.html", "content_html": "

I think one of the most challenging parts of crypto adoption is dealing with wallets. Making them easier-to-use is key. I couldn’t pass up experiencing the new Ledger Stax designed by the famous iPod designer Tony Fadell. Pre-ordered! ✅

\n\"Ledger\n", "date_published": "2022-12-10T16:58:21-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2022/12/10/i-think-one.html", "tags": ["Crypto","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2022/12/07/telegram-is-very.html", "content_html": "

Telegram is very popular in Ukraine, and I’ve become a regular user of it to keep in touch with friends in Ukraine as well as some crypto related groups. Telegram has the distinction of being one of very few indepdently owned cross-platform messaging services. I also signed up for Telegram Premium when it came out because I wanted to support the product. This update from Durov on Premium is pretty incredible.

\n
\n

Telegram Premium, which we introduced just 5 months ago, quickly surpassed 1 million subscribers and has become one of the most successful examples of a social media subscription plan ever launched. While it still represents just a fraction of Telegram’s overall revenue, Telegram Premium is growing steadily every day, and one day may even rival our ads.

\n
\n

In a matter of 5 months they’ve added a $60M recurring revenue stream.

\n", "date_published": "2022-12-07T21:20:18-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2022/12/07/telegram-is-very.html", "tags": ["Technology","Work"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2022/12/07/upgrading-to-marsedit.html", "content_html": "

Upgrading to MarsEdit 5 was the easiest decision I made all day. 😊

\n", "date_published": "2022-12-07T21:11:51-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2022/12/07/upgrading-to-marsedit.html", "tags": ["Technology","Blogging"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2022/11/28/cyber-monday-great.html", "content_html": "

Cyber Monday 2022! Great day to show all the work our teams do to deliver amazing performance! #TeamSPS

\n\"Group\n", "date_published": "2022-11-28T17:38:42-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2022/11/28/cyber-monday-great.html", "tags": ["TeamSPS","Technology","Work"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2022/11/04/the-oura-ring.html", "content_html": "

The Oura Ring detected I was sick before I did. This is what my 2nd round of COVID looked like as it started. It also noted elevated sleeping heart rate.

\n\"Bar\n", "date_published": "2022-11-04T13:27:53-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2022/11/04/the-oura-ring.html", "tags": ["Fitness","Technology","Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2022/10/18/when-in-disney.html", "content_html": "

When in Disney?!

\n\"Two\n", "date_published": "2022-10-18T10:36:53-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2022/10/18/when-in-disney.html", "tags": ["Travel","Technology","Disney 2022"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2022/09/22/the-rss-feed.html", "content_html": "

The RSS feed for the Pinboard’s Popular links stopped working on Sep 12th. Hoping this will be restored soon. 😬

\n\"Bar\n", "date_published": "2022-09-22T22:33:07-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2022/09/22/the-rss-feed.html", "tags": ["Technology","Blogging"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2022/07/11/awesome-to-have.html", "content_html": "

Awesome to have fiber directly into the house. Well done US Internet! 👏

\n\"Fast.com\n", "date_published": "2022-07-11T20:56:18-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2022/07/11/awesome-to-have.html", "tags": ["Technology","Home"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2022/07/01/ive-always-used.html", "content_html": "

I’ve always used my WiFi SSID to broadcast my website thingelstad.com. I decided to add another SSID for my ENS name thingelstad.eth as well. 👋

\n\"macOS\n", "date_published": "2022-07-01T20:41:05-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2022/07/01/ive-always-used.html", "tags": ["Crypto","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2022/06/25/unifi-network-for.html", "title": "UniFi Network for New Home", "content_html": "

Ordered network for the new home. Decided to stay with UniFi given the great experiences I have had with our current setup.

\n\n", "date_published": "2022-06-25T21:55:14-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2022/06/25/unifi-network-for.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2022/06/25/discovering-all-sorts.html", "content_html": "

Discovering all sorts of unusual devices while getting new house ready. RCA jacks, mini plug, Ethernet?

\n\"Circuit\n", "date_published": "2022-06-25T10:28:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2022/06/25/discovering-all-sorts.html", "tags": ["Technology","Home"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2022/06/24/moving-into-a.html", "content_html": "

Moving into a new home presents many puzzles. Currently working out this one:

\n\n\"Pegboard\n", "date_published": "2022-06-24T22:09:31-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2022/06/24/moving-into-a.html", "tags": ["Technology","Home"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2022/06/16/the-playdate-arrived.html", "content_html": "

The Playdate arrived! Preordered this about a year ago. Initial impression is great. Adorable device. And the crank is just so cranky! Can’t wait to play with this and maybe create something for it. 🤩

\n\"Yellow\n", "date_published": "2022-06-16T12:55:16-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2022/06/16/the-playdate-arrived.html", "tags": ["Technology","Games"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2022/03/13/ive-been-using.html", "content_html": "

I’ve been using Telegram recently to stay in contact with folks in Ukraine. I decided to create a channel for thingelstad.com and a channel for the Weekly Thing. If you like getting things in Telegram, there you go.

\n

Update: I deleted these channels after a few months as they didn’t prove valuable.

\n", "date_published": "2022-03-13T13:55:52-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2022/03/13/ive-been-using.html", "tags": ["Weekly Thing","Technology","Blogging"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2022/03/03/slacks-delayed-send.html", "content_html": "

Slack’s delayed send feature is nice, but I wish there was an option to delay sending to when the person is next online, instead of a specific time.

\n", "date_published": "2022-03-03T14:00:04-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2022/03/03/slacks-delayed-send.html", "tags": ["Productivity","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2022/02/09/neeva-new-beginning.html", "title": "Neeva Premium with NFT", "content_html": "

Neeva recently rolled out their premium search offering. I’ve been using it as a tester for months and it was a “no brainer” to me to sign up for a year. In addition to the features I would have expected, they also offered an NFT to early Premium subscribers. What a great idea! This gives me an NFT as a keepsake to highlight my early support for private search.

\n

Today I received my New Beginning with Neeva NFT, and it is super fun. OpenSea says there are 101 owners so far. OpenSea chose to mint the NFT on Polygon.

\n

Thanks Neeva!

\n\"Cartoon\n

Original asset and metadata are on IPFS.

\n", "date_published": "2022-02-09T21:49:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2022/02/09/neeva-new-beginning.html", "tags": ["Crypto","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2022/02/03/i-dig-the.html", "content_html": "

I dig the new .day top-level domain. Not sure how I want to use it yet, but I decided to register thingelstad.day and weeklything.day. For now I’m redirecting thingelstad.day to my on this day page. 🤔

\n", "date_published": "2022-02-03T20:49:08-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2022/02/03/i-dig-the.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2022/01/22/i-signed-up.html", "content_html": "

I signed up for a year of Neeva Premium. I’ve been using Neeva for several months and have valued the ad free experience. I’m very curious to see how they continue to evolve. If you haven’t tried Neeva it is worth a go. Plus, they are giving an exclusive NFT and Membership Card to Premium subscribers — how fun!

\n", "date_published": "2022-01-22T12:44:33-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2022/01/22/i-signed-up.html", "tags": ["Crypto","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2022/01/12/web-readonly-publish.html", "content_html": "

Web 1 → read-only, publish
\nWeb 2 → read-write, APIs, social
\nWeb 2.5 → semantics, microformats, payments (bank)
\nWeb 3 → trust, identity, ownership, payments (direct)

\n

All build on each other. Forward adoption not mandatory.

\n", "date_published": "2022-01-12T21:13:31-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2022/01/12/web-readonly-publish.html", "tags": ["Crypto","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2021/12/17/quantum-mirror-at.html", "title": "Quantum Mirror at REM5VR", "content_html": "

Tammy got us tickets to see the Quantum Mirror exhibit at REM5VR. We’ve been to REM5VR many times for VR games, but this Quantum Mirror is a “transcendent immersive art experience”. It was created by Adrian Stein. We weren’t real sure what to expect at all, and I was very curious.

\n\"Four\n

The exhibit is limited to 6 visitors at a time, and is experienced in two settings. The first is a gallery space with digital art on the walls, and six chairs. After a moment you take a seat and take a VR experience to “upload yourself”. The VR experience was pretty cool. You didn’t walk around, more like you were on a train going through these experiences tied to the art.

\n\"Mirrored\n

Upon completion of the VR experience you then enter the Quantum Mirror. This is a room covered on all sides by mirrors, and at a variety of angles. In the center of the room are three portrait displays playing about a 10 minute loop with audio. There is no interactivity, but the reflections are very engaging. I captured a 30-second segment of the video which shows it best.

\n

\n

It is with a bit of surprise that I have to admit I haven’t explored digital art with any seriousness. Surprising because we have a good amount of art and appreciate it, and I’m obviously into technology, but the two haven’t intersected. This experience was cool and made me want to see more like it.

\n

At the end of the experience you could type a message to yourself in the metaverse. This was a neat touch but lacked clarity on where it went or what happened with it. It would have been cool for that to be somewhere on the web or folded back into the experience for others to see.

\n

Quantum Mirror had a couple of nods to crypto tech, most notably the premier digital art you could purchase also came with two NFTs. This would have been a brilliant use for a POAP token. I was really wishing I could have gotten a Quantum Mirror @ REM5VR POAP token.

\n", "date_published": "2021-12-17T21:04:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2021/12/17/quantum-mirror-at.html", "tags": ["Videos","Crypto","Technology","Arts"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2021/12/12/namebase-squatters.html", "title": "Namebase Squatters", "content_html": "

Now that I have ENS setup as well as SNS setup, I ran across Namebase (HNS) recently and found it intriguing. Namebase does something that I think is really weird, it allows reservations of names at the root of the namespace. So, instead of thingelstad.com, thingelstad.eth, or thingelstad.sol you can just get plain thingelstad. They claim to say this allows it to interoperate with traditional DNS, which it sort of does, but it collapses namespace in a way that I don’t think is workable. Anyway, I decided to poke around and was really surprised.

\n

It turns out that thingelstad was already purchased! Now, my last name is pretty uncommon so this seemed odd to me. Even stranger, it was purchased on June 29, 2020. The buy paid 0.40 HNS which is about $0.10 USD today, and only about $0.07 USD at the time of purchase. But, perhaps this is a valid purchaser. Some other Thingelstad playing around in crypto.

\n

I decided to look for jamiethingelstad, surely that would be available. Nope! Someone just purchased jamiethingelstad as well. The auction ended on Nov 29, 2021, for 120 HNS. $30 USD! Someone seemed to think that it was worth $30 USD to buy my name?

\n

Confused, I looked for the one other domain I typically buy, weeklything. And sure enough, someone bought weeklything on April 29, 2021 for 7 HNS. A measly $1.75 USD for that one. This one though is actively for sale, for the low price of 395 HNS, just under $100 USD. You gotta be kidding me.

\n

These seem too focused and I wonder how these squatters identify their list of domains. I thought perhaps people watched ENS registrations and then bought available HNS tokens, but the HNS purchase of thingelstad was a full 10 months before I bought thingelstad.eth.

\n

I’m dissapointed with Handshake/HNS because I think it sets up a bad system when you allow people to register a name for such low prices. But even with that, the person that bought my name paid a reasonable price of $30 USD for the pleasure.

\n

I’m skeptical of this service, so I don’t plan to attempt to get any of these names. I think the way they structured the namespace is too flat to work well. But it is still annoying. 😤

\n", "date_published": "2021-12-12T20:48:01-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2021/12/12/namebase-squatters.html", "tags": ["Crypto","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2021/12/12/registering-solana-name.html", "title": "Registering Solana Name Service Tokens", "content_html": "

I have been using Solana a good amount lately, namely for Angry Bunny Club (have 19 bunnies now). I decided to see if there was an equivalent of the Ethereum Name Service (ENS) but for Solana and found the Solana Name Service (SNS) from Bonfida. SNS is not nearly as mature as ENS, and has a whole different process for buying. You cannot just buy your preferred name, but instead have to start a 3-day auction that anyone can bid on and the winner gets it. So, I started auctions for thingelstad.sol, jamiethingelstad.sol, and weeklything.sol.

\n

To bid on the domains you have to use FIDA tokens, not regular SOL. The minimum bid is about 2.75 FIDA, or about $20 USD. The SNS tokens are permanent so you do not have to pay a fee once you own them. And similar to ENS, they are implemented as tokens that you can send to another wallet if you want.

\n

Getting FIDA in my wallet was much harder than I expected. There was a utility on the site that claimed to do it easily but it didn’t work. I found two exchanges that had it but they didn’t allow US citizens. Finally I found Gate.io which is a pure crypto exchange that I was able to setup an account on, transfer SOL in, buy FIDA, and get it out. Very, very painfully though.

\n

Today the auctions ended and my 3 FIDA bids were not challenged. So, I now have three SNS tokens. The specification is still very vague on what you can do with it. When you claim the auction you have to specify how much space you want for the token. I decided to buy 7 kb of data that can be stored with each. The minimum was 1 kb and maximum was 10 kb. No idea how much I will really want. Essentially, I’m assuming my “zone file” for Solana will be smaller than 7 kb. Seems like a safe assumption. Solscan has a special tab to show my domains.

\n\"Three\n", "date_published": "2021-12-12T19:50:59-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2021/12/12/registering-solana-name.html", "tags": ["Crypto","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2021/11/28/now-that-you.html", "content_html": "

Now that you can register any DNS .com domain on ENS I would love to dual-register thingelstad.com but the gas is beyond ridiculous. The registration is $25, but even at 85 Gwei, the gas fees to cross register would be $1,341!

\n", "date_published": "2021-11-28T09:06:38-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2021/11/28/now-that-you.html", "tags": ["Crypto","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2021/11/09/i-now-have.html", "content_html": "

I now have two crypto-based debit cards. The Coinbase one uses USD Coin (USDC). The Litecoin card is funded with Litecoin (LTC) that is liquidated for USD as needed. Two very different models. Who says fiat and crypto can’t work together?

\n\"Two\n", "date_published": "2021-11-09T22:18:49-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2021/11/09/i-now-have.html", "tags": ["Crypto","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2021/10/25/i-like-these.html", "content_html": "

I like these new “What’s new” screens that Drafts started showing. This is a great way for a subscription product to make sure that people see the continued new capabilities being added all the time.

\n\"Drafts\n", "date_published": "2021-10-25T19:41:49-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2021/10/25/i-like-these.html", "tags": ["Technology","Work"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2021/10/25/just-upgraded-my.html", "content_html": "

Just upgraded my first machine to macOS Monterey. Very smooth. Took about an hour. I’m giddy to see Shortcuts on my Mac now! Going to be playing around for a while now.

\n\"About\n", "date_published": "2021-10-25T19:04:36-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2021/10/25/just-upgraded-my.html", "tags": ["Technology","Apple"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2021/10/04/on-my-internet.html", "content_html": "

On “my” Internet Facebook and all of its properties are blocked every day, so I didn’t realize they had some downtime today. The Internet works just fine, better even, without it.

\n", "date_published": "2021-10-04T21:42:03-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2021/10/04/on-my-internet.html", "tags": ["Technology","Social Media"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2021/09/21/it-was-a.html", "content_html": "

It was a stellar evening to connect, for the first time in two years, with this great group of local CIOs and CTOs. Kraus-Anderson was nice enough to share their balcony space with the group (Thanks Tony Peleska). The weather was perfect. A big thank you to Dee Thibodeau, Nick Hernandez, and Nate Haines for making this happen. And the wine overviews from Chuck Kanski of Solo Vino Wines were great, as always.

\n\"Group\n", "date_published": "2021-09-21T21:25:57-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2021/09/21/it-was-a.html", "tags": ["Technology","Work"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2021/09/20/starting-my-first.html", "content_html": "

Starting my first iOS & iPadOS 15 upgrades! I skip the public betas in large part so I can have the fun of doing big OS upgrades like a present. 🎁

\n\"Three\n", "date_published": "2021-09-20T15:42:43-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2021/09/20/starting-my-first.html", "tags": ["Technology","Apple"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2021/09/02/i-decided-to.html", "content_html": "

I decided to try a subscription to Sam Harris so that I can get full episodes of the Making Sense podcast. In addition to previous episodes, his 4-hour conversation with Balaji Srinivasan, The Reckoning to Come, got me to pull the trigger.

\n", "date_published": "2021-09-02T17:56:45-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2021/09/02/i-decided-to.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2021/08/22/just-upgraded-both.html", "content_html": "

Just upgraded both of my Synology DS416 to DSM 7.0! Looks like a nice upgrade, with some configuration stuff to work through. ✨

\n\"Synology\n", "date_published": "2021-08-22T21:29:46-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2021/08/22/just-upgraded-both.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2021/08/16/made-this-action.html", "content_html": "

Made this Action in Feedbin to skip sponsored items in feeds. It works really well!

\n

title.exact:("Sponsor:" OR "(Sponsor)" OR "[Sponsor]")

\n

There is a lot of power in Feedbin actions!

\n", "date_published": "2021-08-16T17:42:15-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2021/08/16/made-this-action.html", "tags": ["Technology","Blogging"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2021/08/11/arrays-of-knobs.html", "content_html": "

Arrays of knobs and dials are mesmerizing. Even old ones. At Rochester Museum & Science Center.

\n\"Large\n", "date_published": "2021-08-11T11:30:19-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2021/08/11/arrays-of-knobs.html", "tags": ["Travel","Technology","Arts","Vermont Road Trip 2021"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2021/07/24/ive-been-following.html", "content_html": "

I’ve been following the development of the Playdate for a while. I love all the innovation — including games by season and the crank! The games look like they will be fun to pick up and play. I’ll be pre-ordering on Thursday!

\n\"Playdate\n", "date_published": "2021-07-24T21:12:08-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2021/07/24/ive-been-following.html", "tags": ["Technology","Games"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2021/06/09/launching-the-tesla.html", "content_html": "

Launching the Tesla app gives this error. Force quit doesn’t help. Hmm…

\n\"Access\n", "date_published": "2021-06-09T19:14:53-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2021/06/09/launching-the-tesla.html", "tags": ["Technology","Cars"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2021/06/08/ive-been-testing.html", "content_html": "

I’ve been testing the new calendar integration with Craft and after a week have decided to upgrade and keep exploring. I’ve been using Agenda for a couple of years and it is great. But I’m finding Craft’s environment more productive. Both are great apps though.

\n", "date_published": "2021-06-08T10:00:49-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2021/06/08/ive-been-testing.html", "tags": ["Productivity","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2021/05/24/zoom-feature-suggestion.html", "content_html": "

Zoom Feature Suggestion: Connect to my contacts and show telephone callers by name instead of redacted phone number.

\n", "date_published": "2021-05-24T13:29:27-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2021/05/24/zoom-feature-suggestion.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2021/05/20/my-apple-airtags.html", "content_html": "

My Apple AirTags arrived today! Two are for special keys. Not sure what other two will be for.

\n\"Four\n", "date_published": "2021-05-20T21:22:14-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2021/05/20/my-apple-airtags.html", "tags": ["Technology","Apple"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2021/05/13/wish-tesla-learn.html", "title": "Wish: Tesla \"Learn to Drive\" App", "content_html": "

Mazie is taking drivers education and soon we are going to find a vacant parking lot and I’m going to have her get behind the wheel and drive. Contemplating this I decided we are going to use the Honda Pilot for this, and not the Tesla Model 3. Driving a Tesla is so different from a gas car that I worry it wouldn’t set her up well. I actually wish I had my Mini Cooper S with manual transmission for this exercise.

\n

While the differences between electric and gas are so large, there are a lot of ways that the Model 3 could be a better platform for a learner.

\n

This all made me think that it would be really neat if Tesla had a “Learn to Drive” app. What would it do?

\n
    \n
  1. The app would allow you to put the car in learner mode. This would not only reduce the power output of the car, similar to valet mode, but also change the power curve to match that of a gas engine. Electric motors have so much low end torque, and I would worry about that amount of power with a brand new driver. I would think software could change that to emulate a gas engines curve, and simulate a gas experience.
    2. \n
  2. This app would allow the user to have controls for the car, most notably to safely stop the car. A big red “STOP” button on the screen would give the parent or teacher the ability to override.
    3. \n
  3. The car could be put in a defensive mode, where the radar system that detects nearby objects doesn’t just give you a warning but the car would actually stop to avoid any collision.
    4. \n
  4. The main display in the Model 3 could be swapped out with a learning display, taking realtime feeds from all the cameras and overlaying driving paths. Maybe even engage the autopilot system to not drive the car, but show on the screen where the car should be driven.
    5. \n
\n

All of this highlights the power of a car being thought of as a software platform. The software can change the entire characteristic of the car could change for this special, and very important, exercise.

\n", "date_published": "2021-05-13T21:48:15-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2021/05/13/wish-tesla-learn.html", "tags": ["Family","Technology","Cars"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2021/05/10/sat-down-to.html", "content_html": "

Sat down to figure out what was wrong with my 27-inch 2019 Retina 5K iMac. Beach balls. Terrible performance. Random crashes.

\n

Turns out the Fusion Drive had “split” and the machine was completely confused about the disk system.

\n

Complete rebuild and it is fast again!

\n", "date_published": "2021-05-10T20:38:19-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2021/05/10/sat-down-to.html", "tags": ["Technology","Apple"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2021/05/04/i-love-seeing.html", "content_html": "

I love seeing the constant innovation in Drafts! We now have Drafts Capture for the Web? I never considered this but there are a number of times when adding a draft from the browser would be handy. Great product Agile Tortoise!

\n", "date_published": "2021-05-04T19:33:22-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2021/05/04/i-love-seeing.html", "tags": ["Productivity","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2021/05/04/app-store-subscriptions.html", "title": "App Store Subscriptions", "content_html": "

I did an audit of my App Store subscriptions recently. This seems like a good process to do on an annual basis.

\n

My annual subscriptions totaled $309.06 (including taxes). This includes subscriptions to 16 services including: 1Blocker*, Albums*, Darkroom*, Day One, Drafts*, iTunes Match, mPaceline, NoMoRoBo (multi), Overcast, RadarScope, Tweetbot*, Unread*, Weatherline, and YouAte. * denotes family subscriptions.

\n

I also have five monthly subscriptions for $79.55 (including taxes). This includes JAXJOX, Disney+, HBO Max, Paramount+, and Apple One Family Premium. Those add up to $954.60 a year.

\n

So how much are App Store subscriptions costing me a year? $1,263.66. They all add up! 💸

\n

I did cancel a handful of subscriptions. These are all subscriptions that I use so I’m getting value from them.

\n", "date_published": "2021-05-04T19:17:25-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2021/05/04/app-store-subscriptions.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2021/04/30/just-preordered-three.html", "content_html": "

Just preordered three ElevationLabs TagVaults so I can use AirTags on boat and pool keys!

\n", "date_published": "2021-04-30T22:10:18-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2021/04/30/just-preordered-three.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2021/04/25/used-the-relatively.html", "content_html": "

Used the relatively low Ether gas prices today to register weeklything.eth on the Ethereum Name Service, including reverse. I already have thingelstad.eth and reverse. This still falls in the category of playing and learning. 🤔

\n", "date_published": "2021-04-25T21:13:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2021/04/25/used-the-relatively.html", "tags": ["Crypto","Weekly Thing","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2021/04/25/trying-to-get.html", "content_html": "

Trying to get one of my ICANN domain names, thingelstad.xyz, registered on Ethereum Name Service but stumped on DNSSEC error message from ENS, but DNSSEC tests out fine. 🤷‍♂️

\n", "date_published": "2021-04-25T08:55:55-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2021/04/25/trying-to-get.html", "tags": ["Crypto","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2021/04/18/we-hung-the.html", "content_html": "

We hung The Frame by Samsung today and I am impressed with it. It is discrete. The picture quality is good. It is fun to have different art on it and with the press of a button you can watch a show.

\n

\"Samsung\"Samsung

\n", "date_published": "2021-04-18T19:35:03-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2021/04/18/we-hung-the.html", "tags": ["Technology","Home"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2021/04/13/got-my-elgato.html", "content_html": "

Got my Elgato Key Light added to my setup. Having it attach to the desk is key for the standing position. It is also nice to be able to control color and brightness from the Stream Deck. It can get very bright too. 😎

\n\"Home\n", "date_published": "2021-04-13T21:06:52-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2021/04/13/got-my-elgato.html", "tags": ["Technology","Home"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2021/04/08/called-up-bevcomm.html", "content_html": "

Called up Bevcomm today and upgraded our DSL connection at the cabin to the fastest that we can provision. Hopefully this resolves the lag I’ve been experiencing in Zoom.

\n\"Internet\n", "date_published": "2021-04-08T15:32:53-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2021/04/08/called-up-bevcomm.html", "tags": ["Technology","Cabin"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2021/01/10/family-screen-time.html", "title": "Family Screen Time Review", "content_html": "

We are trying something new thinking about our family and how we use our devices, most notably our iPhones. We all have enabled Screen Time on our devices and we are doing a weekly Family Screen Time Review. We just did our first review which went really well. We are making it up as we go. We decided to do two things, taking turns through the family at each step, parents first then kids.

\n
    \n
  1. Share key data about our screen time. No judging, just data. How much on average did we use our phones. How many pickups did we have. What apps and websites we spent the most time on. The thought is for this to just be sharing and data.
    2. \n
  2. Highlight a surprise or insight. After we have all shared our data we then share a highlight or insight that we took from our data. The intent again is that this is reflecting on you, not on other peoples data. Mine for example was surprise that I spent so much time on a particularly website. During this step, we might take a further step of creating a rule or limit that will help curb that in the future.
    3. \n
\n

This first week I had spent 2h 43m on average per day on my phone. My most frequently used apps were Safari, Unread and Mail. I averaged 55 pickups a day. My insight or surprise was that I spent 2h 5m on the New York Times website that week. That was more than I would want to spend. So, I created a rule to limit that website to 20m a day.

\n\"iOS\n

The review was pretty easy, took about 15 minutes and had plenty of laughs as well as everyone went through their data. There was some pride in high and low numbers. At worst, we gained awareness and had a discussion about the relationship with our devices. At best, we created some structure to help guide us in the future as well.

\n

I think a key part of this needs to maintain a shared introspection. Not judging other peoples data or creating rules for them. Instead, having a dialogue and leading by example for our kids. I’m looking forward to doing a few more of these.

\n", "date_published": "2021-01-10T22:04:02-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2021/01/10/family-screen-time.html", "tags": ["Family","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2021/01/07/cto-spotlight-candid.html", "title": "CTO Spotlight: Candid Conversations wth Minnesotan Leaders", "content_html": "\"Promotional\n

I got a chance to join Jac Stark and Nels Pederson of Tech.MN for this CTO Spotlight conversation. We covered a wide range of topics. It was a good conversation. We recorded this in August 2020, but it didn’t get published until December.

\n
\n \n
\n\n", "date_published": "2021-01-07T21:18:28-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2021/01/07/cto-spotlight-candid.html", "tags": ["Technology","Work"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2020/12/16/facebooks-opposition-to.html", "content_html": "

Facebook’s opposition to Apple’s privacy enhancements on their platform is a strong positive signal. The fact they are so worried about it validates that these actions must be meaningful in the fight against surveillance.

\n", "date_published": "2020-12-16T18:44:02-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2020/12/16/facebooks-opposition-to.html", "tags": ["Technology","Privacy \u0026 Security"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2020/11/28/im-not-sure.html", "content_html": "

I’m not sure what happened with our bandwidth usage this month but it was way up from any previous month and we just used our one “free" excess usage month from Xfinity. This would have cost $60 extra this month. I will have to keep an eye on usage and consider adding unlimited data for $30 a month. We didn’t make any notable changes in devices or usage so I’m not sure what drove the jump.

\n\"Bar\n", "date_published": "2020-11-28T14:07:46-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2020/11/28/im-not-sure.html", "tags": ["Technology","Home"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2020/11/26/this-was-the.html", "content_html": "

This was the worst production outage I’ve experienced in Amazon Web Services, lasting over 21 hours. AWS has also published the full incident report.

\n
\n

Latest Update (1:18 AM PST): We have restored all traffic to Kinesis Data Streams via all endpoints and it is now operating normally. We have also resolved the error rates invoking CloudWatch APIs. We continue to work towards full recovery for IoT SiteWise and details of the service status is below. All other services are operating normally. We have identified the root cause of the Kinesis Data Streams event, and have completed immediate actions to prevent recurrence.

\n

Previous Update (12:43 PM PST): We have restored all traffic to Kinesis Data Streams via all endpoints and it is now operating normally. We have also resolved the error rates invoking CloudWatch APIs. We continue to work towards full recovery for IoT SiteWise and Elastic Container Service; details of these services’ status is below. All other services are operating normally. We have identified the root cause of the Kinesis Data Streams event, and have completed immediate actions to prevent recurrence.

\n

Previous Update (11:43 PM PST): We have restored all traffic to Kinesis Data Streams via all endpoints, and have resolved the error rates invoking CloudWatch APIs. We are continuing to closely monitor Kinesis and work toward full recovery of all services. We have identified the root cause of the Kinesis Data Streams event, and have completed immediate actions to prevent recurrence. Kinesis and CloudWatch are operating normally.

\n

Previous Update (10:30 PM PST): We have restored all traffic to Kinesis Data Streams from Internet-facing endpoints, and we are continuing to incrementally restore all requests to Kinesis Data Streams using VPC Endpoints. We are also beginning to observe incremental recovery of CloudWatch metrics functionality for new incoming metrics, and working towards full recovery. The backlog of metrics will take additional time to populate.

\n

Previous Update (9:06 PM PST): Over the past two hours, we have continued to bring more traffic in to Kinesis Data Streams, which is leading to gradual recovery of applications that use Kinesis directly, as well as dependent services within the US-EAST-1 Region. We are bringing traffic in more slowly than anticipated while we closely monitor each change to ensure continued stability. We expect that over the next few hours, we will complete restoring Kinesis Data Streams to normal operations.

\n

CloudWatch metrics remain delayed in the US-EAST-1 Region. Once we have restored the throttles for Kinesis to previous levels, we will be restoring CloudWatch metrics functionality. We expect to see recovery of CloudWatch metrics at that stage for new incoming metrics, but the backlog of metrics may take additional time to populate.

\n

Previous Update (6:23 PM PST): We’d like to provide an update on the issue affecting the Kinesis Data Streams API, and other dependent services, within the US-EAST-1 Region. We have now fully mitigated the impact to the subsystem within Kinesis that is responsible for the processing of incoming requests and are no longer seeing increased error rates or latencies. However, we are not yet taking the full traffic load and are working to relax request throttles on the service. Over the next few hours we expect to relax these throttles to previous levels. We expect customers to begin seeing recovery as these throttles are relaxed over this timeframe.

\n
\n", "date_published": "2020-11-26T13:43:11-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2020/11/26/this-was-the.html", "tags": ["Software Development","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2020/11/18/i-leveled-up.html", "content_html": "

I leveled up my webinar broadcasting capabilities with the addition of a green screen. This setup worked incredibly well with Zoom for our all team meeting today.

\n\"Home\n

Here is what it looks like in Zoom with a virtual background applied.

\n\"Man\n

The theme for the team meeting was a live show where I was the host in the control room. It was a lot of fun to do.

\n", "date_published": "2020-11-18T12:40:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2020/11/18/i-leveled-up.html", "tags": ["Technology","Work"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2020/11/01/lightroom-is-giving.html", "content_html": "

Lightroom is giving me troubles, and Photos is too. My iMac is stuck at “Restoring from iCloud…" and is behind other devices. Articles online suggest there isn’t much to do but wait, sometimes for days, and let it work. 🤦‍♂️

\n\"Apple\n", "date_published": "2020-11-01T18:29:45-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2020/11/01/lightroom-is-giving.html", "tags": ["Photography","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2020/11/01/ive-been-trying.html", "content_html": "

I’ve been trying to export a single photo taken in 2008 from Adobe Photoshop Lightroom CC. It has taken over 15 minutes of time loading various bits from the cloud. For some reason running this one app requires no fewer than five applications (all but Lightroom hidden). The amount of memory and CPU being chewed up is ridiculous. This needs a better solution.

\n", "date_published": "2020-11-01T18:16:28-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2020/11/01/ive-been-trying.html", "tags": ["Photography","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2020/10/30/these-results-in.html", "content_html": "

These results are incredible, and seem almost unstoppable.

\n
\n

“America’s biggest tech firms reported dizzying figures, as each surfed on the pandemic’s waves. Amazon’s third-quarter sales grew 37% year-on-year, to more than $96bn; it hired 50% more staff to cope with the demands of locked-down households. Alphabet was the only giant whose share price strengthened, as Google’s ad sales recovered, especially on YouTube. Apple’s iPhone sales were even weaker than expected, while overall revenue and profit held steady. Facebook blew past glowering governments’ scrutiny to report quarterly revenue growth of 22%, with a prediction of better to come over the holidays.” — The Economist Espresso, October 30th, 2020

\n
\n", "date_published": "2020-10-30T09:46:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2020/10/30/these-results-in.html", "tags": ["Technology","Work"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2020/10/11/facebook-and-twitter.html", "title": "Facebook and Twitter Have Lost Control", "content_html": "

From recent actions I think that we must conclude that Facebook and Twitter have now explicitly acknowledged that their platforms are being used in ways they do not understand, are not able to manage, and without a doubt have an impact in elections. To most people this has been obvious for years, but they have hid behind many excuses to try and avoid any accountability. These two headlines are two days apart.

\n

Oct 7: Facebook Widens Ban on Political Ads as Alarm Rises Over Election
\nOct 9: Twitter Will Turn Off Some Features to Fight Election Misinformation

\n

Both of these companies are finally admitting that they are not able to fix the problem here. They have built platforms that others have weaponized, and they are unable to fix it. I think it is important to highlight here that I think Kara Swisher has it right when she emphasizes that people are not abusing these platforms, they are using them exactly as they were intended to be used. Nobody has been hacked. These systems were built to surveil their users, catalog their interests, and then alter your intentions in the direction of an advertiser. The part nobody seems to have considered is that while some people want to sell you toothpaste, others may want to sell you a destabilized government or some deep state conspiracy theory.

\n

The real question here is can they be fixed? If the flaw isn’t an abuse, but is instead an intended use, what is there to fix?

\n

I am happy to see that we’ve finally left the realm of these for profit companies cloaking themselves in First Amendment rights and disavowing that they have any impact in something like an election. (Funny isn’t it that they certainly would be clear that they can get you to buy a different toothpaste though. Those T-Rex arms in full effect.)

\n

I’m in the camp that for Facebook I don’t think there is a fix. I think there is a fatal component in their design and at the scale they are today it cannot be undone. Twitter on the hand I do think could be fixed. Make all accounts cost $5 or $10 a month. At that price bots go away. Get rid of the active users metric that makes them magically inept at finding bot accounts. Get rid of retweets without an additional comment. And clean up the dark corners filled with hate, racism and sexist garbage. Mostly Twitter is small enough that it could still be fixed, and the core user base is addicted enough that they would pay and if 90% of of the garbage accounts went away none of the core users would know anyway.

\n", "date_published": "2020-10-11T21:14:50-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2020/10/11/facebook-and-twitter.html", "tags": ["Technology","Social Media","Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2020/10/06/i-upgraded-the.html", "content_html": "

I upgraded the video conferencing setup in my home office. Setup a studio light that I’ve had for photography. Got an Audio-Technica AT2005USB microphone on a mini-boom. The audio is incredibly better. The light is a big help early in the morning.

\n\"Home\n", "date_published": "2020-10-06T21:57:14-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2020/10/06/i-upgraded-the.html", "tags": ["Technology","Home"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2020/09/29/a-twofer-of.html", "content_html": "

A “twofer” of geeky humor in one shirt. Stay at home, wear a mask.🤓

\n\"Black\n", "date_published": "2020-09-29T06:49:12-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2020/09/29/a-twofer-of.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2020/09/23/first-time-weve.html", "content_html": "

First time we’ve had a full unplanned Xfinity service outage during remote work and school. Switched everyone to use their phones as hotspots. Hopefully service is restored soon. There is major construction a block away that I suspect is related.

\n\"Xfinity\n

Update: Service came back after only about 15 min. Wonder what the issue was… 🤔

\n", "date_published": "2020-09-23T10:01:31-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2020/09/23/first-time-weve.html", "tags": ["Technology","Work"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2020/09/19/ios-is-sharing.html", "content_html": "

iOS 14 is sharing an insight with me that it is using more battery. Neat insight, how about a fix? 😬

\n\"iPhone\n", "date_published": "2020-09-19T19:30:15-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2020/09/19/ios-is-sharing.html", "tags": ["Technology","Apple"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2020/08/17/oddball-at-remvr.html", "title": "Oddball at REM5VR", "content_html": "

A couple weeks back we got to try REM5VR’s newest arena experience, Oddball. it is a VR version of laser tag. The four of us played and got to pair up in different teams. You wear a wireless VR headset that allows you to walk around in the space. You see the other players in VR space relative to where you are. There were some glitches getting the VR headsets all talking and calibrated to start with, but we were quickly playing and having a lot of fun.

\n

It is a little odd to be in a VR space with other people walking around, but we didn’t bump into each other. The VR world allows the arena we were playing in to feel much bigger than the actual space, and there were teleporters and power up spots that would appear in the space.

\n

REM5 told us we were the first customers to go through it, and the person running it was kind enough to capture the video of us playing and send it to me. Here is our 3rd round where Tammy and I got beat pretty handily by the kids.

\n

\n", "date_published": "2020-08-17T20:27:24-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2020/08/17/oddball-at-remvr.html", "tags": ["Videos","Family","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2020/07/24/the-koa-that.html", "content_html": "

The KOA that we are at has no WiFi and no cellular signal. We’ve been offline for 3 days except for an occasional stop in some town. Tonight we all got in the rental car and drove into West Yellowstone to get LTE signal! 📱

\n", "date_published": "2020-07-24T22:18:05-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2020/07/24/the-koa-that.html", "tags": ["Travel","Technology","Yellowstone 2020"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2020/07/07/today-we-kick.html", "title": "SPS TechJam 2020", "content_html": "

Today we kick off #TeamSPS TechJam 2020! We have 31 presenters leading sessions that “follow the sun” with our teams around the world! The event is framed in with a Hackathon and Deep Racer competition! We are embracing remote with all activities online! 🙌

\n\"Tech\n", "date_published": "2020-07-07T10:46:05-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2020/07/07/today-we-kick.html", "tags": ["TeamSPS","Technology","Work"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2020/05/16/this-graph-of.html", "content_html": "

This graph of DNS requests by client at our cabin is a good example of how metadata and privacy interact. When did we get there? How many people were there? All reasonable things that you could derive from this metadata.

\n\"Stacked\n", "date_published": "2020-05-16T17:42:09-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2020/05/16/this-graph-of.html", "tags": ["Technology","Privacy \u0026 Security"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2020/05/10/just-upgraded-one.html", "content_html": "

Just upgraded one of my Pi-Hole servers to v5.0! All went completely smooth. The new group filtering is interesting. I may put all my Apple TV’s in a group and restrict the DNS dramatically for example. Maybe block all for some Smart Home stuff and only whitelist what it needs.

\n", "date_published": "2020-05-10T20:53:15-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2020/05/10/just-upgraded-one.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2020/04/21/wife-is-on.html", "content_html": "

Tammy is on FaceTime call with sister.

\n

Mazie is on Zoom call with Piano teacher.

\n

Tyler is on FaceTime call with friend while playing Minecraft together online.

\n

Thank you broadband!

\n", "date_published": "2020-04-21T19:04:57-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2020/04/21/wife-is-on.html", "tags": ["Technology","Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2020/04/11/i-liked-the.html", "content_html": "

I liked the privacy and security benefits of having a Pi-Hole at home so much that I decided to put one in the cabin too. Next up cable management. 😁

\n\"Raspberry\n", "date_published": "2020-04-11T18:58:03-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2020/04/11/i-liked-the.html", "tags": ["Technology","Privacy \u0026 Security"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2020/04/07/our-kids-are.html", "content_html": "

Our kids are doing REM5VR Youth Innovation Lab PLUS. I’m impressed with the content, and they are enjoying it. This is a great idea to augment the learning at home experience.

\n\"Child\n", "date_published": "2020-04-07T20:23:07-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2020/04/07/our-kids-are.html", "tags": ["Family","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2020/04/05/i-find-it.html", "content_html": "

I find it interesting that my Pi-hole blocks 10-20% of DNS requests made when nobody is home. Average of 200 DNS requests every 10 mins when nobody is home, and 20-40 of those are some form of tracking. 😠

\n", "date_published": "2020-04-05T21:06:18-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2020/04/05/i-find-it.html", "tags": ["Technology","Privacy \u0026 Security"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2020/04/04/would-be-pretty.html", "content_html": "

Would be pretty nifty to get a Zoom app for Tesla. 😁

\n", "date_published": "2020-04-04T11:24:19-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2020/04/04/would-be-pretty.html", "tags": ["Technology","Cars"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2020/03/14/in-this-time.html", "content_html": "

In this time of Covid-19 it would be a good gesture for Xfinity, AT&T, and other broadband and wireless carriers to remove data transmission caps on customers.

\n", "date_published": "2020-03-14T18:21:27-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2020/03/14/in-this-time.html", "tags": ["Technology","Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2020/03/05/the-top-blocked.html", "content_html": "

The top blocked domain that my Pi-Hole is protecting me from every day is api.segment.io. That isn’t a web browser thing that 1Blocker could even block. It is API calls embedded, I suspect, in iOS Apps. I love having multiple layers of surveillance blocking!

\n\"Table\n", "date_published": "2020-03-05T23:24:02-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2020/03/05/the-top-blocked.html", "tags": ["Technology","Privacy \u0026 Security"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2020/02/28/we-had-a.html", "content_html": "

We had a lot of fun at REM5VR tonight! Beat Saber was my favorite. 🎮

\n\"Indoor\n", "date_published": "2020-02-28T22:31:05-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2020/02/28/we-had-a.html", "tags": ["Family","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2020/02/27/im-having-a.html", "content_html": "

I’m having a fun time with the Pi-Hole just to see the volume of DNS activity on my home network! Green line is total requests, blue is the number that were blocked. 🙌

\n\"Line\n", "date_published": "2020-02-27T23:44:42-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2020/02/27/im-having-a.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2020/02/27/213625.html", "content_html": "

After the Tech Talent event today John Avenson, VP of Technology for the Minnesota Twins, took a small group on a short technology tour of Target Field. It was an awesome time! I loved hearing how the network works and how all the cabling is routed around.

\n\"Press\n\"Target\n\"Broadcast\n\"Exposed\n

Upon seeing this cable tray, Amy Patton blurts out “That’s beautiful” with absolutely no irony. Only in tech… 🤩🙌 (PS: I agree!) Nice job Target Field tech team!

\n\"Overhead\n", "date_published": "2020-02-27T23:36:25-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2020/02/27/213625.html", "tags": ["Sports","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2020/02/26/191614.html", "content_html": "

Configuring my Raspbery Pi 3B+ with Pi-Hole! 🤓

\n

Pi-Hole up and running! Easy to setup. 👍

\n\"Pi-hole\n", "date_published": "2020-02-26T21:16:14-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2020/02/26/191614.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2020/02/25/i-find-the.html", "content_html": "

I find the Feb 22nd 2020 cover of The Economist so perfect. I love the imagery of these cybernetic bulls. And probably even more, I like the choice of having them run directly at the viewer — as if you are about to get run over by them.

\n\"The\n", "date_published": "2020-02-25T21:53:26-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2020/02/25/i-find-the.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2020/02/21/juat-ordered-a.html", "content_html": "

Just ordered a Raspberry Pi 3B+ so that I can finally setup a Pi-Hole server at home!

\n", "date_published": "2020-02-22T00:08:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2020/02/21/juat-ordered-a.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2020/01/29/weve-had-a.html", "title": "Tech Summit 2020", "content_html": "

We’ve had a great first-half for our #TeamSPS Tech Summit 2020! 🙌 Streaming live to all locations too!

\n\"Large\n", "date_published": "2020-01-29T12:47:05-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2020/01/29/weve-had-a.html", "tags": ["TeamSPS","Technology","Work"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2020/01/21/the-dentist-let.html", "content_html": "

The dentist let me check out the machine that milled my crown from a block of porcelain. The 3D scanning and modeling software was very impressive too. 🦷

\n

\"CAD/CAM\"Dental

\n", "date_published": "2020-01-21T10:57:06-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2020/01/21/the-dentist-let.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2019/12/25/just-got-tesla.html", "content_html": "

Just got Tesla 2019.40.50.1 installed. This looks like a big update! Need some time tomorrow to go over all the release notes. 🎁

\n", "date_published": "2019-12-26T00:17:13-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2019/12/25/just-got-tesla.html", "tags": ["Technology","Cars"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2019/12/24/got-my-bugasalt.html", "content_html": "

Got my BUG-A-SALT 2.0 for Christmas! Bring it on houseflies! Salt spray pattern on tinfoil is pretty tight. 🤣

\n

\"Smiling\"Close-up

\n", "date_published": "2019-12-24T13:47:41-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2019/12/24/got-my-bugasalt.html", "tags": ["Technology","Holidays"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2019/12/03/daily-cyberweek-standup.html", "content_html": "

Daily cyberweek standup as #TeamSPS prepares for another great day! 🙌

\n\"Group\n", "date_published": "2019-12-03T10:22:45-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2019/12/03/daily-cyberweek-standup.html", "tags": ["TeamSPS","Technology","Work"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2019/12/02/ready-for-an.html", "content_html": "

Ready for an awesome Cyberweek #TeamSPS! 👍

\n\"Open-plan\n", "date_published": "2019-12-02T09:57:48-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2019/12/02/ready-for-an.html", "tags": ["TeamSPS","Technology","Work"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2019/10/08/151356.html", "title": "Solid State from MHTA", "content_html": "

Attending the premier of Solid State: Minnesota’s High Tech History hosted by MHTA.

\n\"Audience\n

Good panel conversation following screening of Solid State.

\n\"Packed\n", "date_published": "2019-10-08T15:13:56-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2019/10/08/151356.html", "tags": ["Technology","Tech Community"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2019/09/24/ava-robotics.html", "content_html": "

First time using an Ava Robotics telepresence robot!

\n\"Man\n", "date_published": "2019-09-24T21:50:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2019/09/24/ava-robotics.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2019/09/21/walked-into-the.html", "content_html": "

Walked into the pool with my AirPods in my pocket. Oops. Hoping they come back to life tomorrow. 💦

\n", "date_published": "2019-09-21T22:00:15-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2019/09/21/walked-into-the.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2019/09/13/started-getting-a.html", "content_html": "

Started getting a crazy number of robocalls. 😤 Found that Nomorobo had become deactivated! Fixed, now better.

\n", "date_published": "2019-09-13T15:02:17-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2019/09/13/started-getting-a.html", "tags": ["Technology","Privacy \u0026 Security"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2019/08/04/i-need-to.html", "content_html": "

I need to find a good name for the Dolphin S300i pool robot. Oddly mesmerizing to watch it work around.

\n\"Dolphin\n", "date_published": "2019-08-04T19:49:40-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2019/08/04/i-need-to.html", "tags": ["Technology","Home"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2019/07/15/restoring-my-iphone.html", "content_html": "

Restoring my iPhone XS completely from iTunes and then restoring my backup seems to have fixed my battery issues, and Spotlight searches now work. Check out battery burn rate before and after.

\n

Before

\n\"Battery\n

After

\n\"Battery\n", "date_published": "2019-07-15T22:16:53-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2019/07/15/restoring-my-iphone.html", "tags": ["Technology","Apple"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2019/07/14/would-like-to.html", "content_html": "

Would like to go to sleep, but my iPhone is my alarm clock. 🤔

\n\"iPhone\n", "date_published": "2019-07-14T21:59:56-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2019/07/14/would-like-to.html", "tags": ["Technology","Apple"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2019/07/14/doing-complete-os.html", "content_html": "

Doing complete OS recovery and restore on my iPhone XS to hopefully fix whatever is causing it to burn through CPU and battery like crazy. Spotlight search would not work, I suspect it was stuck in a cycle rebuilding a search index. 🤞📱

\n", "date_published": "2019-07-14T21:08:59-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2019/07/14/doing-complete-os.html", "tags": ["Technology","Apple"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2019/07/03/something-is-very.html", "content_html": "

Something is very wrong on my iPhone. The battery is draining super fast. I’ve noticed Spotlight isn’t working. Searches don’t return. I’m suspicious the search indexes for Spotlight are messed up and the phone is stuck rebuilding them?

\n\"iPhone\n", "date_published": "2019-07-03T21:57:17-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2019/07/03/something-is-very.html", "tags": ["Technology","Apple"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2019/06/16/ive-made-the.html", "content_html": "

I’ve made the jump to Ubiquity UniFi networking gear at home. Impressed thus far.

\n", "date_published": "2019-06-16T19:55:57-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2019/06/16/ive-made-the.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2019/04/21/used-the-scosche.html", "content_html": "

Used the Scosche Rhythm+ heart rate monitor for first time today. I liked it on the forearm versus around the chest, and it seemed as accurate as the electrical versions. It does get very sweaty. Happy with it on initial run. 👍🏻

\n", "date_published": "2019-04-21T19:00:36-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2019/04/21/used-the-scosche.html", "tags": ["Fitness","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2019/02/23/tonight-was-the.html", "content_html": "

Tonight was the first time since having a 3D printer that I realized something I was thinking of buying I could instead print. 😏

\n", "date_published": "2019-02-24T00:25:41-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2019/02/23/tonight-was-the.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2019/02/06/d-printing-custom.html", "content_html": "

3D Printing custom Valentine’s Day things for the kids to give their friends! 💕

\n", "date_published": "2019-02-05T22:00:09-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2019/02/05/d-printing-custom.html", "tags": ["Family","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2019/01/22/updating-firmware-ftw.html", "content_html": "

Updating firmware FTW! This time the Joule Sous Vide.

\n\"Joule\n", "date_published": "2019-01-21T22:34:20-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2019/01/21/updating-firmware-ftw.html", "tags": ["Cooking","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2019/01/12/170300.html", "content_html": "

Moving and going back to Xfinity I lose fiber performance. Upside is back on IPv6. 🤷🏼‍♂️

\n", "date_published": "2019-01-12T12:03:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2019/01/12/170300.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2019/01/12/i-have-no.html", "content_html": "

I have no idea what I’m doing with this 3D Printer! But it’s still fun!

\n\"Flashforge\n", "date_published": "2019-01-11T22:34:21-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2019/01/11/i-have-no.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2018/12/09/i-know-i.html", "content_html": "

I know I should be impressed with our amazing, modern technology, but this happens so often and drives me a bit bonkers.

\n\"Siri\n", "date_published": "2018-12-09T18:46:13-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2018/12/09/i-know-i.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2018/12/05/finally-got-my.html", "content_html": "

Finally got my Bluetooth blood pressure monitor to re-pair with my phone, after much troubleshooting. It’s the little things. 🥳

\n", "date_published": "2018-12-04T22:53:07-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2018/12/04/finally-got-my.html", "tags": ["Fitness","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2018/11/26/ready-for-cyber.html", "content_html": "

Ready for Cyber Monday peak season! #TeamSPS

\n\"Open\n", "date_published": "2018-11-26T09:26:36-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2018/11/26/ready-for-cyber.html", "tags": ["TeamSPS","Technology","Work"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2018/11/22/this-new-retina.html", "content_html": "

This new 27” Retina iMac is starved for memory. 64 GB of SO-DIMMs on the way!

\n", "date_published": "2018-11-21T23:04:31-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2018/11/21/this-new-retina.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2018/11/17/got-the-new.html", "content_html": "

Got the new MacBook Air today (Space Gray, 16 GB memory, 500 GB storage). Reminds me how much I liked the form factor on the original MacBook Air. TouchID is great to have, and beautiful Retina display!

\n", "date_published": "2018-11-17T17:55:13-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2018/11/17/got-the-new.html", "tags": ["Technology","Apple"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2018/11/12/long-international-flight.html", "content_html": "

Long international flight tomorrow → of course you update the firmware on your headphones! 😁

\n\"Bose\n", "date_published": "2018-11-11T22:27:39-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2018/11/11/long-international-flight.html", "tags": ["Travel","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2018/10/27/the-pixl-magnetic.html", "content_html": "

The PIXL Magnetic Building System looks really cool. Backed it! Fun to see the Fidget Cube team back at it.

\n", "date_published": "2018-10-26T20:42:01-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2018/10/26/the-pixl-magnetic.html", "tags": ["Technology","Games"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2018/10/11/nice-opportunity-to.html", "content_html": "

Nice opportunity to network with other technology leaders, and try some delightful wines tonight! 🍷

\n\"Rows\n", "date_published": "2018-10-10T22:36:56-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2018/10/10/nice-opportunity-to.html", "tags": ["Drinks","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2018/09/25/two-of-my.html", "content_html": "

Two of my three Macs are upgraded to macOS Mojave. The last one that is still upgrading is an iMac with Fusion drive and is taking a lot longer than the others. I suspect some APFS twiddling. My ancient MacBook Pro 15" Retina from 2012 upgraded fine.

\n", "date_published": "2018-09-24T21:28:12-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2018/09/24/two-of-my.html", "tags": ["Technology","Apple"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2018/09/21/it-seems-that.html", "content_html": "

It seems that the nVidia GPU in my 2012 MacBook Pro 15” Retina is failing fast. Screen goes black, Kernel panic reported from GPU. Somewhat common issue with that laptop. I was planning to upgrade but was hoping to make it to October’s new machines!

\n", "date_published": "2018-09-20T19:25:51-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2018/09/20/it-seems-that.html", "tags": ["Technology","Apple"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2018/09/17/impressive-update-for.html", "content_html": "

Impressive update for Streaks today! Happy to see iCloud sync arrive and already support for Siri Shortcuts! 👏🏻

\n", "date_published": "2018-09-16T19:23:02-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2018/09/16/impressive-update-for.html", "tags": ["Productivity","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2018/09/14/iphone-xs-gb.html", "content_html": "

iPhone Xs 256GB Space Grey ordered! 🛒

\n", "date_published": "2018-09-14T03:41:14-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2018/09/14/iphone-xs-gb.html", "tags": ["Technology","Apple"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2018/09/14/im-geekily-excited.html", "content_html": "

I’m “geekily” excited to get my Anki Vector in October. 🤓 I have a Cozmo and the Vector looks like a very fun leap.

\n\"Anki\n", "date_published": "2018-09-13T21:02:48-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2018/09/13/im-geekily-excited.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2018/09/12/the-iphone-xs.html", "content_html": "

The iPhone Xs is going to be a great upgrade from my iPhone 7. 📱 The Apple Watch Series 4 is enough of a jump to make me consider upgrading my Series 3. ⌚️

\n", "date_published": "2018-09-12T13:02:18-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2018/09/12/the-iphone-xs.html", "tags": ["Technology","Apple"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2018/09/07/just-got-invitation.html", "content_html": "

Just got invitation to OmniFocus 3 for Mac beta. Impressive and big redesign. I have a feeling multiple windows will be better used in this version. Nice to have powerful Perspectives on all platforms.

\n", "date_published": "2018-09-06T22:28:55-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2018/09/06/just-got-invitation.html", "tags": ["Productivity","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2018/07/15/we-are-having.html", "content_html": "

We are having a lot of fun with our Turing Tumble, and the maker extensions of printing your own custom parts are very cool! 👏

\n", "date_published": "2018-07-15T08:14:44-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2018/07/15/we-are-having.html", "tags": ["Technology","Games"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2018/07/08/my-turing-tumble.html", "content_html": "

My Turing Tumble games arrived! I’m looking forward to making some mechanical computers 👍🏻, maybe even with the kids! 😊

\n\"Two\n", "date_published": "2018-07-08T17:26:46-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2018/07/08/my-turing-tumble.html", "tags": ["Technology","Games"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2018/06/09/plugged-my-jawbone.html", "content_html": "

Plugged my Jawbone Jambox into my laptop to change the configuration and found out that Jawbone went out of business. Since their configuration app was web based, it looks like I’m sticking with the config I have — forever! 😕

\n", "date_published": "2018-06-09T17:01:43-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2018/06/09/plugged-my-jawbone.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2018/06/05/us-internet-speed.html", "content_html": "

US Internet speed test using Fast. Multiple tests ranged from 930-1000 Mbps.

\n\"Fast.com\n", "date_published": "2018-06-05T06:29:59-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2018/06/05/us-internet-speed.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2018/06/04/us-internet-completed.html", "content_html": "

US Internet completed my fiber install today! Flipping over was as easy as swapping a cable and a reboot of the Eero. Great speed! 🙌🏻⚡️

\n

\"Speedtest\"Speedtest.net

\n", "date_published": "2018-06-04T18:45:22-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2018/06/04/us-internet-completed.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2018/06/03/id-rather-github.html", "content_html": "

I’d rather GitHub stay independent, but of all that could buy it, Microsoft feels okay.

\n", "date_published": "2018-06-03T17:15:53-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2018/06/03/id-rather-github.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2018/05/29/firmware-updates-are.html", "content_html": "

Firmware updates are the best! I have an irrational excitement about them — always! 🙌

\n\"Silver\n", "date_published": "2018-05-28T21:27:56-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2018/05/28/firmware-updates-are.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2018/05/25/getting-rid-of.html", "content_html": "

Getting rid of some old cables. 😳

\n\"Large\n", "date_published": "2018-05-24T19:51:18-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2018/05/24/getting-rid-of.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2018/05/13/i-like-the.html", "content_html": "

I like the augmented memory effect I get when adding a link to Pinboard and it tells me I previously saved the link – multiple years ago. 🤓

\n", "date_published": "2018-05-12T21:42:42-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2018/05/12/i-like-the.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2018/05/04/why-does-microsoft.html", "content_html": "

Why does Microsoft OneDrive for iOS still not support the Files app. It should have been one of the first to adopt it. 🤨

\n", "date_published": "2018-05-03T20:33:05-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2018/05/03/why-does-microsoft.html", "tags": ["Technology","Apple"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2018/05/03/013027.html", "content_html": "

Excited to see OmniFocus 3.0 for iOS ship date announced! Wonder why it’s not in App Store for pre-order. Instant buy for me. 👏🏻

\n", "date_published": "2018-05-02T20:30:27-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2018/05/02/013027.html", "tags": ["Productivity","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2018/04/20/just-preordered-blocker.html", "content_html": "

Just preordered 1Blocker X. I rely on 1Blocker to keep me protected on the web. I use it on all my devices.

\n", "date_published": "2018-04-19T21:15:36-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2018/04/19/just-preordered-blocker.html", "tags": ["Technology","Privacy \u0026 Security"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2018/04/19/my-collection-of.html", "content_html": "

My collection of travel cables is bonkers. 😬

\n\"Red\n", "date_published": "2018-04-19T09:50:36-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2018/04/19/my-collection-of.html", "tags": ["Travel","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2018/04/17/remember-headphone-cables.html", "content_html": "

Remember headphone cables? Those were bothersome.

\n", "date_published": "2018-04-17T03:08:47-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2018/04/17/remember-headphone-cables.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2018/04/14/people-flying-their.html", "content_html": "

People flying their drones through VR goggles looks kind of creepy. 😬

\n\"Four\n", "date_published": "2018-04-14T17:05:52-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2018/04/14/people-flying-their.html", "tags": ["Technology","Tech Community"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2018/04/07/went-to-setup.html", "content_html": "

Went to setup Cloudflare’s new 1.1.1.1 DNS service and it looks like Eero Plus must work in part using DNS as well. Seems I cannot have Eero Plus and use 1.1.1.1. 🤔

\n\"Eero\n", "date_published": "2018-04-06T19:50:43-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2018/04/06/went-to-setup.html", "tags": ["Software Development","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2018/04/04/array-of-d.html", "content_html": "

Array of 3D printers at Museum of Science & Industry.

\n\"Numbered\n", "date_published": "2018-04-03T20:34:21-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2018/04/03/array-of-d.html", "tags": ["Travel","Technology","Arts","Chicago 2018"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2018/03/31/great-family-travel.html", "content_html": "

Great family travel accessory, Anker 10-port USB charger.

\n\"Anker\n", "date_published": "2018-03-31T10:39:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2018/03/31/great-family-travel.html", "tags": ["Family","Travel","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2018/03/28/ive-gone-from.html", "content_html": "

I’ve gone from being ambivalent about OmniFocus 3 tags, to now constantly thinking about how they will help me. Waiting… ⏱

\n", "date_published": "2018-03-27T19:32:49-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2018/03/27/ive-gone-from.html", "tags": ["Productivity","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2018/03/08/kent-amy-and.html", "content_html": "

Kent, Amy and I took a moment to prove that everyone looks dorky in a VR headset. 👀😬

\n

\"Woman\"Man\"Middle-aged

\n", "date_published": "2018-03-08T12:35:24-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2018/03/08/kent-amy-and.html", "tags": ["Travel","Technology","India 2018"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2018/02/23/eero-update-today.html", "content_html": "

Eero update today to support IPv6 and I can now go full IPv6 all the way online. Very nice! 👏

\n\"7\n", "date_published": "2018-02-22T21:55:25-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2018/02/22/eero-update-today.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2018/02/11/looks-like-adobe.html", "content_html": "

Looks like Adobe has put Lightroom out of it’s misery. I’m going to have to rethink my entire photo collection. Ugh.

\n", "date_published": "2018-02-11T16:59:39-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2018/02/11/looks-like-adobe.html", "tags": ["Photography","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2018/02/04/identify-addictive-application.html", "title": "Identify Addictive Application Patterns", "content_html": "

As our environment gets more complex we need to be better educated to\nnavigate it. For example, I think that people would be more protective\nof their privacy, if they learned all the ways the data is used to\nmanipulate them. I have been considering lately that we need to better\nidentify other patterns that are intentionally used to create addictive\nbehavior in applications and websites. Knowing these patterns may allow\nus to understand certain features for what they are and avoid them.

\n

Pull to Refresh

\n

Bucket this in with any refresh mechanism that gives you that rewards\nwhen there is occasionally something new to see. Open your email and\npull to refresh? Is there anything new? It is reward seeking behavior.\nIt is well established that having a random award (new email!) appear\nafter an action is an addictive pattern.

\n

Infinite Scroll

\n

This pattern ties into our desire to “finish” a set of activities. When\nwe have read through all of the items, we get that reward of completion.\nInfinite scroll tricks us into reading more and more, waiting to get to\nthe end. Eventually we realize that we will never get to the end and\nhave to give up. Instead of the reward of being done, we have the shame\nof giving up.

\n

Feedback Loops

\n

These come in two flavors, public and private. How many likes did that\npost get? That is a direct feedback loop to reinforce some pattern of\ndesired behavior. This is an obvious one to see and is present in all\nsocial feedback loops.

\n

There is also Analytics as Addiction. Exposing the activity based on\nyour content is on the surface a good intent to inform you on how\neffective your content is to some goal, whatever that may be. But it\nalso reinforces a desire to check repeatedly and insidiously alter\nbehavior to steer to more engagement.

\n

I have also noted that some of these patterns show up in other places\nthat I don’t think of as intentionally addictive. They become user\nparadigms that people adopt as best practices. Pull to refresh for\nexample appears in nearly all email clients. There is no commercial\nbenefit to us getting a reward for obsessively checking our email, but\nits presence can encourage it.

\n", "date_published": "2018-02-04T19:42:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2018/02/04/identify-addictive-application.html", "tags": ["Technology","Privacy \u0026 Security"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2018/01/26/i-have-an.html", "content_html": "

I have an irrational enthusiasm for updating firmware. 🤩😎🤞🏻

\n\"DropMix\n", "date_published": "2018-01-25T22:11:17-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2018/01/25/i-have-an.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2018/01/20/in-links.html", "title": "2017 in Links", "content_html": "

For years I’ve been keeping all of my links on\nPinboard and this year I decided to start\npublishing them at Link Thing. I also\npublish my links in common\nformats that can be downloaded. I thought it would be fun to look at all\nthe links from 2017.

\n

In 2017 I saved 913 links. I most frequently create links at 8pm and\n10pm, with 7am coming in next. It’s interesting that I did a link in\nevery hour of the day in 2017. Why I was linking something at 2am\ninstead of sleeping is a different topic.

\n

\"2017

\n

Friday is the day that I save the most links. This is a little skewed by\nmy reading workflow which includes staging links in Safari Reading\nList to queue up often before\nreading. After reading I may save a link. I almost always clear my\nreading list out on Friday night, before I publish my Weekly\nThing newsletter.

\n

\"2017

\n

I definitely started linking more once I started publishing the Weekly\nThing in April and my link blog. Prior\nto that the only links I would have saved were ones I would revisit,\nafter that I started saving links for anything I felt was worth\nhighlighting and sharing.

\n

\"2017

\n

I saved links from 523 different websites in 2016. That’s just 1.75\nlinks per website on average. I like the diversity of sources that\nrepresents. The top 30 websites represent 298 links, or 32.6% of all\nlinks. I was surprised to see Medium at the top\nof the list.

\n

\"2017

\n

651 of the links I saved were secured with HTTPS, a full 71% of all\nlinks for the year. Hats off to everyone for making the web more\nsecure and private.

\n

I was curious how my links spanned various top-level domains. 85% of\nlinks are in the .com TLD. There are 29 top-level domains that I only\nbookmarked one or two links from.

\n

\"2017

\n

It would be fun to take this corpus of data and do further analysis.\nSome graph representation of sites through domain names, analysis by\ncountries or even sentiment and topic analysis of the links themselves\nwould be cool. I’ll defer that to next years post.

\n", "date_published": "2018-01-20T16:26:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2018/01/20/in-links.html", "tags": ["Weekly Thing","Software Development","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2018/01/15/i-have-been.html", "content_html": "

I have been impressed with the Anki Cozmo — it’s amazing how much character this little robot has! 🤖

\n\"Anki\n", "date_published": "2018-01-14T22:17:53-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2018/01/14/i-have-been.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2018/01/13/a-smartphone-filled.html", "content_html": "

A smartphone filled with social apps is a manifestation of Buddhist monkey mind.

\n", "date_published": "2018-01-12T21:38:36-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2018/01/12/a-smartphone-filled.html", "tags": ["Fitness","Technology","Social Media"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2018/01/12/i-continue-to.html", "content_html": "

I continue to see more people covering the camera in their laptops. How come nobody covers the forward facing camera on their mobile phone?

\n", "date_published": "2018-01-12T14:28:32-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2018/01/12/i-continue-to.html", "tags": ["Technology","Privacy \u0026 Security"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2018/01/05/entering-the-world.html", "content_html": "

Entering the world of sous vide cooking with my new Joule. Love that I even get to update firmware on this! Has WiFi and can be controlled anywhere from iOS. 😁👍🏻

\n

\"Joule\"Joule

\n", "date_published": "2018-01-05T01:02:36-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2018/01/05/entering-the-world.html", "tags": ["Cooking","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2017/12/29/172544.html", "content_html": "

… NAS issue resolved? After extended SMART test said all was fine I did another rebuild of the Volume and after 14 hours it succeeded. 🤷‍♂️

\n", "date_published": "2017-12-29T12:25:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2017/12/29/172544.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2017/12/28/i-got-an.html", "content_html": "

I got an Anki Cozmo robot for Christmas and we’ve been having a lot of fun with it. Little thing has a lot of character.

\n", "date_published": "2017-12-28T15:24:44-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2017/12/28/i-got-an.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2017/12/28/back-to-nas.html", "content_html": "

… back to NAS issue. I ran the extended SMART test on every drive in my Synology and no errors. Attempting to repair the RAID volume again. 🤞🏻

\n", "date_published": "2017-12-28T10:59:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2017/12/28/back-to-nas.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2017/12/23/been-getting-errors.html", "content_html": "

Been getting errors on disk 3 in one of my Synology DS416 units. Swapped out the bad disk and started volume repair. Now seeing errors on disk 2 and failing volume repair. Uh oh. 😳 Luckily this data is all mirrored.

\n", "date_published": "2017-12-23T08:22:25-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2017/12/23/been-getting-errors.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2017/12/22/you-remove-all.html", "content_html": "

You remove all the social apps from your iPhone and you realize it wont fill all your idle moments. At first this makes you angry — entertain me! Then you realize idle moments are good. Life happens in those idle moments too.

\n", "date_published": "2017-12-21T21:08:31-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2017/12/21/you-remove-all.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2017/12/19/when-you-sit.html", "content_html": "

😤 … when you sit down to do something quick on your computer and you spend 30 mins fixing cable modem issues.

\n", "date_published": "2017-12-19T08:16:43-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2017/12/19/when-you-sit.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2017/12/17/think-i-might.html", "content_html": "

Think I might have finally fixed a really annoying Time Machine v. Synology NAS behavior. 🤞

\n", "date_published": "2017-12-17T15:22:47-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2017/12/17/think-i-might.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2017/12/05/eero-plushttpseerocomplus-subscription.html", "content_html": "

Eero Plus subscription with security and ad blocking, and now Encrypt.me and 1Password for Families partnerships is a pretty good deal. I’m in! 👍

\n", "date_published": "2017-12-04T21:54:31-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2017/12/04/eero-plushttpseerocomplus-subscription.html", "tags": ["Technology","Privacy \u0026 Security"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2017/12/05/having-fun-trying.html", "content_html": "

Having fun trying Apple Pay over iMessage with some friends. Sending $1 around. This is pretty nice. 👍🏻💸

\n", "date_published": "2017-12-04T20:50:05-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2017/12/04/having-fun-trying.html", "tags": ["Technology","Apple"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2017/12/04/replacement-hard-drive.html", "content_html": "

Replacement hard drive for one of my Synology RAID units on the way.

\n\"Notifications\n", "date_published": "2017-12-03T21:53:20-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2017/12/03/replacement-hard-drive.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2017/11/28/gas-station-on.html", "content_html": "

Gas station on my commute just added Apple Pay to pumps. Hope that is a trend that accelerates. 👏🏻

\n", "date_published": "2017-11-27T19:37:28-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2017/11/27/gas-station-on.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2017/11/26/got-my-scansnap.html", "content_html": "

Got my ScanSnap iX500 setup tonight. Cloud scanning seems to be working well.

\n", "date_published": "2017-11-25T23:14:47-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2017/11/25/got-my-scansnap.html", "tags": ["Productivity","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2017/11/24/161831.html", "content_html": "

Playing The .com Edition of Monopoly, of course. 😜 Hilarious tiles. Game starts with $1.5 billion per player. 💸 CBS MarketWatch has a tile, right next to Sun Microsystems!

\n\"Monopoly\n\"Monopoly\n

Google and Amazon are not on The .com Edition Monopoly board. 🤷‍♂️

\n

I had to buy Sun Microsystems in .com Monopoly. 💙

\n\"Three\n

56k modem for the win! .com Monopoly. 😊

\n\"Monopoly\n", "date_published": "2017-11-24T17:18:31-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2017/11/24/161831.html", "tags": ["MarketWatch","Technology","Games"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2017/11/23/us-internet-wont.html", "content_html": "

US Internet won’t be able to finish my fiber install until spring. 😭
\nGround is freezing and not enough time left. 💔
\nThe communication on status has been great though. 👍🏻

\n", "date_published": "2017-11-22T20:32:55-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2017/11/22/us-internet-wont.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2017/11/20/ive-got-eero.html", "content_html": "

I’ve got Eero Plus subscription service on my Eero home network. Turned on beta ad and tracker blocking on the whole network. Working well so far. 👍🏻

\n", "date_published": "2017-11-19T23:36:20-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2017/11/19/ive-got-eero.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2017/11/07/home-networking-mesh.html", "content_html": "

Home networking: Mesh WiFi is all cool and everything, but I still prefer the “blinky lights” of Cat 6 and Gigabit switches.

\n", "date_published": "2017-11-06T19:58:25-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2017/11/06/home-networking-mesh.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2017/11/01/us-internet-put.html", "content_html": "

US Internet put the conduit from our boulevard to the house. Only a couple more weeks to gig!

\n

\"Small\"Gray

\n", "date_published": "2017-10-31T20:30:45-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2017/10/31/us-internet-put.html", "tags": ["Technology","Home"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2017/10/23/my-safari-reading.html", "content_html": "

My Safari Reading List has mysteriously stopped synchronizing between devices. There seems to be no way to debug this. 😣🐜

\n", "date_published": "2017-10-22T20:50:56-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2017/10/22/my-safari-reading.html", "tags": ["Technology","Apple"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2017/10/20/exploring-the-stars.html", "content_html": "

Exploring the stars with Star Walk and iPhone.

\n

\"Star\"Star\"Star\"Star

\n", "date_published": "2017-10-19T19:50:10-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2017/10/19/exploring-the-stars.html", "tags": ["Technology","Outdoors"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2017/10/17/whats-better-than.html", "content_html": "

What’s better than using AirPods for music? Using a single AirPod to make calls or listen to an audio book.

\n", "date_published": "2017-10-17T12:54:22-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2017/10/17/whats-better-than.html", "tags": ["Technology","Apple"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2017/09/19/updated-iphone-and.html", "content_html": "

Updated iPhone and iPad to iOS 11. Now the slow, slow process of watchOS 4 upgrade.

\n", "date_published": "2017-09-19T16:29:57-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2017/09/19/updated-iphone-and.html", "tags": ["Technology","Apple"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2017/09/16/got-my-friend.html", "content_html": "

Got my friend Mike Rock setup on a solid Eero network tonight, plus some network debugging.

\n", "date_published": "2017-09-15T21:40:06-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2017/09/15/got-my-friend.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2017/09/14/just-upgraded-my.html", "content_html": "

Just upgraded my Sublime Text license to 3.0!

\n", "date_published": "2017-09-14T07:09:01-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2017/09/14/just-upgraded-my.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2017/09/10/us-internethttpsfiberusinternetcom-here.html", "content_html": "

US Internet here for first step of rescuing us from Comcast! 🤞🏻👏🏻

\n\"US\n", "date_published": "2017-09-10T09:59:43-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2017/09/10/us-internethttpsfiberusinternetcom-here.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2017/08/20/if-you-are.html", "content_html": "

If you are in the path of totality for the eclipse Solar Eclipse Timer seems like a good app to assist.

\n", "date_published": "2017-08-20T14:55:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2017/08/20/if-you-are.html", "tags": ["Travel","Technology","Outdoors","Solar Eclipse 2017"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2017/08/19/overheard-at-restaurant.html", "content_html": "

Overheard at restaurant “We still use Lotus Notes Sametime!” 🤔😏😄

\n", "date_published": "2017-08-18T19:01:12-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2017/08/18/overheard-at-restaurant.html", "tags": ["Travel","Technology","Solar Eclipse 2017"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2017/07/26/driving-change.html", "title": "Driving Change", "content_html": "

The newest episode of Driving Change with Jeff Martin of Collective Genius is out with yours truly!

\n
\n \n
\n\n

You may also like the episodes with Bala Subramanian, Loren Brown, Nate Ober and Lisa Schlosser.

\n", "date_published": "2017-07-26T06:43:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2017/07/26/driving-change.html", "tags": ["Technology","Work"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2017/07/22/im-trying-out.html", "content_html": "

I’m trying out the eero plus security service and got my first weekly report. Says it blocked 48 malware and 5 spyware connections. Hmm…

\n", "date_published": "2017-07-21T22:34:49-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2017/07/21/im-trying-out.html", "tags": ["Technology","Privacy \u0026 Security"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2017/07/20/placed-my-us.html", "content_html": "

Placed my US Internet order for 1G fiber! Plan to be in my neighborhood this fall! Help is on they way! 🚑

\n", "date_published": "2017-07-20T06:47:51-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2017/07/20/placed-my-us.html", "tags": ["Technology","Home"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2017/07/05/if-youre-looking.html", "content_html": "

If you’re looking for a solid content blocker for Safari I’m liking Better for iOS and Better for macOS

\n", "date_published": "2017-07-04T23:49:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2017/07/04/if-youre-looking.html", "tags": ["Technology","Privacy \u0026 Security"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2017/07/03/first-status-from.html", "content_html": "

First status from Micro.blog now out of TestFlight and in the App Store!

\n", "date_published": "2017-07-03T13:52:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2017/07/03/first-status-from.html", "tags": ["Technology","Blogging"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2017/07/02/looked-in-the.html", "content_html": "

Looked in the App Store for a quality app for the 2017 Eclipse and nothing but low-quality or scam apps. 🙁

\n", "date_published": "2017-07-02T11:07:46-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2017/07/02/looked-in-the.html", "tags": ["Technology","Outdoors"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2017/06/23/updating-my-bose.html", "content_html": "

Updating my Bose QuietComfort 35’s firmware from 1.0.6 to 1.3.2.

\n

I ❤️ updating firmware. 😁

\n", "date_published": "2017-06-22T21:36:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2017/06/23/updating-my-bose.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2017/06/15/withings-getting-acquired.html", "content_html": "

Withings getting acquired, and the brand merging in with Nokia, makes me worry about my Withings products. 😕

\n", "date_published": "2017-06-14T20:04:55-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2017/06/15/withings-getting-acquired.html", "tags": ["Fitness","Technology","Work"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2017/06/05/apple-pay-persontoperson.html", "content_html": "

Apple Pay person-to-person is going to be very significant. Opens up a lot of potentials and nice implementation right inside iMessage.

\n", "date_published": "2017-06-05T13:04:22-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2017/06/05/apple-pay-persontoperson.html", "tags": ["Technology","Apple"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2017/06/05/imac-pro-is.html", "content_html": "

iMac Pro is impressive! Amazing specs that I doubt I could tax, but I sure want one… 😍

\n", "date_published": "2017-06-05T12:58:14-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2017/06/05/imac-pro-is.html", "tags": ["Technology","Apple"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2017/05/30/turing-tumble-on.html", "title": "Turing Tumble on Kickstarter", "content_html": "

My mother sent me a link to Turing Tumble on Kickstarter and the video totally got me. It is a super cool concept and a great way to explore the fundamental concepts of computing. The bits that can be flipped and other various objects are really neat.

\n

I backed this and am looking forward (and hoping!) for the November delivery. This will be a great present for the kids (and me!) for Christmas.

\n

The results of the Kickstarter are impressive. It has been live for less than 1 day and it’s very close to hitting it’s goal!

\n", "date_published": "2017-05-30T07:06:39-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2017/05/30/turing-tumble-on.html", "tags": ["Technology","Tech Community"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2017/05/26/bear-notes-added.html", "content_html": "

Bear Notes added sketching support on iPad. Looks nice. Time to give it another look.

\n", "date_published": "2017-05-25T20:35:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2017/05/26/bear-notes-added.html", "tags": ["Productivity","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2017/05/20/typing-on-an.html", "content_html": "

Typing on an Apple Wireless Keyboard after getting fully used to an Apple Magic Keyboard feels really weird. The keys seem to move a massive distance when pressed.

\n", "date_published": "2017-05-19T20:02:05-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2017/05/20/typing-on-an.html", "tags": ["Technology","Apple"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2017/02/18/steve-wozniak-at.html", "title": "Steve Wozniak at Augsburg College", "content_html": "

Steve Wozniak, or “Woz”, was a guest at Augsburg College today and it was a pleasure to see him talk about his early days in technology and his first experimentations with microchips which eventually led to the creation of the Apple I and beyond.

\n

Woz is an amazing person. He individually did more to create the personal computer industry than possibly anyone else. He is a creative genius with technology. He so clearly is passionate and understands the design of technology like nobody else. On top of all that, Woz just seems like a nice person. Woz seems like someone that you’d love to have dinner with and just spend time discussing the world. He’s an “engineer’s engineer”. You could give yourself a nearly impossible challenge just by looking at your project and asking “What would Woz do with this?”

\n

\"Steve

\n

Some highlights from the discussion with Woz:

\n\n", "date_published": "2017-02-18T13:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2017/02/18/steve-wozniak-at.html", "tags": ["Technology","Apple"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2017/01/25/oh-my-usinternetmn.html", "content_html": "

US Internet finally getting past Minnehaha Creek and bringing me gorgeous fiber!

\n", "date_published": "2017-01-24T23:50:53-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2017/01/24/oh-my-usinternetmn.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2017/01/10/got-my-geteero.html", "content_html": "

Got my Eero network setup tonight. Definitely faster. Nice setup process.

\n", "date_published": "2017-01-09T21:28:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2017/01/09/got-my-geteero.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2017/01/09/iphone-turns-years.html", "content_html": "

iPhone turns 10 years old today! My tweet from 10 years ago…

\n", "date_published": "2017-01-09T10:59:55-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2017/01/09/iphone-turns-years.html", "tags": ["Technology","Apple"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2017/01/04/worth-the-upgrade.html", "content_html": "

Worth the upgrade for the Widget alone!

\n

Weather Line’s free update is out!

Today Widget, new font, UV Index, improved swiping, & more.

Link: https://t.co/xjMPNsH8UW pic.twitter.com/seVDpqaY3U

— Weather Line ⚡️ (@weatherlineapp) January 4, 2017
\n\n\n\n", "date_published": "2017-01-04T11:49:36-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2017/01/04/worth-the-upgrade.html", "tags": ["Tweets","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2016/12/17/nice-article-with.html", "content_html": "

Minneapolis tech firm SPS Commerce gets retailers through busiest month of online orders ← Nice article with some of what we at SPS Commerce do to scale for peak.

\n", "date_published": "2016-12-17T17:14:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2016/12/17/nice-article-with.html", "tags": ["TeamSPS","Technology","Work"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2016/11/30/buying-something-with.html", "content_html": "

Buying something with Apple Pay on the web it’s amazing — so easy!

\n", "date_published": "2016-11-29T21:31:35-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2016/11/29/buying-something-with.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2016/11/21/looks-like-ill.html", "content_html": "

Looks like I’ll be switching to Eero next time I upgrade WiFi infrastructure.

\n", "date_published": "2016-11-21T11:14:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2016/11/21/looks-like-ill.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2016/11/12/153347.html", "content_html": "

Enjoying the Canvas episodes on Workflow. Can’t wait to dive deeper! Thanks Federico Viticci and Fraser Speirs!

\n", "date_published": "2016-11-12T10:33:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2016/11/12/153347.html", "tags": ["Productivity","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2016/10/20/found-this-a.html", "content_html": "

Found this a good listen → GTD and The Organized Mind 🎧

\n", "date_published": "2016-10-20T17:19:59-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2016/10/20/found-this-a.html", "tags": ["Productivity","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2016/10/15/impressed-with-typora.html", "content_html": "

Impressed with Typora. If you’re writing markdown it’s worth a look.

\n", "date_published": "2016-10-15T07:44:27-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2016/10/15/impressed-with-typora.html", "tags": ["Technology","Blogging"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2016/09/22/very-much-like.html", "content_html": "

OmniFocus 2.7 for Mac Release Notes — Like the adoption of TaskPaper format for sharing and copying!

\n", "date_published": "2016-09-21T23:02:37-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2016/09/21/very-much-like.html", "tags": ["Productivity","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2016/09/14/pretty-amazing-response.html", "content_html": "

Amazing response to Fidget Cube on Kickstarter! I ordered some. 😊

\n", "date_published": "2016-09-14T14:22:42-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2016/09/14/pretty-amazing-response.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2016/09/01/wow-mindnode-is.html", "content_html": "

MindNode is the Free App of the Week?! You’d be crazy not to grab this now!

\n", "date_published": "2016-08-31T21:01:35-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2016/08/31/wow-mindnode-is.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2016/07/13/us-internet-fiber.html", "content_html": "

US Internet fiber is going to be 1 block away from me by end of 2016. So close, yet so far away. 🙁 It’s like Minnehaha Creek is a DMZ for US Internet high speed fiber. South side, no good Internet for you!

\n", "date_published": "2016-07-13T19:54:02-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2016/07/13/us-internet-fiber.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2016/07/07/running-fsck-on.html", "content_html": "

Running fsck on a 12TB RAID set. Curious how long this will take.

\n", "date_published": "2016-07-06T19:13:58-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2016/07/06/running-fsck-on.html", "tags": ["Software Development","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2016/05/14/moved-my-uncles.html", "content_html": "

Moved my uncles website for Bike the Border to Squarespace and think this is going to work much better for him.

\n", "date_published": "2016-05-13T19:42:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2016/05/13/moved-my-uncles.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2016/05/01/ugh-packet-loss.html", "content_html": "

Ugh. 27% packet loss and Comcast tech that was here last week found “no issues”.

\n", "date_published": "2016-05-01T10:18:37-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2016/05/01/ugh-packet-loss.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2016/04/21/mhta-spring-event.html", "title": "MHTA Spring Event 2016", "content_html": "

Thought provoking opening presentation by Susan Brower, Minnesota State Demographer, on workforce trends.

\n\"Woman\n

Smart overview of the IoT landscape from Alexandra Deschamps-Sonsino, Global IoT Designer & Entrepreneur.

\n\"Speaker\n

Evolution of Mobile talk from Mike Bollinger, Livefront.

\n\"Man\n", "date_published": "2016-04-21T09:14:15-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2016/04/21/mhta-spring-event.html", "tags": ["Technology","Tech Community"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2016/04/19/221631.html", "content_html": "

Nice to see… the previous 5-min limitation seemed really arbitrary.

\n

#AWS #Lambda scheduled functions now supports executions at 1 minute intervals!!!! https://t.co/dzTqc7b4h3

— Bryan Liston (@listonb) April 19, 2016
\n\n\n\n", "date_published": "2016-04-19T17:16:31-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2016/04/19/221631.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2016/04/14/drone-racing-this.html", "content_html": "

Drone racing? This is awesome!

\n
\n \n
\n\n", "date_published": "2016-04-13T21:56:58-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2016/04/13/drone-racing-this.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2016/04/04/large-icloud-photo.html", "content_html": "

Large iCloud Photo Library uploads can destroy my Comcast broadband connection. 🙁

\n", "date_published": "2016-04-03T20:57:36-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2016/04/03/large-icloud-photo.html", "tags": ["Photography","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2016/04/02/plus-the-several.html", "content_html": "

Plus the several hundred MB of downloads. OS updates are smaller!

\n

Really hate the way Office updates on the Mac. Super intrusive, PC updates are much better.

— Edward Ferron (@eferron) April 1, 2016
\n\n\n\n", "date_published": "2016-04-01T20:47:53-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2016/04/01/plus-the-several.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2016/04/01/microsoft-running-linux.html", "content_html": "

Microsoft running Linux binaries has me thinking of this blog post I wrote 7 years ago with 2 step fix: My Solution for Microsoft to Get Nerds Back.

\n", "date_published": "2016-03-31T22:10:29-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2016/03/31/microsoft-running-linux.html", "tags": ["Software Development","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2016/03/20/msft-is-the.html", "content_html": "

Microsoft is the only name I would trust in this group.

\n

Microsoft, Google, Comcast, LinkedIn and more join forces to work on encrypted email https://t.co/LUYqz0tEtA

— Steve Borsch (@sborsch) March 20, 2016
\n\n\n\n", "date_published": "2016-03-20T12:35:40-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2016/03/20/msft-is-the.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2016/03/20/curious-about-mysleepbutton.html", "content_html": "

Curious about mySleepButton. Maybe I can use instead of melatonin.

\n", "date_published": "2016-03-19T19:20:10-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2016/03/19/curious-about-mysleepbutton.html", "tags": ["Fitness","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2016/03/13/not-enough-for.html", "content_html": "

Life after death: How will you handle your digital legacy? ← Not enough for Facebook to monetize your life, why not death too?

\n", "date_published": "2016-03-13T17:09:38-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2016/03/13/not-enough-for.html", "tags": ["Technology","Privacy \u0026 Security"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2016/03/13/mazies-phone-essay.html", "title": "Mazie's Phone Essay", "content_html": "

We are talking to our daughter about getting her a phone for her birthday this year. She’s not too excited about it, in fact, she decided to write a short essay to make her point.

\n
\n

I don’t need a phone.
\nI don’t want a phone.
\nI don’t have a phone and I don’t want that to change.

\n

Electronics are irresistible, eye widening, pass-time things that make your day fly away.
\nYour fly away day is a day that you will have no memory/memories of the next month.

\n

Life would be ruined if I got a phone.
\nIt would be like my iPad, sit in the corner, collecting dust.

\n
\n

I love the “irresistible, eye widening, pass-time things”. There is more truth in here than we’d all like to think.

\n", "date_published": "2016-03-13T01:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2016/03/13/mazies-phone-essay.html", "tags": ["Family","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2016/03/10/me-thinks-day.html", "content_html": "

Me thinks Day One for Web might be coming… 👍

\n

We are searching for a passionate React / Front-end Web dev. Interested and near Lehi?

DM me or apply here: https://t.co/8yz4uNAgUW

–PM

— Day One Journal (@dayone) March 9, 2016
\n\n\n\n", "date_published": "2016-03-09T19:42:44-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2016/03/09/me-thinks-day.html", "tags": ["Productivity","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2016/03/09/i-ordered-something.html", "content_html": "

I ordered something off of Amazon while waiting at a stoplight on my drive home. That’s a first for me. 😀

\n", "date_published": "2016-03-08T19:00:27-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2016/03/08/i-ordered-something.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2016/03/05/fastest-download-speeds.html", "content_html": "

Fastest download speeds I’ve ever gotten at cabin. Nice Bevcomm!

\n", "date_published": "2016-03-05T14:54:07-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2016/03/05/fastest-download-speeds.html", "tags": ["Technology","Cabin"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2016/03/02/interesting-so-much.html", "content_html": "

Interesting so much of my cloud storage is now iCloud or native sync solutions for a given app that I don’t think I need Dropbox anymore.

\n", "date_published": "2016-03-01T22:07:18-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2016/03/01/interesting-so-much.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2016/02/28/nice-example-of.html", "content_html": "

Nice example of very practical use case.

\n

Use API Gateway custom authorizers to support OAuth & other bearer tokens. How to: https://t.co/h95Yq4xbds pic.twitter.com/hRUDVUQGoq

— Amazon Web Services (@awscloud) February 27, 2016
\n\n\n\n", "date_published": "2016-02-27T22:15:56-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2016/02/27/nice-example-of.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2016/02/20/spillo-wishlist.html", "title": "Spillo Wishlist", "content_html": "

I’ve been using Spillo for about a week now and am finding it really great. Here is a quick wish list though that I would love to see added.

\n
    \n
  1. \n

    Help with URL redirects. If you click on a bookmark in Spillo it\nshows the web page, great. However, if when Spillo requests the\nwebpage it is sent a 301\nredirect request I would\nlike Spillo to prompt me that the website has permanently moved the\n“old URL” to a “new URL” and ask if I would like to update my\nbookmark. Personally I sort of wish Pinboard did this on the server\nside, but it would be great if Spillo prompted this and let me\nupdate my URL’s as needed, before they become dead.

    \n
    2. \n
  2. \n

    Add “nots” to Collection searches. Currently a URL can “contain”\nbut not “does not contain” a string. A date can be “is in the last”\nperiod of time, but not “not in the last” period of time. Tag\nsearched can be “any” or “all”, but you cannot do “not”.

    \n
    3. \n
  3. \n

    Power search on titles. This may be something Pinboard would\nhave to support, but I’d love to be able to pass regex patterns for\ntext searches. Just to highlight a use case for this, I’d like a\nCollection of Github projects I’ve pinned. That is easy with “URL\ncontains github.com”. But, then I’m also capturing Github blog posts\nwhich I can’t currently exclude from that collection.

    \n
    4. \n
  4. \n

    Create collection from tag browser. You can shift click multiple\ntags in the tag browser, would be nice to then right-click and have\n“Create collection…”.

    \n
    5. \n
  5. \n

    Drag Community links into my links. It’s slick how you can drag\na bookmark onto the tag list to add tags. It would be cool to take a\nbookmark you from Popular and drag it into Public or All to add it\nto your bookmarks. Equally drag to Unread or Private to add it as\nunread or private respectively. Right now you have to repin the\nbookmark. This would be similar to the Pinboard websites “copy to\nmine…” capability. When doing this it would be nice to add the\n“from:popular” attribution.

    \n
    6. \n
  6. \n

    Show whole description. Right now you can only have “None” or 1,\n2 or 3 lines displayed of the description. I’d like an option for\n“All”.

    \n
    7. \n
  7. \n

    Date part searches. Right now the date searches are only date\nsearched. I’d like to search on date parts. Examples would be\n“Bookmarks added on Saturday or Sunday”, “Bookmarks added in 2010”,\n“Bookmarks added after 6pm and before 6am”.

    \n
    8. \n
\n

Tag management in general is an area where I continue to hope for an application like Spillo to help out even more.

\n
    \n
  1. \n

    Spillo already shows the number of times a tag has been used, would\nbe nice to see the date it was last used as well.

    \n
    2. \n
  2. \n

    It would be nice in tag browser to be able to drop one tag onto\nanother to merge them together (into the one that was dropped on).

    \n
    3. \n
  3. \n

    Similar to above, select any number of tags and allow a “Merge…”\ncapability.

    \n
    4. \n
  4. \n

    Allow filtering of tags to only show tags used some number of times\nor less. Similar with show me tags not used in the last number of\nmonths or years.

    \n
    5. \n
\n", "date_published": "2016-02-20T01:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2016/02/20/spillo-wishlist.html", "tags": ["Technology","Apple"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2016/02/20/spillo-a-powerful.html", "title": "Spillo, a powerful Mac Pinboard app", "content_html": "\"Pushpin\n

I’ve been using Pinboard to store bookmarks for years and have always been very happy with it. I’ve got over 8,000 bookmarks in Pinboard and routinely send links into it nearly every day.

\n

Pinboard is a super fast website, but I’ve wanted a solid Mac application to use with it as well. I had tried Thumbtack but it just never really worked for me. It is probably great for others. When I was reading Brett Terpstra’s 2015 Top Mac Apps he linked to Spillo as his preferred Pinboard client. Brett knows his stuff so I pinned Spillo and decided to check it out.

\n

\"Spillo

\n

First off Spillo has a very comfortable UI. It reminds me of an RSS reader or email application with a simple 3-column layout. It provides the key Pinboard views of your own bookmarks (all, unread, untagged, starred, etc) and also includes the Community features of Pinboard like Network and Popular. I’m a big fan of Pinboard’s Popular list. That is where I discover most new things.

\n

Spillo also adds Collections which are search based and can include any criteria like tag, unread status even where the link came from. I like this since I have a workflow around videos from conferences that I want to watch. I don’t think of those as normal unread items since they take a lot more time. So I have a “Videos to watch” collection that brings these together real nice.

\n

Overall I really like Spillo and I’m hopeful that the developer behind it is going to continue to extend it. I like that the focus is on a Mac client and there isn’t a plan for Spillo for iOS. I already use Pinner for Pinboard on my iPhone and it works great. Also, if you are not using Pinboard and you routinely like to bookmark things you should give it a look.

\n", "date_published": "2016-02-20T01:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2016/02/20/spillo-a-powerful.html", "tags": ["Technology","Apple"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2016/02/07/new-money-the.html", "content_html": "

New money, the kind you can only use in compliance with their terms of service.

\n

PayPal: capriciously freezing the assets of all kinds of people.

— John Siracusa (@siracusa) February 7, 2016
\n\n\n\n", "date_published": "2016-02-07T18:59:19-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2016/02/07/new-money-the.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2016/02/04/already-upgraded-nice.html", "content_html": "

Already upgraded! Nice!

\n

We’ve released Day One 2.0!

iOS: https://t.co/RCgS3Fqfdd

Mac: https://t.co/Em45iLZBiX

— Day One Journal (@dayone) February 4, 2016
\n\n\n\n", "date_published": "2016-02-03T23:30:17-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2016/02/03/already-upgraded-nice.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2016/01/31/remembering-how-much.html", "content_html": "

Remembering how much fun Letterpress is! 🙂

\n", "date_published": "2016-01-31T16:59:01-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2016/01/31/remembering-how-much.html", "tags": ["Technology","Games"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2016/01/31/i-hope-hanspinckaers.html", "content_html": "

I hope Hans Pinckaers will continue developing En Passant. One of few clean, non-adware chess app for iOS.

\n", "date_published": "2016-01-31T07:16:39-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2016/01/31/i-hope-hanspinckaers.html", "tags": ["Technology","Games"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2016/01/31/fun-i-didnt.html", "content_html": "

Fun, I didn’t realize the Mac version of Carcassonne for iOS was out. Playing a game in a background window sounds fun. Would be cool if when you comment/chat in Carcassonne you could specify a tile that the comment is about.

\n", "date_published": "2016-01-30T22:14:04-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2016/01/30/fun-i-didnt.html", "tags": ["Technology","Games"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2016/01/26/neat-mindnode-now.html", "content_html": "

MindNode now supports tasks in trees. Good idea.

\n", "date_published": "2016-01-26T10:01:01-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2016/01/26/neat-mindnode-now.html", "tags": ["Productivity","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2016/01/21/152806.html", "content_html": "

Anyone else getting disconnected warnings on Apple Watch ⌚️ after upgrading iPhone to iOS 9.2.1? Happening all the time, but still working. I did a hard reboot on my watch and phone and seems to have fixed.

\n", "date_published": "2016-01-21T16:28:06-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2016/01/21/152806.html", "tags": ["Technology","Apple"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2015/12/30/congrats-to-the.html", "content_html": "

Congrats to the You Need A Budget team on the huge new launch! Can’t wait to move to the version! Also eager for awesome new features to come.

\n", "date_published": "2015-12-30T17:47:50-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2015/12/30/congrats-to-the.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2015/12/28/modern-power-strip.html", "content_html": "

Modern power strip?

\n\"Black\n", "date_published": "2015-12-27T22:13:43-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2015/12/27/modern-power-strip.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2015/12/27/or-so-years.html", "content_html": "

Raspberry Pi vs SPARCstation 20: Fight! ← 20 or so years ago we launched BigCharts on a SPARCstation 20! 😀

\n", "date_published": "2015-12-27T11:56:22-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2015/12/27/or-so-years.html", "tags": ["BigCharts","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2015/12/18/diving-into-nas.html", "title": "Diving into NAS with Synology DS416", "content_html": "

\"Synology

\n

I’ve been debating my home storage options for a long time now. I’ve had a LaCie 4big Quadra RAID for many years now with 6TB usable space. It’s very old now, I can only use it with Firewire 800 which is quickly disappearing from the world. It recently failed a drive and I decided it was time to make an upgrade.

\n

I’ve ben hesitant about SANs because of their added complexity, but the Synology gets rave reviews and has some pretty great capabilities. The drive will get here along with four 4TB WD “Red” NAS drives.

\n", "date_published": "2015-12-18T01:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2015/12/18/diving-into-nas.html", "tags": ["Technology","Home"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2015/12/17/im-still-debating.html", "content_html": "

I’m still debating buying a Synology NAS. Need to just pull the trigger already.

\n", "date_published": "2015-12-16T21:08:37-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2015/12/16/im-still-debating.html", "tags": ["Technology","Home"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2015/12/16/045517.html", "content_html": "

I’ve become a fan of this app. Great for building positive habits.

\n

Now available: Streaks 1.6.1, featuring a couple of small bug fixes, plus translations for Thai, Malay + Finnish. https://t.co/2hUBndraHM

— Streaks (@TheStreaksApp) December 16, 2015
\n\n\n\n", "date_published": "2015-12-15T23:55:17-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2015/12/15/045517.html", "tags": ["Productivity","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2015/12/13/135336.html", "content_html": "\n", "date_published": "2015-12-13T14:53:36-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2015/12/13/135336.html", "tags": ["Technology","Outdoors"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2015/12/13/delightful-read-httpstcodcwweyn.html", "content_html": "

Untangling the Tale of Ada Lovelace ← Delightful read.

\n", "date_published": "2015-12-13T07:53:44-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2015/12/13/delightful-read-httpstcodcwweyn.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2015/12/08/cool-omnifocus-push.html", "content_html": "

OmniFocus push sync on Mac works great — instant sync across OmniFocus everywhere!

\n", "date_published": "2015-12-07T21:50:24-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2015/12/07/cool-omnifocus-push.html", "tags": ["Productivity","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2015/12/05/love-having-omnioutliner.html", "content_html": "

Love having OmniOutliner on my iPhone to capture structures as they come to mind.

\n", "date_published": "2015-12-05T10:21:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2015/12/05/love-having-omnioutliner.html", "tags": ["Productivity","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2015/12/05/duet-display.html", "title": "Duet Display", "content_html": "

I decided to try out Duet Display for the first time this weekend (based on a post from MacSparky). I’m impressed with it. I really like that it uses a Thunderbolt connection so doesn’t require WiFi or something else I wouldn’t trust. With the iPad Pro it gives you a lot of space. When I’m traveling and want to setup for some serious work being able to set the iPad Pro up as a 2nd display will be great.

\n

Definitely work checking out if you have an iPad Pro or even iPad.

\n", "date_published": "2015-12-05T01:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2015/12/05/duet-display.html", "tags": ["Technology","Apple"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2015/11/22/imagine-if-bluetooth.html", "content_html": "

Imagine if Bluetooth actually worked? That would be awesome. 😕

\n", "date_published": "2015-11-22T09:52:16-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2015/11/22/imagine-if-bluetooth.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2015/11/20/200703.html", "content_html": "

Really dig Pinner share extension on iOS to get things to Pinboard. Best Pinboard client IMO.

\n", "date_published": "2015-11-20T21:07:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2015/11/20/200703.html", "tags": ["Technology","Apple"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2015/11/10/happy-customer-of.html", "content_html": "

Happy customer of Feedbin and happy to see them continuing to grow their service!

\n

Introducing Feedbin Notifier for iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch https://t.co/6QbVlqBE77 pic.twitter.com/8EAx9pQ0VA

— Feedbin (@feedbin) November 9, 2015
\n\n\n\n", "date_published": "2015-11-09T21:13:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2015/11/09/happy-customer-of.html", "tags": ["Technology","Blogging"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2015/11/08/awesome-httpstcosnjkrlvdga.html", "content_html": "

Keyboard Waffle Iron. Awesome!

\n

The keyboard waffle iron is finally a real, buyable thing https://t.co/LNcIuCtoiy pic.twitter.com/SAADp8QZ5P

— Jeff Atwood (@codinghorror) November 8, 2015
\n\n\n\n", "date_published": "2015-11-08T17:22:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2015/11/08/awesome-httpstcosnjkrlvdga.html", "tags": ["Cooking","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2015/10/26/013943.html", "content_html": "

Had no idea they make WiFi to serial port bridges. Looks like I might be able to run my Meade LX200 from my iPhone after all!

\n", "date_published": "2015-10-25T20:39:43-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2015/10/25/013943.html", "tags": ["Technology","Outdoors"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2015/10/18/sent-hires-photo.html", "content_html": "
    \n
  1. Sent hi-res photo of Infection to Dr.
    2. \n
  2. Reply with likely diagnosis. #easy
    3. \n
  3. Rx required
    4. \n
  4. 3hr urgent care visit.
    5. \n
  5. Get medicine.
    6. \n
\n

Next time can I skip step 4 please? Health care needs tech overhaul.

\n", "date_published": "2015-10-17T21:32:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2015/10/17/sent-hires-photo.html", "tags": ["Technology","Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2015/10/13/you-can-reach.html", "content_html": "

You can reach me using Signal, get it now.

\n", "date_published": "2015-10-12T19:55:50-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2015/10/12/you-can-reach.html", "tags": ["Technology","Privacy \u0026 Security"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2015/10/06/monte-carlo-being.html", "content_html": "

Monte Carlo being added to OmniPlan. Great idea!

\n

What features are coming in @OmniPlan Pro? Dashboards, Monte Carlo Simulation, Earned Value Analysis, and more: pic.twitter.com/9zz3ExTrkv

— Ken Case (@kcase) October 6, 2015
\n\n\n\n", "date_published": "2015-10-06T16:56:39-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2015/10/06/monte-carlo-being.html", "tags": ["Technology","Work"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2015/10/02/omg-millions-of.html", "content_html": "

Millions of Facebook Users Have No Idea They’re Using the Internet ← Oh my. 😫👎🏻

\n", "date_published": "2015-10-01T22:22:58-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2015/10/01/omg-millions-of.html", "tags": ["Technology","Social Media"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2015/09/25/nice-to-finally.html", "content_html": "

Thumbtack for Pinboard ← Nice to have a Pinboard menubar app for Mac OS X that is good!

\n", "date_published": "2015-09-24T20:02:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2015/09/24/nice-to-finally.html", "tags": ["Technology","Apple"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2015/09/22/liking-this-app.html", "content_html": "

Liking this app for reinforcing habits.

\n

Download Streaks 1.5 now from http://t.co/2hUBnd9zjc, featuring new languages, Health features, and a watchOS 2 app. pic.twitter.com/cM1MIBlmaq

— Streaks (@TheStreaksApp) September 22, 2015
\n\n\n\n", "date_published": "2015-09-21T23:28:03-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2015/09/21/liking-this-app.html", "tags": ["Productivity","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2015/09/19/love-the-smell.html", "content_html": "

Love the smell of fresh bits.

\n

v5.13.2 offers iOS9 split screen & slide over multitasking, long DM’s, VO improvements & more. Go get it! pic.twitter.com/hDG4Gr0QRo

— Twitterrific (@Twitterrific) September 19, 2015
\n\n\n\n", "date_published": "2015-09-19T09:05:36-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2015/09/19/love-the-smell.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2015/09/19/fun-listen-for.html", "content_html": "

Fun listen for users of OmniFocus particularly.

\n

We interviewed Ken Case (@kcase) from @OmniFocus about #GTD & Tech on the latest episode of Getting Things Done - https://t.co/bCdelZ2m8D

— Andrew J. Mason (@andrewjmason) September 19, 2015
\n\n\n\n", "date_published": "2015-09-18T20:08:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2015/09/18/fun-listen-for.html", "tags": ["Productivity","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2015/09/02/finally-native-support.html", "content_html": "

Finally native support of RSS in HipChat!

\n", "date_published": "2015-09-02T00:31:06-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2015/09/01/finally-native-support.html", "tags": ["Technology","Blogging"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2015/08/28/impressive-early-benchmark.html", "content_html": "

Impressive early benchmark.

\n

We Benchmarked Amazon's new Aurora Database for use with WordPress - http://t.co/eeFr5lab1B pic.twitter.com/C5JB0YSBI0

— Pagely (@Pagely) August 27, 2015
\n\n\n\n", "date_published": "2015-08-27T20:52:18-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2015/08/27/impressive-early-benchmark.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2015/08/14/ive-become-a.html", "content_html": "

I’ve become a huge fan of Twitterific muffling.

\n

Behold the true power of Muffling in Twitterrific. A nice primer from @Skeskali. http://t.co/EWSRbBedsZ

— Twitterrific (@Twitterrific) August 14, 2015
\n\n\n\n", "date_published": "2015-08-13T21:39:49-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2015/08/13/ive-become-a.html", "tags": ["Technology","Social Media"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2015/08/12/sure-wish-new.html", "content_html": "

Wish the new EFF tool Privacy Badger supported Safari!

\n", "date_published": "2015-08-11T21:13:53-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2015/08/11/sure-wish-new.html", "tags": ["Technology","Privacy \u0026 Security"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2015/08/03/really-looks-like.html", "content_html": "

Really looks like Connected Data Transporter is a device I should have. Need to do more research. I know MacSparky loves his.

\n", "date_published": "2015-08-02T22:11:13-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2015/08/02/really-looks-like.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2015/07/24/room-not-found.html", "content_html": "

Room Not Found? 😂

\n\"Hotel\n", "date_published": "2015-07-24T18:21:44-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2015/07/24/room-not-found.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2015/06/26/115144.html", "content_html": "

Had no idea there was a service as polished as Tunnel Bear for VPN and privacy services! Thanks MacSparky for sharing!

\n", "date_published": "2015-06-26T06:51:44-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2015/06/26/115144.html", "tags": ["Technology","Privacy \u0026 Security"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2015/06/21/150613.html", "content_html": "

Tyler and I made an AM radio with our Snap Circuits this morning.

\n\"Young\n", "date_published": "2015-06-21T10:06:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2015/06/21/150613.html", "tags": ["Family","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2015/06/16/amazing-how-many.html", "content_html": "

Amazing how many places don’t realize this.

\n

Monitoring is not an optional feature for your application, any more than security or backups are optional features. @kartar #monitorama

— Bridget Kromhout (@bridgetkromhout) June 15, 2015
\n\n\n\n", "date_published": "2015-06-15T23:13:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2015/06/15/amazing-how-many.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2015/06/13/great-fun-interview.html", "content_html": "

Great, fun interview with John Gruber and Phil Schiller of Apple.

\n\n \n \n \n \n\n", "date_published": "2015-06-12T22:57:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2015/06/12/great-fun-interview.html", "tags": ["Videos","Technology","Apple"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2015/06/08/bought-a-canon.html", "content_html": "

Bought a Canon PIXMA MG7520 today and am pretty impressed with it. Finally have AirPrint in the house.

\n", "date_published": "2015-06-07T20:20:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2015/06/07/bought-a-canon.html", "tags": ["Technology","Home"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2015/05/29/trying-to-get.html", "content_html": "

Trying to get religion with OmniOutliner. Have a couple of use cases that are working really well.

\n", "date_published": "2015-05-28T22:50:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2015/05/28/trying-to-get.html", "tags": ["Productivity","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2015/05/26/001820.html", "content_html": "

It’s odd that the Mac App Store doesn’t recommend purchases based on my iOS Apps.

\n", "date_published": "2015-05-25T19:18:20-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2015/05/25/001820.html", "tags": ["Technology","Apple"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2015/05/23/paid-for-groceries.html", "content_html": "

Paid for groceries with my watch. Neat!

\n", "date_published": "2015-05-23T13:04:25-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2015/05/23/paid-for-groceries.html", "tags": ["Technology","Apple"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2015/05/20/apple-watch-arrived.html", "title": "Apple Watch Arrived", "content_html": "

I ordered my Apple Watch on launch day and opted for the stainless steel with link bracelet. It was back ordered 4-6 weeks and yesterday it arrived. Yes, I was pretty excited to play with it!

\n

The initial impression of it was great. I’ve worn a Rolex GMT Master II for about 15 years. I opted for this Apple Watch because it was the most similar in look, weight and feel to that. The heft and feel of the Apple Watch holds every bit as much respect as the substantially more expensive Rolex. As something that feels good on my wrist and looks great it passes.

\n

The rest of this experience is about software and that will take time to have opinions on. I’m going to note some of my hopes here to compare to in a future post.

\n
    \n
  1. I hope to check my phone less.
    2. \n
  2. I’m very interested in the better health data.
    3. \n
  3. Eager to use OmniFocus on this; I’m a heavy user of this and having it on my wrist has great potential.
    4. \n
  4. Explore new experiences with apps and glances.
    5. \n
\n

Will be fun to explore this new ecosystem.

\n\"Stainless\n", "date_published": "2015-05-20T00:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2015/05/20/apple-watch-arrived.html", "tags": ["Technology","Apple"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2015/05/14/this-lilyrobotics-camera.html", "content_html": "

This Lily Robotics camera is amazing.

\n
\n \n
\n\n", "date_published": "2015-05-13T21:11:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2015/05/13/this-lilyrobotics-camera.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2015/05/11/i-struggle-to.html", "content_html": "

I struggle to see how teams of size (1,000+) can make Slack pricing work. HipChat is crazy cheap by comparison.

\n", "date_published": "2015-05-10T20:59:09-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2015/05/10/i-struggle-to.html", "tags": ["Productivity","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2015/05/10/new-cable.html", "content_html": "

We got rid of cable TV a long time\nago. Over 6 years\nago actually, and technically we got rid of satellite TV. Every TV we\nhave has an Apple TV attached to it and we still have one\nOTA TiVo\nRoamio we use to grab TV for\nfree, the way nature intended it to be.

\n

We do subscribe though to some services. I recently activated the 1-week\nfree trial for HBO NOW. I’m impressed by the programming and it’s\nappealing to have access to the HBO original programming. We end up\nbuying some of it in iTunes anyway. Maybe I’ll finally catch the Game\nof Thrones fever.

\n

It feels like the “new” cable is forming.

\n

Netflix + Hulu + HBO NOW

\n

It’s not quiet the ala carte of show-by-show programming, but definitely\na whole new world.

\n

I find it notable that my kids can both pick out the Netflix anywhere,\nbut they have no idea what NBC, CBS, ABC or FOX are.

\n", "date_published": "2015-05-10T00:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2015/05/10/new-cable.html", "tags": ["Movies","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2015/04/24/just-upgraded-two.html", "content_html": "

Just upgraded two WordPress networks, 20+ sites, from the couch on my phone. (MediaWiki, this is the bar)

\n", "date_published": "2015-04-23T20:55:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2015/04/23/just-upgraded-two.html", "tags": ["Technology","Blogging"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2015/04/17/me-starts-ping.html", "content_html": "

Starting ping in background to make public WiFi router pay attention to me.

\n", "date_published": "2015-04-17T01:50:47-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2015/04/17/me-starts-ping.html", "tags": ["Travel","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2015/04/14/psa-if-you.html", "content_html": "

PSA: If you have OmniFocus running in different timezones on different devices side-by-side you get some odd looking sync behavior.

\n", "date_published": "2015-04-14T00:54:17-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2015/04/13/psa-if-you.html", "tags": ["Productivity","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2015/04/10/push-syncing-coming.html", "content_html": "

Push syncing coming to OmniFocus! Nice… can’t wait.

\n", "date_published": "2015-04-10T17:25:49-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2015/04/10/push-syncing-coming.html", "tags": ["Productivity","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2015/04/10/apple-watch-ordered.html", "title": "Apple Watch Ordered", "content_html": "

After some debate I placed my order at 3:56am CT for the Apple Watch. I’m eagerly looking forward to experiencing a new user experience and brand new category of device. I went with the 42mm Stainless Steel Case\nwith Link Bracelet.

\n\"42mm\n", "date_published": "2015-04-10T00:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2015/04/10/apple-watch-ordered.html", "tags": ["Technology","Apple"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2015/04/07/so-happy-that.html", "content_html": "

So happy that OmniFocus new release has given me full control of the sidebar. Great enhancement!

\n", "date_published": "2015-04-06T20:22:55-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2015/04/06/so-happy-that.html", "tags": ["Productivity","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2015/04/03/new-omnifocus-is.html", "content_html": "

New OmniFocus is great! Finally full perspective support on iPhone. Also deferred in today widget is great!

\n", "date_published": "2015-04-02T23:37:04-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2015/04/02/new-omnifocus-is.html", "tags": ["Productivity","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2015/03/24/dont-see-anything.html", "content_html": "

Don’t see anything Square Cash can do that I can’t do already with Bitcoin. What am I missing?

\n", "date_published": "2015-03-24T00:40:21-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2015/03/23/dont-see-anything.html", "tags": ["Crypto","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2015/03/16/very-cool-map.html", "content_html": "

Map of all the underwater cables that connect the internet ← Very cool.

\n", "date_published": "2015-03-15T20:57:50-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2015/03/15/very-cool-map.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2015/01/25/comcast-using-ipv.html", "title": "Comcast Using IPv6", "content_html": "

I recently upgraded my Comcast cable modem and for the first time ever it looks like I’m connecting out via IPv6!

\n

Last login: Sun Jan 25 20:07:50 2015 from 2601:2:5e80:491:4454:cac:b1a5:7271

\n

Very cool!

\n

Update

\n

Sure enough, a visit to this IPv6 test site confirms IPv6 capability!

\n", "date_published": "2015-01-25T01:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2015/01/25/comcast-using-ipv.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2014/12/14/wanted-dropcam-window.html", "title": "Wanted: Dropcam Window Mount", "content_html": "

I’ve had a Dropcam now for several months and I really like the device. It is super simple to setup, has a very small and manageable form factor and it is one of those things that “just works”. I have it setup in our house pointing at the garage and alley with 7-day continuous video recording and motion detection. We live in South Minneapolis and garage theft is a common occurrence. The Dropcam keeps an eye 24x7 on activity around our garage and through our alley.

\n

The biggest challenge I had was figuring out where to mount it. It has a really nice metal stand that provides a lot of options, but we have it placed in a bay window and there just wasn’t any place I really had an option to screw the mount into. I finally decided to use some double-stick tape and attach it to the window.

\n

\"IMG_2362.JPG\"

\n

Once I did this it really struck me how nice it would be if Dropcam made a proper window mount for the camera. The camera itself is relatively light and fairly thin. It is like a small hockey puck that sits in the metal stand. It could easily be set directly onto a window.

\n

\"IMG_2361.JPG\"

\n

I have to think a lot of Dropcam units end up pointing at the outside through a window. This mount I did works okay, but has some real shortcomings that a proper mount would remove.

\n

Dropcam Window Mount

\n

Here is what I wish I could exchange US currency with Dropcam to have.

\n
    \n
  1. \n

    A circular mount that attaches to a window with suction cups\n(probably 4 or 6 suction cups). Imagine something that is shaped\nlike a ring flash and\nholds the Dropcam in the middle.

    \n
    2. \n
  2. \n

    The mount should allow a degree of swivel to the Dropcam itself so\nthat it can be mounted directly on the glass, but still allow\npointing the Dropcam a number of degrees one way of the other.

    \n
    3. \n
  3. \n

    A little cable management to route the USB power cable in a way that\nlimits the impact of a tug on the cable on the direction the camera\nis pointed.

    \n
    4. \n
  4. \n

    It should shield against ambient light in the room. This is the\nbiggest issue with my mount. Since there is about 1" of space\nbetween the glass and the camera, at night when the lights are\nturned on in the room a reflection bounces off the glass and into\nthe camera which messes up the picture but more importantly the\ncamera detects it as motion so you get a false positive of motion.

    \n
    5. \n
\n

That is easily a $20 to $30 add-on that would be a “no brainer” for many installations.

\n", "date_published": "2014-12-14T01:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2014/12/14/wanted-dropcam-window.html", "tags": ["Technology","Home"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2014/12/11/deciding-to-refuse.html", "content_html": "

Deciding to refuse Comcasts modem to wireless router “upgrade”. Like what I have now.

\n", "date_published": "2014-12-10T20:38:21-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2014/12/10/deciding-to-refuse.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2014/12/06/have-an-old.html", "content_html": "

Have an old iPhone that I want to use without a phone plan, but it needs a SIM card. Can you get a card you never plan to use?

\n", "date_published": "2014-12-06T13:44:03-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2014/12/06/have-an-old.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2014/12/04/great-breakfast-this.html", "content_html": "

Great breakfast this morning with David Hussman! We are lucky to have a talent like him in the Twin Cities!

\n", "date_published": "2014-12-04T10:02:22-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2014/12/04/great-breakfast-this.html", "tags": ["Software Development","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2014/11/30/trying-to-use.html", "content_html": "

Trying to use the Square website as a consumer, not a business, is nearly impossible. Can’t even find my profile. Now updated my profile and somehow I’ve now become a business.

\n", "date_published": "2014-11-30T09:42:13-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2014/11/30/trying-to-use.html", "tags": ["Software Development","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2014/11/27/days-like-today.html", "content_html": "

Days like today make me realize how badly I wish LogicMonitor had a native iOS app. Want to be mobile and see graphs!

\n", "date_published": "2014-11-27T09:53:34-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2014/11/27/days-like-today.html", "tags": ["Software Development","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2014/11/27/really-wish-ios.html", "content_html": "

Really wish iOS could backup to iCloud and my computer.

\n", "date_published": "2014-11-26T20:20:02-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2014/11/26/really-wish-ios.html", "tags": ["Technology","Apple"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2014/11/20/111447.html", "content_html": "

Tech support walkup session for #TeamSPS. Great way to solve problems and build connections in the team! Making it easy for our team! Love the experiments that Dan Megears and his team are doing to help us operate smoothly! In house Genius Bar!

\n\"Group\n\"Desk\n", "date_published": "2014-11-20T12:14:47-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2014/11/20/111447.html", "tags": ["TeamSPS","Technology","Work"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2014/11/06/my-wife-got.html", "content_html": "

My wife got to use Apple Pay before I got a chance. 😏

\n", "date_published": "2014-11-05T21:40:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2014/11/05/my-wife-got.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2014/11/04/passbook-has-gradually.html", "content_html": "

Passbook has gradually moved from an app I put in my “Hidden” folder to one that is now on my first screen.

\n", "date_published": "2014-11-03T22:29:31-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2014/11/03/passbook-has-gradually.html", "tags": ["Technology","Apple"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2014/11/03/thanks-us-bank.html", "content_html": "

Thanks US Bank I’m now setup to use Apple Pay. My regular card transactions don’t show up like they do for AmEx.

\n

My Apple Pay setup was automatic. Tammy’s is requiring a phone call to the bank.

\n", "date_published": "2014-11-03T22:12:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2014/11/03/thanks-us-bank.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2014/11/01/first-thing-noticed.html", "content_html": "

First thing I noticed in the new Outlook for Mac is Retina graphics.

\n", "date_published": "2014-10-31T20:48:54-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2014/10/31/first-thing-noticed.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2014/10/28/have-you-ever.html", "content_html": "

Have you ever seen a ~ in a URL where the hostname did not end in .edu?

\n", "date_published": "2014-10-27T19:42:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2014/10/27/have-you-ever.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2014/10/25/is-it-possible.html", "content_html": "

Is it possible to get the ElevationLab NanoPad off of a surface? I can’t get it to even budge.

\n", "date_published": "2014-10-25T16:40:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2014/10/25/is-it-possible.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2014/08/12/my-ua-phone.html", "content_html": "

My Ukraine phone for easy messaging with team while here.

\n\"White\n", "date_published": "2014-08-12T01:14:51-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2014/08/12/my-ua-phone.html", "tags": ["Travel","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2014/08/11/does-it-still.html", "content_html": "

Amsterdam Schiphol, does it still qualify as “Free WiFi” when packet loss > 50% ?

\n", "date_published": "2014-08-11T00:58:58-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2014/08/10/does-it-still.html", "tags": ["Travel","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2014/06/14/mazies-ipad.html", "title": "Mazie's iPad", "content_html": "\"Young\n

We’ve crossed a big milestone this year. As of this birthday Mazie now has her very own iPad. No more sharing. It is also setup with her own accounts for email and calendaring. She’s a digital equal in the house now.

\n

Mazie was ecstatic about it and has been having fun using it for a variety of things. I’m really hoping that she uses email and messages. She’s been playing a couple of games. She even was reviewing her calendar to see what was coming up this week. Nice!

\n

Of course the immediate reaction from Tyler was to wonder where his is. Wait a couple years there.

\n", "date_published": "2014-06-14T00:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2014/06/14/mazies-ipad.html", "tags": ["Family","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2014/06/09/our-neighborhood-in.html", "title": "Our Neighborhood in 1938", "content_html": "\"Black-and-white\n

My friend Garrick shared this link to the Minnesota Historical Aerial Photographs Online site. It is a pretty cool site where you can see aerial photos all over Minnesota going back as far as 1920. I immediately went and looked where we live and they currently only have one photo from 1938. I’ve highlighted our lot in yellow.

\n

It was surprising to me that the tennis courts were in place back then. In fact, the entire Minnehaha Creek West Park seems to be pretty much as it is now with the same walking bridges and everything.

\n

Our street doesn’t exist yet. The entire row of houses that we live in are not there but the other side of the block has been developed. Our house was built the following year, in 1939.

\n

I also pulled up our previous house in Minnetonka in 1937 and it was entirely farmland. Was still farmland in 1956. The transformation there is amazing.

\n", "date_published": "2014-06-09T00:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2014/06/09/our-neighborhood-in.html", "tags": ["Technology","Home"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2014/06/08/screen-time.html", "content_html": "

Tyler and I having our respective Sunday morning screen time.

\n\"MacBook\n", "date_published": "2014-06-08T00:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2014/06/08/screen-time.html", "tags": ["Family","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2014/05/15/forgot-my-ipad.html", "content_html": "

Forgot my iPad at home today. Feel like I forgot to put on pants before I came to work.

\n", "date_published": "2014-05-15T14:18:43-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2014/05/15/forgot-my-ipad.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2014/05/07/dropcam-tabs.html", "title": "Dropcam Tabs", "content_html": "

I’ve become quiet the fan of my Dropcam. I decided to go ahead and pre-order two of the new Dropcam Tabs. Excited to play with them. Wish they were shipping sooner!

\n", "date_published": "2014-05-07T00:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2014/05/07/dropcam-tabs.html", "tags": ["Technology","Home"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2014/04/23/yesterdays-password-updates.html", "content_html": "

Yesterdays 1Password updates are great. Just one key thing missing — be able to have multiple vaults open at once in multiple windows.

\n", "date_published": "2014-04-23T06:28:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2014/04/23/yesterdays-password-updates.html", "tags": ["Technology","Privacy \u0026 Security"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2014/04/23/032711.html", "content_html": "

Excited to have multiple vault support in 1Password on all devices now!

\n", "date_published": "2014-04-22T22:27:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2014/04/22/032711.html", "tags": ["Technology","Privacy \u0026 Security"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2014/04/11/just-signed-up.html", "content_html": "

Just signed up for a year of Feedbin. Supports Reeder and ReadKit. Happy to pay for a good service!

\n", "date_published": "2014-04-10T19:35:32-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2014/04/10/just-signed-up.html", "tags": ["Technology","Blogging"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2014/04/08/so-lightroom-for.html", "content_html": "

So Lightroom for iPad requires an Adobe Creative Cloud license? Huge disappointment.

\n", "date_published": "2014-04-08T06:55:14-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2014/04/08/so-lightroom-for.html", "tags": ["Photography","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2014/03/26/141600.html", "content_html": "

My website will cost $0.02/mo to sit on S3.

\n
\n

@arqbackup: Next month Amazon’s S3 storage price goes to $.03/GB.

\n
\n

Given Google Drive price drop I’m wondering if Arq may consider supporting it?

\n", "date_published": "2014-03-26T14:16:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2014/03/26/141600.html", "tags": ["Software Development","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2014/03/22/got-my-automatic.html", "content_html": "

Got my Automatic today for my Mini Cooper. Looking forward to seeing the data!

\n", "date_published": "2014-03-22T15:46:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2014/03/22/got-my-automatic.html", "tags": ["Technology","Cars"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2014/03/10/monday-morning-bsod.html", "content_html": "

Monday morning Blue Screen of Death.

\n\"LG\n", "date_published": "2014-03-10T07:40:06-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2014/03/10/monday-morning-bsod.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2014/02/20/excited-about-whatsapp.html", "content_html": "

Excited about WhatsApp being bought? Remember ICQ?

\n", "date_published": "2014-02-19T22:36:21-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2014/02/19/excited-about-whatsapp.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2014/02/16/seriously-leapfrog-why.html", "content_html": "

Seriously LeapFrog, why does your Mac software have to be so frustrating!

\n", "date_published": "2014-02-16T18:42:17-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2014/02/16/seriously-leapfrog-why.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2014/01/11/sort-of-surprising.html", "content_html": "

Sort of surprising Day One doesn’t allow audio files to be put in an entry. Seems odd.

\n", "date_published": "2014-01-10T21:28:49-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2014/01/10/sort-of-surprising.html", "tags": ["Productivity","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2013/12/14/seriously-the-new.html", "content_html": "

Seriously, the new WordPress admin interface is awesome. Fast. Easy. Makes me want to use it more. Well done.

\n", "date_published": "2013-12-14T17:03:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2013/12/14/seriously-the-new.html", "tags": ["Technology","Blogging"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2013/12/14/have-my-sps.html", "content_html": "

I now have my SPS Commerce mailbox on Office 365. Very fast. I may actually just use the Outlook web interface for Office 365. Really like it.

\n", "date_published": "2013-12-14T15:38:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2013/12/14/have-my-sps.html", "tags": ["Productivity","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2013/12/14/initial-exploration-of.html", "content_html": "

Initial exploration of Status Page and impressed. Definitely going to work further with it.

\n", "date_published": "2013-12-14T15:37:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2013/12/14/initial-exploration-of.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2013/12/04/dude-on-plan.html", "content_html": "

Dude on plane is texting on his flip “feature” phone. Triple pressing keys. Like watching someone carve words in stone.

\n", "date_published": "2013-12-04T18:02:53-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2013/12/04/dude-on-plan.html", "tags": ["Travel","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2013/12/04/really-love-hipchat.html", "content_html": "

Really love HipChat, but it doesn’t work well on airplane WiFi. Would be a big win if it worked better on planes. 😕

\n", "date_published": "2013-12-04T17:46:10-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2013/12/04/really-love-hipchat.html", "tags": ["Travel","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2013/12/02/for-those-excited.html", "content_html": "

For those excited regarding Amazon Prime Air CONCEPT, here is an Australian company doing it next year.

\n", "date_published": "2013-12-01T23:56:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2013/12/01/for-those-excited.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2013/11/30/tammy-just-discovered.html", "content_html": "

Tammy just discovered ebates! She’s excited like she discovered the next Twitter.

\n", "date_published": "2013-11-29T22:43:38-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2013/11/29/tammy-just-discovered.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2013/11/25/pdfconvertme.html", "content_html": "

Clever idea!

\n
\n

pdfconvert.me is a free email service which will take the content of a message and return that content back to the sending email as a PDF attachment. This allows mobile devices to have a “print to PDF” feature in many circumstances.

\n
\n", "date_published": "2013-11-25T01:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2013/11/25/pdfconvertme.html", "tags": ["Productivity","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2013/11/17/any-outstanding-wagers.html", "content_html": "

Any outstanding wagers on how long until Microsoft Office for Mac support full-screen mode? My money is on never. 😕

\n", "date_published": "2013-11-17T13:16:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2013/11/17/any-outstanding-wagers.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2013/11/17/not-being-able.html", "content_html": "

Not being able to see free/busy times when scheduling from iOS is a real annoyance.

\n", "date_published": "2013-11-17T12:09:59-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2013/11/17/not-being-able.html", "tags": ["Productivity","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2013/11/16/im-sort-of.html", "content_html": "

I’m sort of embarrassed by how sloppy my filesystem has gotten in some areas. I blame the cloud.

\n", "date_published": "2013-11-16T08:06:20-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2013/11/16/im-sort-of.html", "tags": ["Software Development","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2013/11/15/fun-to-finally.html", "content_html": "

Fun to finally meet Donnie Berkholz, fittingly at the airport. Looking forward to connecting again soon!

\n", "date_published": "2013-11-15T01:02:01-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2013/11/15/fun-to-finally.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2013/11/14/for-hours.html", "content_html": "

Seriously, this should be illegal. This from the Wynn in Las Vegas.

\n
\n

The use of this service is $13.99 for 24 hours and will be billed to\nyour room. Guests paying our daily resort fee will automatically have\ntheir internet charges removed from the final bill.

\n
\n\"White\n

And no, I did not pay the fee.

\n", "date_published": "2013-11-14T01:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2013/11/14/for-hours.html", "tags": ["Travel","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2013/11/03/secure-erase-day.html", "content_html": "

Secure erase = 1 day 8 hours? 500G disk. Wow.

\n\"LaCie\n", "date_published": "2013-11-03T16:34:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2013/11/03/secure-erase-day.html", "tags": ["Technology","Privacy \u0026 Security"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2013/11/03/going-through-old.html", "content_html": "

Going through old stuff and throwing things away.

\n\"Red\n", "date_published": "2013-11-03T16:22:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2013/11/03/going-through-old.html", "tags": ["Technology","Home"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2013/10/29/sure-am-hoping.html", "content_html": "

Sure am hoping Mac OS X 10.9.1 is coming real soon now. 😕

\n", "date_published": "2013-10-29T06:33:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2013/10/29/sure-am-hoping.html", "tags": ["Technology","Apple"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2013/10/24/upgrading-to-os.html", "content_html": "

Upgrading to OS X Mavericks at work. Cisco VPN works so what the heck.

\n", "date_published": "2013-10-24T16:07:30-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2013/10/24/upgrading-to-os.html", "tags": ["Technology","Apple"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2013/10/23/upgraded-home-machines.html", "content_html": "

✅ Upgraded home machines to Mavericks. All smooth.
\n✅ Upgraded iOS apps to newest. Cable modem on overload.

\n", "date_published": "2013-10-22T21:06:08-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2013/10/22/upgraded-home-machines.html", "tags": ["Technology","Apple"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2013/10/20/just-got-from.html", "content_html": "

Just got $5 from Aaron using this new Square Cash thing. Sadly cannot return the favor as it requires debit card.

\n", "date_published": "2013-10-19T21:43:05-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2013/10/19/just-got-from.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2013/10/12/still-have-leather.html", "content_html": "

Still have 5 leather coin purses in reserve since nobody seems to make them anymore. Old Man Tech.

\n\"A\n", "date_published": "2013-10-12T11:15:25-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2013/10/12/still-have-leather.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2013/10/07/liked-minutes-segment.html", "content_html": "

Liked 60 Minutes segment on disability benefits abuse? Listen to This American Life #490: Trends with Benefits

\n", "date_published": "2013-10-06T21:38:07-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2013/10/06/liked-minutes-segment.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2013/10/06/just-shredded-my.html", "content_html": "

Just shredded my first CD-RW using this new shredder. That was fun. 😊

\n", "date_published": "2013-10-06T15:17:29-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2013/10/06/just-shredded-my.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2013/10/06/best-win-with.html", "content_html": "

Best win with You Need A Budget so far? It’s made personal finances a team sport with Tammy instead of me holed up in “Quicken hell”.

\n", "date_published": "2013-10-06T12:57:49-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2013/10/06/best-win-with.html", "tags": ["Family","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2013/10/05/ive-been-using.html", "content_html": "

1Password 4 for Mac Review — I’ve been using 1Password 4 for a couple days and like it a lot.

\n", "date_published": "2013-10-04T20:37:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2013/10/04/ive-been-using.html", "tags": ["Technology","Privacy \u0026 Security"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2013/09/22/absolutely-love-how.html", "content_html": "

Love how the new You Need A Budget for iOS flashes the budget balance when you enter a transaction. Great idea!

\n", "date_published": "2013-09-21T19:15:16-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2013/09/21/absolutely-love-how.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2013/09/16/when-google-finds.html", "content_html": "

When Google finds the email I sent on a mailing list 20 years ago it gives me pause.

\n", "date_published": "2013-09-15T22:40:30-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2013/09/15/when-google-finds.html", "tags": ["Productivity","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2013/09/13/041306.html", "content_html": "

Very fun evening hanging with David Novak exploring big ideas!

\n", "date_published": "2013-09-12T23:13:06-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2013/09/12/041306.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2013/09/10/delectable-is-untappd.html", "content_html": "

Delectable is Untappd for wine. Nicely done app.

\n", "date_published": "2013-09-09T21:28:15-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2013/09/09/delectable-is-untappd.html", "tags": ["Drinks","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2013/07/23/protip-small-business.html", "content_html": "

Pro Tip: Small business owners, don’t name your WiFi the same as your business if it’s not open to customers.

\n", "date_published": "2013-07-23T12:03:04-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2013/07/23/protip-small-business.html", "tags": ["Technology","Work"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2013/05/15/183727.html", "content_html": "

Today is the anniversary of BigCharts.com I still remember watching those first chart requests scroll by.

\n", "date_published": "2013-05-15T13:37:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2013/05/15/183727.html", "tags": ["BigCharts","Technology","Work"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2013/05/15/shouldnt-all-these.html", "content_html": "

Shouldn’t all these Google I/O presenters being wearing Glass? Surprised they aren’t.

\n", "date_published": "2013-05-15T11:50:51-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2013/05/15/shouldnt-all-these.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2013/05/13/it-pleases-me.html", "content_html": "

It makes me happy that the IRC /me command works in places like Skype and Messages. 🤓

\n", "date_published": "2013-05-13T16:25:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2013/05/13/it-pleases-me.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2013/05/02/great-lunch-with.html", "content_html": "

Great lunch with Matt Hardy learning about Kidblog. Cool stuff going on there!

\n", "date_published": "2013-05-02T14:40:26-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2013/05/02/great-lunch-with.html", "tags": ["Technology","Tech Community"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2013/04/27/whats-the-big.html", "content_html": "

What’s the big problem with having wires on your bike computer?! I like wires!

\n", "date_published": "2013-04-27T15:21:56-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2013/04/27/whats-the-big.html", "tags": ["Technology","Cycling"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2013/04/27/201709.html", "content_html": "

Trying to buy tubes for my road bike. Every tube has equal number of 1 star and 5 star reviews. 😕

\n", "date_published": "2013-04-27T15:17:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2013/04/27/201709.html", "tags": ["Technology","Cycling"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2013/04/26/started-down-the.html", "content_html": "

Started down the path of leaving Quicken after 15 years and moving to You Need A Budget. I’m hopeful!

\n", "date_published": "2013-04-25T23:01:05-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2013/04/25/started-down-the.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2013/04/20/trying-to-abandon.html", "content_html": "

Trying to abandon Quicken and make the leap to just using my bank website like the kids do these days. Terrifying.

\n", "date_published": "2013-04-20T15:03:52-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2013/04/20/trying-to-abandon.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2013/04/15/on-related-news.html", "content_html": "

On related news, the Boston Marathon iPhone app is really, really bad. Unfortunate. Such potential.

\n", "date_published": "2013-04-15T08:37:37-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2013/04/15/on-related-news.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2013/03/29/the-jawbone-jambox.html", "content_html": "

The Jawbone Jambox is practically a magical device to me. Audio quality, size, portability - blows me away.

\n", "date_published": "2013-03-29T18:22:33-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2013/03/29/the-jawbone-jambox.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2013/03/27/uncomfortable-about-how.html", "content_html": "

Sue Gardner announced that\nshe is moving on as Executive\nDirector\nof the Wikimedia Foundation today. She highlighted where she wants to\ndirect her energy next:

\n
\n

Increasingly, I’m finding myself uncomfortable about how the\ninternet’s developing, who’s influencing its development, and who is\nnot. Last year we at Wikimedia raised an alarm about SOPA/PIPA, and\nnow CISPA is back. Wikipedia has experienced censorship at the hands\nof industry groups and governments, and we are –increasingly, I\nthink– seeing important decisions made by unaccountable,\nnon-transparent corporate players, a shift from the open web to mobile\nwalled gardens, and a shift from the production-based internet to one\nthat’s consumption-based. There are many organizations and individuals\nadvocating for the public interest online — what’s good for ordinary\npeople — but other interests are more numerous and powerful than\nthey are. I want that to change. And that’s what I want to do next.

\n
\n

So much about that mirrors concerns I have as well. My book club read\nThe Master\nSwitch\ntwo years ago. After reading that book I realized how real it was that\nthe open Internet we’ve come to embrace won’t just continue magically.\nIt will need people like Tim Wu,\nand soon Sue Gardner, fighting to keep it that way.

\n", "date_published": "2013-03-27T00:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2013/03/27/uncomfortable-about-how.html", "tags": ["Technology","Blogging","Books"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2013/03/21/140814.html", "content_html": "

So predictable how LARGE BANK Co. “forgets” how to pay my homeowners insurance out of escrow nearly every year. It seems too obvious to me that they are just trying to hold the deposits as long as possible. Frustrating.

\n", "date_published": "2013-03-21T14:08:14-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2013/03/21/140814.html", "tags": ["Technology","Home"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2013/03/16/004744.html", "content_html": "

Why is it so hard to find personal finance software that doesn’t suck?

\n", "date_published": "2013-03-15T19:47:44-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2013/03/15/004744.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2013/03/10/184404.html", "content_html": "

Trying to explain to Mazie what a cassette tape was. Makes no sense to her.

\n", "date_published": "2013-03-10T13:44:04-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2013/03/10/184404.html", "tags": ["Family","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2012/12/26/please-charge-me.html", "title": "Please Charge Me Something", "content_html": "

For Christmas the brother-in-laws on Tammy’s side pick names. There are only four of us but we like the simplicity of just getting one name to pick better. For a couple of years now we’ve used a website called DrawNames.com to handle the name drawing, sending emails and even handling exclusions so you don’t get the same person every year. They sent an email asking for feedback and I felt like sharing some thoughts with them and decided I should share them publicly too.

\n
\n

I like your service a lot and if I had more name drawing groups at\nChristmas I would use it for sure. I’ve suggested your service to\nothers and I know that at least some of them have used it. Everything\nwent very smooth and I think you have the right email confirmations in\nplace to make sure you don’t get “busted” email picks in spam folders.

\n

With that said, I have a concern that your service makes enough\nrevenue to be around. My alternative to using your service is to write\na small script that will pick names and send emails. It would be ugly.\nProbably break a lot. Would likely not get delievered right. I’d\nrather use your service! I see that I can keep a wishlist and I’m sure\nthat generates affiliate revenue, but I’m not sure many people do\nthat. I know we don’t.

\n

I would rather just pay a small fee for each name drawing group that I\nhave. Maybe a $1? $2? I’m not sure what the right amount is, but I\nhave a hard time seeing how you would make $1 off of our group now,\nso at least for us that would be an increase.

\n

In addition to making me feel like your service will continue to be\naround, it would also give me confidence that you are not dropping\nremarketing cookies in my browser (you aren’t right?) and that my\nfriends and family are not having their email addresses sold to others\n(which your privacy policy assures me is not happening already).

\n

While I have your ear let me also thank you for not littering the site\nwith link ads. Thank you for not requiring the use of Facebook connect\nor login with Twitter stuff.

\n

That’s it. The service is nice and works really well. Just charge me\nsomething. :-)

\n
\n

My hope is that they have thought about charging before but assume that nobody would pay. It’s the Internet right? Nobody pays. But they do. They pay in droves for the right thing. This website is worth as much to me as many iOS apps I’ve bought for $0.99. Maybe if they hear customers saying they would pay, they can see the path to something that pays the bills and is worth keeping around clarify a bit.

\n", "date_published": "2012-12-26T01:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2012/12/26/please-charge-me.html", "tags": ["Technology","Privacy \u0026 Security","Work"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2012/11/09/atampt-turned-lte.html", "content_html": "

AT&T turned LTE on in South Minneapolis? I have it.

\n

LTE full strength in warehouse district too. AT&T didn’t have this yesterday.

\n", "date_published": "2012-11-09T09:20:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2012/11/09/atampt-turned-lte.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2012/10/31/guest-network-now.html", "title": "Guest network now openwireless.org", "content_html": "

For years I’ve ran a guest WiFi network at home that has been called “Thingelstad Guest”. It makes it super easy for people that are visiting to hop online when they are visiting. I also don’t have to share the key for the “Thingelstad Home” network with people that are visiting which is a plus.

\n

Last night my buddy Ry4an Brase posted on Google+ this EFF Open Wireless project. I’m a proponent of allowing unfettered access to the Internet so I decided to join up and rename our guest network.

\n\"Mac\n

Does your router support a guest network? How about doing the same on your network?

\n", "date_published": "2012-10-31T00:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2012/10/31/guest-network-now.html", "tags": ["Technology","Privacy \u0026 Security"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2012/10/14/att-lte-spotting.html", "title": "AT\u0026T LTE Spotting", "content_html": "

AT&T has announced that they are working to bring LTE to the Twin Cities market by the end of the year. Yesterday while driving by the River Center I saw LTE on my phone for the first time. I loaded a few web pages and it was very fast, pretty much WiFi like experience.

\n\"iPhone\n", "date_published": "2012-10-14T00:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2012/10/14/att-lte-spotting.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2012/09/05/backing-up-while.html", "title": "Backing Up While Traveling", "content_html": "

Time to backup all of the Iceland trip photos to two separate 500G portable drives. Not going to lose any of these photos!

\n\"MacBook\n", "date_published": "2012-09-05T00:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2012/09/05/backing-up-while.html", "tags": ["Travel","Photography","Technology","Iceland 2012"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2012/07/31/okay-apple-genius.html", "content_html": "

Wow. Apple’s web site to schedule a Genius Bar appointment doesn’t work right in Safari 6? Can’t move to future days. Works in Chrome. 😕

\n

Okay, the Apple Genius bar website does work on Safari 6. They bug it with an Omniture tag and Ghostery was blocking Omniture.

\n", "date_published": "2012-07-30T21:32:41-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2012/07/30/okay-apple-genius.html", "tags": ["Technology","Privacy \u0026 Security"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2012/07/25/upgrading-my-macs.html", "content_html": "

Upgrading my Macs at home to Mountain Lion an hour before leaving town for a few days. I lose all sensibility when new bits arrive.

\n", "date_published": "2012-07-25T10:34:39-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2012/07/25/upgrading-my-macs.html", "tags": ["Technology","Apple"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2012/07/22/americoob-attempting-to.html", "title": "Americoob Attempting to Siphon Traffic from USA Kubb", "content_html": "

I recently went to usakubb.com forgetting to use .org to go to usakubb.org, the website for the US National Kubb Championship. USA Kubb got this site registered and setup this winter. The domain information shows it was registered on Feb. 26, 2012.

\n
Domain ID:D164823449-LROR\nDomain Name:USAKUBB.ORG\nCreated On:26-Feb-2012 01:23:56 UTC\nLast Updated On:26-Apr-2012 03:50:06 UTC\nExpiration Date:26-Feb-2014 01:23:56 UTC\n

When I put in usakubb.com though I was surprised that I got redirected to Americoob!

\n
% curl --head http://usakubb.com/\nHTTP/1.1 301 Moved Permanently\nDate: Sun, 22 Jul 2012 19:11:49 GMT\nServer: Apache/2.2.21 (Unix) mod_ssl/2.2.21 OpenSSL/0.9.7a mod_auth_passthrough/2.1 mod_bwlimited/1.4 FrontPage/5.0.2.2635 mod_fcgid/2.3.5\nLocation: http://www.americoob.com\nContent-Type: text/html; charset=iso-8859-1\n

The same happens for usakubb.net.

\n
% curl --head usakubb.net\nHTTP/1.1 301 Moved Permanently\nDate: Sun, 22 Jul 2012 19:12:18 GMT\nServer: Apache/2.2.21 (Unix) mod_ssl/2.2.21 OpenSSL/0.9.7a mod_auth_passthrough/2.1 mod_bwlimited/1.4 FrontPage/5.0.2.2635 mod_fcgid/2.3.5\nLocation: www.americoob.com\nContent-Type: text/html; charset=iso-8859-1\n

That seemed super lame. I knew USA Kubb wasn’t sending traffic to Americoob. So I looked up the registration information for usakubb.com:

\n
Domain Name: USAKUBB.COM\nRegistrar: GODADDY.COM, LLC\nWhois Server: whois.godaddy.com\nReferral URL: registrar.godaddy.com\nUpdated Date: 31-mar-2012\nCreation Date: 31-mar-2012\nExpiration Date: 31-mar-2014\n

…and usakubb.net:

\n
Domain Name: USAKUBB.NET\nRegistrar: GODADDY.COM, LLC\nWhois Server: whois.godaddy.com\nReferral URL: registrar.godaddy.com\nUpdated Date: 31-mar-2012\nCreation Date: 31-mar-2012\nExpiration Date: 31-mar-2013\n

Americoob registered these domains about a month after USA Kubb registered the proper .org domain name. So Americoob bought these two domains that are completely unrelated to them so that they could siphon traffic away from people who think they are going to the USA Kubb website. Now people that forget to type the domain all the way will be sent to Americoob, the manufacturer of a plastic game similar to Kubb, but isn’t even Kubb! 5 batons and 4 baseline Kubbs? Made of plastic?

\n

This is incredibly lame on Americoob’s part. I think people should clearly communicate to Americoob that they should hand these domains over to USA Kubb as soon as possible. Americoob is owned by Short Productions and can be reached at (215) 699-2328 and you can email them at info@americoob.com.

\n

To make it easier, here is an email you can copy and paste to them:

\n
\n

Americoob,

\n

Your organization recently registered the domains usakubb.com and usakubb.net and are redirecting visitors to those domains to your website at www.americoob.com. I would like to request that you turn these domains over to USA Kubb, the owners of usakubb.org and the organization behind the US National Kubb Championship.

\n

Your attempt to siphon visitors to USA Kubb that do not put in the full domain is bad for the very sport that you are attempting to be part of and profit in. Please do the right thing and turn the usakubb.com and usakubb.net domains over to USA Kubb.

\n

Thank you,

\n

[name]

\n
\n

Please note, I’m purposefully not adding any hyperlinks to Americoob so I don’t send any traffic to them.

\n", "date_published": "2012-07-22T00:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2012/07/22/americoob-attempting-to.html", "tags": ["Kubb","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2012/07/13/ive-been-reunited.html", "content_html": "

I’ve been reunited with my Kensington Expert Mouse Trackball and it’s so great.

\n", "date_published": "2012-07-13T12:59:45-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2012/07/13/ive-been-reunited.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2012/07/05/terms-of-service.html", "title": "Terms of Service Screens", "content_html": "

Got this a while back on my iPhone.

\n\"PayPal\n

That gave this.

\n\"PayPal\n

You got that right? Good.

\n", "date_published": "2012-07-05T00:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2012/07/05/terms-of-service.html", "tags": ["Technology","Privacy \u0026 Security"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2012/07/01/bookmarking-with-semantic.html", "title": "Bookmarking with Semantic MediaWiki", "content_html": "\"Black\n

I have been doing a lot of exploration using MediaWiki and the Semantic MediaWiki suite of extensions. I’ve deployed a number of wikis doing a wide variety of things. For a few months I had been pondering the idea of hosting my own bookmarking site using Semantic MediaWiki. I decided to give it a try and put together links_thing.

\n

First a quick primer. Semantic MediaWiki is an extension that lets you store and query data in wiki pages. Wikis have been awesome at dealing with documents and text for a long time. But if you wanted to put a table of data in a wiki that didn’t work very well. And if you wanted to query that table of data? Well, that was just crazy. Semantic MediaWiki gives you the ability to associate properties with pages and then query them. So, for my bookmarks each wiki page in the category bookmark is a bookmark and has a number of properties, including things like Has URL, Created at, Has excerpt. You get the idea. You put all this logic into the Templates that the wiki uses, making them into Semantic Templates and even the data entry can be made user friendly using Semantic Forms to create fancy forms with a variety of standard controls.

\n

Making it

\n

Building this wiki was pretty easy. I mostly just thought for a while about the properties that a bookmark has. I wanted to get it right since I could use the scaffolding that Semantic MediaWiki has to create a “class” and template out all the basic stuff. It’s easy enough to add after the fact too. After making the class for Bookmarks there was only one real thing I needed to prove. I had to be able to have a Bookmarklet that would automatically populate the URL, Title and Excerpt for a bookmark. Of course the timestamp needed to be done to but I knew how to do that.

\n

After some digging I figured out how to pass parameters into the Forms to pre-populate fields and also how to tell Semantic Forms to name the page based on a field in the form (namely, the TItle of the bookmark). After proving that out I was ready to go.

\n

Importing

\n

I wasn’t willing to lose any data, and I knew it was just a matter of shoveling. I used Pinboard’s JSON export and then whipped up a little Python program to turn that into a CSV that could be imported using the Data Transfer extension. I easily imported just under 4,000 links and had all my data there.

\n

Fun Stuff

\n

I’ve been using my new Bookmark wiki exclusively for the last few weeks and I’m absolutely loving it. Here are just some of the reasons why:

\n
    \n
  1. It is mine. Put simply, I don’t need to rely on anyone else to keep it working of me. For an archive, this feels reassuring.
    2. \n
  2. This seems simple, but it’s so helpful to be able to do regular expression driven find and replace through all my bookmarks. I’ve probably done 50 of these cleaning things up. For example, I didn’t like that a lot of bookmarks had a title that ended in " - Home" or " - My Super Cool Blog". A quick search and replace and they are gone.
    3. \n
  3. I thought it would be interesting to see my bookmarks on a calendar. Seems like a simple thing but I don’t think any bookmarking service does it. So I made a calendar view.
    4. \n
  4. Wouldn’t it be nice to be able to see YouTube and Vimeo videos I bookmark without having to go to the video pages one at a time? I made a video view.
    5. \n
  5. I really want my bookmarking tool to have URL Checking. I hate short URL’s because I suspect they will go away. I also don’t like analytics tags being bugged into my URLs. I have a Check URL Template that checks for these in my wiki, and a bot that cleans them up.
    6. \n
  6. I thought it would be cool to see statistics on my bookmarks so I created a Bookmark Statistics view.
    7. \n
\n

This is just the beginning. I’m sure I’ll be adding a lot of other tweaks over time.

\n

What’s next?

\n

I’ve now building a little Python application called LinkBot. LinkBot runs on a schedule and validates URL’s for me. I’ll write up about that application separately.

\n

I would love to share this suite of templates and properties with anyone else. It’s easy to export the pages off of my wiki and import them into your own. If you are interested I have cloning information and feel free to connect.

\n", "date_published": "2012-07-01T00:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2012/07/01/bookmarking-with-semantic.html", "tags": ["Software Development","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2012/06/08/ssh-through-gogo.html", "content_html": "

SSH through GoGo Inflight WiFi is surprisingly responsive.

\n", "date_published": "2012-06-07T19:11:29-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2012/06/07/ssh-through-gogo.html", "tags": ["Travel","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2012/06/06/great-wifi-network.html", "content_html": "

This made me laugh yesterday. What a great network name!

\n\"Wi-Fi\n", "date_published": "2012-06-06T00:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2012/06/06/great-wifi-network.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2012/04/10/great-breakfast-with.html", "content_html": "

Great breakfast with Sona Mehring this morning at Sun Street Breads. Delicious biscuit, and even better conversation!

\n", "date_published": "2012-04-10T09:15:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2012/04/10/great-breakfast-with.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2012/04/01/best-wifi-network.html", "content_html": "

Best WiFi network name ever: 3girls1catandapizzaplace

\n", "date_published": "2012-04-01T08:17:08-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2012/04/01/best-wifi-network.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2012/03/11/joining-the-dollar.html", "title": "Joining the Dollar Shave Club", "content_html": "

This Dollar Shave Club service seems to be making the rounds and it happened to be a time when I was running out of blades for my Gillete Mach 3 razor. I’m always amazed at how much the blades cost. The 15 pack at the store is nearly $40. Sure it’s spread over 15 weeks, but it still seems like a lot. So the Dollar Shave Club $6 a month plan sounded interesting.

\n

I fired up Soulver and did some quick math. I gave the classic Mach 3 blades a fair treatment using the price from Amazon if I subscribe to have them sent on a defined schedule, $33.24.

\n

$33.24/15 week = 2.216 $/week
\n2.216 $/week by month = $9.64
\n$6/4 week = 1.50 $/week
\n1.5 $/weekby month = $6.52
\n$6.52 as % off $9.64 = 32.31%

\n

I’ll happily sign up to save 32% and not have to think about getting blades anymore. Brilliant service and good price. They just need to execute great.

\n", "date_published": "2012-03-11T01:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2012/03/11/joining-the-dollar.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2012/02/15/versioned-backup-of.html", "title": "Versioned Backup of Typerighter Account", "content_html": "

My friend Garrick has been working on a really cool project called Typerighter. Typerighter is a notepad for your browser. It has almost no interface and just lets you focus on writing. He’s done some really cool things with it, like making it easy to keep notes for each day and make a document public and share it with the world (by default everything is private).

\n

I suggested to Garrick that I really wanted a way to backup my account. I trust he’s got my data backed up well, but it’s even better if I don’t have to trust at all because I have my data. He added a private RSS feed that dumps all of your documents out and I quickly put a script together so I now have nightly, versioned backups of all my information in Typerighter.

\n

Here is the script:

\n
#!/bin/bash\n#\n# This script is run by cron and downloads all of my material from [typerighter.com](http://typerighter.com/)\n# It uses Git to keep track of changes in the archive\n\nURL=[your-username.typerighter.com/archive/m...](https://your-username.typerighter.com/archive/my-secret-token)\nGIT=/usr/local/bin/git\nCURL=/usr/bin/curl\n\n# Get my documents\n$CURL --silent --output typerighter.rss "$URL"\n\n# Detect if there is an existing repo, if not, make one\nif [ ! -d .git ]; then\n    echo "Creating the git repo…"\n    $GIT init\n    $GIT add *\nfi\n\n$GIT commit --quiet --all --message='Automatic commit of archive.' > /dev/null\n

This script does want to be in the right directory when you run it. I put this in my crontab for it.

\n
0 2 * * * (cd /home/thingles/autobackups/typerighter; ./backup-typerighter.sh)\n

Using Git is the part that I really like. Not only do I have a current backup, but I can use standard Git tools to get old versions of documents at any time.

\n", "date_published": "2012-02-15T01:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2012/02/15/versioned-backup-of.html", "tags": ["Software Development","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2012/01/29/tylers-domain.html", "title": "Tyler's Domain", "content_html": "

Tyler’s domain name came up for renewal, tylerthing.com. I didn’t even realize this the registration date is the same day as his birthday.

\n
\nDomain Name    : tylerthing.com\nRegistered on  : 2/12/2010\n
\n

Nice. 😊

\n", "date_published": "2012-01-29T01:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2012/01/29/tylers-domain.html", "tags": ["Family","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2012/01/11/lightroom-was-mb.html", "content_html": "

Lightroom 3.6 was 117MB DMG file.
\nLightroom 4.0b1 is 409MB DMG?
\nYikes.

\n", "date_published": "2012-01-10T20:32:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2012/01/10/lightroom-was-mb.html", "tags": ["Photography","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2012/01/10/lightroom-gets-maps.html", "title": "Lightroom 4 Gets Maps!", "content_html": "

I’ve been an avid user of Lightroom since the very first 1.0 beta and for as long as I’ve remembered I’ve wished that there was a tab on the top called “Map” that would allow me to add geographic coordinates to my photos. I didn’t get it in 2.0. I didn’t get it in 3.0. I had pretty much given up, and then look at what is in the brand-new-just-announced Lightroom 4.0 beta! Maps!

\n\"Adobe\n

So awesome! Now I just need to drag 65,117 photos onto a map. 😊 Lightroom 4.0 looks like a great upgrade. The only big feature on my wish list that is still completely absent is face recognition. Maybe 5.0!

\n", "date_published": "2012-01-10T01:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2012/01/10/lightroom-gets-maps.html", "tags": ["Photography","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2011/11/27/updating-my-offline.html", "content_html": "

Updating my offline backup disks. 4TB of data.

\n", "date_published": "2011-11-27T15:06:18-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2011/11/27/updating-my-offline.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2011/11/03/want-a-piwik.html", "content_html": "

Want a Piwik extension that shows number of IPv4 versus IPv6 requests.

\n", "date_published": "2011-11-02T19:42:28-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2011/11/02/want-a-piwik.html", "tags": ["Software Development","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2011/11/03/003859.html", "content_html": "

I have an IPv6 only website since Linode supports that. But none of my networks support IPv6. Can’t see my own toy.

\n", "date_published": "2011-11-02T19:38:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2011/11/02/003859.html", "tags": ["Software Development","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2011/10/18/031350.html", "content_html": "

Anyone have a phonetic spelling for my last name that would help Siri? I can’t get the hard g. 😕

\n", "date_published": "2011-10-17T22:13:50-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2011/10/17/031350.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2011/10/15/on-hold-for.html", "content_html": "

On hold for AT&T to start the cross-upgrade process. Me: iPhone 4 → iPhone 4S. Tammy: iPhone 3GS → iPhone 4.

\n", "date_published": "2011-10-14T20:02:46-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2011/10/14/on-hold-for.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2011/10/11/beautiful-jacks.html", "title": "Beautiful Jacks", "content_html": "

Homelink Entertainment is doing all the low voltage work in our remodel. One of my goals in the project has been to have cutting edge infrastructure in a 1920’s house. Thanks to the meticulous detail of Ben from Homelink, it is happening. Look at this plate! Labeled Cat 5 runs down to the rack, proper speaker terminations, coax in a separate coax patch field. Awesome.

\n\"Wall\n", "date_published": "2011-10-11T00:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2011/10/11/beautiful-jacks.html", "tags": ["Technology","Home"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2011/10/06/always-connected.html", "content_html": "

Always Connected — I’ve talked to some of my super-wired friends about what I call “digital fatigue”. This is it.

\n", "date_published": "2011-10-06T00:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2011/10/06/always-connected.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2011/08/31/document-versioning-in.html", "title": "Document Versioning in Mac OS X Lion", "content_html": "\"OmniGraffle\n

I’ve recently seen updates to some of the applications that I use regularly supporting the new document versioning feature in Lion. Wow. Time Machine is really nice, but you don’t have to use it that often. Being able to go back in documents is something I think a lot of people will find helpful. The trick will be knowing you can do it. The screen shot below is from OmniGraffle.

\n", "date_published": "2011-08-31T00:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2011/08/31/document-versioning-in.html", "tags": ["Technology","Apple"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2011/08/09/efficient-market.html", "title": "Efficient Market", "content_html": "

One of the things that I really like about eBay is that I don’t have to set a price. I typically am selling used electronics or camera gear. My process is simple. I see if there is an active market for that product. If there is, I price it low with no reserve and let the market figure it out.

\n

I’m doing something interesting right now though. I have three first generation Apple TV’s on eBay. I find the bids really interesting. These three units are exactly the same, and they all have auction ends within an hour of each other.

\n\"Three\n

If markets are always so efficient, shouldn’t the price of these all be the same? I’ll be curious to see what the three units ultimately sell for. They all have the same number of watchers too, which is odd. Maybe they are the same 15 people watching all of them.

\n", "date_published": "2011-08-09T00:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2011/08/09/efficient-market.html", "tags": ["Technology","Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2011/08/03/yeah-got-my.html", "content_html": "\n", "date_published": "2011-08-03T00:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2011/08/03/yeah-got-my.html", "tags": ["Software Development","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2011/07/20/trying-to-buy.html", "content_html": "

Trying to buy a doorbell online. Surprising that very few websites let you listen to the chime. 🙁

\n", "date_published": "2011-07-19T22:08:57-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2011/07/19/trying-to-buy.html", "tags": ["Technology","Home"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2011/07/13/square-surprisingly-useful.html", "title": "Square Surprisingly Useful", "content_html": "

A couple of months ago I got a Square credit card reader and associated Square account for my iPhone and iPad. I did it because we were (and still are) planning a garage sale and I thought it would be helpful to accept credit cards. We still haven’t had that garage sale, but I got a lot of use out of Square this week.

\n\"Two\n

The B-Squad needed new softball bats. I decided to take up the fundraising effort for the B-Squad 2011 Bat Fund. One of the biggest challenges is always just getting funds. Nobody carries a checkbook and cash isn’t always on hand. I took my Square to Dusty’s and within minutes had swiped six Visa cards. It was really easy and simple.

\n

We completed our fundraising in a week in part because of how easy Square made it.

\n", "date_published": "2011-07-13T00:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2011/07/13/square-surprisingly-useful.html", "tags": ["Sports","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2011/07/12/just-sshd-from.html", "content_html": "

Sat on the “blaring fireball” (aka sun) side of the bus. Poor choice.

\n

Still managed to ssh from the bus and made a quick vi edit with Prompt on my iPhone.

\n", "date_published": "2011-07-11T19:42:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2011/07/11/just-sshd-from.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2011/07/06/211247.html", "content_html": "

Just had a surprisingly pleasant support call with Adobe getting activation counts reset. Was very simple. Bravo!

\n", "date_published": "2011-07-06T16:12:47-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2011/07/06/211247.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2011/06/27/att-stop-reminding.html", "title": "AT\u0026T: Stop Reminding Me You're Expensive", "content_html": "

Okay, these monthly text messages from AT&T; drive me crazy.

\n\"iPhone\n

Let me inventory all the ways these are annoying:

\n\n

Okay, that’s enough. I just needed to say that.

\n", "date_published": "2011-06-27T00:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2011/06/27/att-stop-reminding.html", "tags": ["Technology","Work"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2011/06/01/set-up-a.html", "content_html": "

Set up a Square account in preparation to accept credit cards for upcoming garage sale.

\n", "date_published": "2011-05-31T20:49:40-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2011/05/31/set-up-a.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2011/05/24/asking-for-too.html", "title": "Asking For Too Much", "content_html": "

Softball season has arrived again and the B-Squad is back out trying to win a game. My softball team calls Dusty’s in Northeast home, and after every game (and sometimes before) you will find us at Dusty’s enjoying a Grain Belt Premium.

\n

Part of our ritual is the jukebox and Dusty’s has now upgraded their jukebox to a fancy new version that has a touch screen display as well as a connection to the Internet to do various things. I would assume it gets new music that way. It also can get messages about what to play from the Internet and there is a handy little iPhone app that you can install for free to control the jukebox. I was eager to give this a try.

\n

I downloaded myTouchTunes to do some remote control of the Dusty’s jukebox. I expected to just be able to install it, connect to the jukebox through some lookup and somehow pick songs. However, it seemed I had to create an account with myTouchTunes to do that. Annoying, but okay I thought. I’ll make an account and I’m guessing you can save some preferences or something for me (although, that could just be done on my phone). So I tapped the Register button to make an account and got this screen.

\n\"myTouchTunes\n

It was one thing to have to create an account, but why exactly does anyone need to know my age and gender to pick a song on a jukebox? Why is my zip necessary to queue up Black Sabbath’s Ironman. It is not! I closed the application and deleted it. I’ll stick to putting plain old dollar bills in and picking songs.

\n

Seriously, what in the world is myTouchTunes doing here? I think asking for all that information is despicable on its own, but what in the world good is it doing them? If they want popular songs by area, they don’t need my zip. They know where the jukebox is. Why do they care if I’m a guy or gal? Of what possible utility is that to them?

\n

I’ll pass.

\n", "date_published": "2011-05-24T00:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2011/05/24/asking-for-too.html", "tags": ["Technology","Privacy \u0026 Security"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2011/05/18/did-some-testing.html", "content_html": "

Did some testing with OmniPlan 2.0’s collaborative features today. Amazing. Can’t wait for the release version!

\n", "date_published": "2011-05-18T16:29:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2011/05/18/did-some-testing.html", "tags": ["Technology","Work"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2011/05/18/technotarian.html", "title": "Technotarian", "content_html": "

I was reading this very interesting article on Bitcoin by Jasan Calacanis and used the term “technotarian” and then defined it in a footnote as:

\n
\n

We made this term up to describe the “good people” of the internet who\nbelieve in the fundamental rights of individuals to be free, have free\nspeech, fight hypocrisy and stand behind logic, technology and science\nover religion, political structure and tradition. These are the people\nwho build and support things like Wikileaks, Anonymous, Linux and\nWikipedia. They think that people can, and should, govern themselves.\nThey are against external forms of control such as DRM, laws that are\nbought and sold by lobbyists, and religions like Scientology. They\ninclude splinter groups that enforce these ideals in the form of\nhacktivism, such as the takedown of the Sony Playstation Network after\nSony tried to prosecute a hacker for unlocking its console.

\n
\n

Great term. A quick search also brought this 1995 definition of Technological Libertarianism.

\n", "date_published": "2011-05-18T00:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2011/05/18/technotarian.html", "tags": ["Technology","Social Media"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2011/05/05/154812.html", "content_html": "

Hotel WiFi is significantly worse than Personal Hotspot via iPhone. I’m surprised how often I’m using personal hotspot.

\n", "date_published": "2011-05-05T10:48:12-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2011/05/05/154812.html", "tags": ["Travel","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2011/04/29/day-hotel-wifi.html", "content_html": "

$15/day hotel WiFi, please meet my iPhone 4 Personal Hotspot. We won’t require your services.

\n", "date_published": "2011-04-29T17:30:52-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2011/04/29/day-hotel-wifi.html", "tags": ["Travel","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2011/04/20/just-swapped-my.html", "content_html": "

Just swapped my boot drive for an SSD with no more than 3 minutes of downtime for screws and a reboot. Thank you SuperDuper!

\n", "date_published": "2011-04-20T12:47:55-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2011/04/20/just-swapped-my.html", "tags": ["Technology","Apple"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2011/04/09/centralized-data-breaches.html", "title": "Centralized Data Breaches", "content_html": "

The design of the Internet allows for an incredible amount of decentralization. My blog, is run on my server, and yet you can all get to it. We don’t have to have all blogs in one place. And that is a good thing.

\n

I got three notices recently that highlight one of many downsides of centralization. Epsilon had a data breach, and the dominoes fall all over the place.

\n\"Marriott\n\"Hilton\n\"TiVo\n", "date_published": "2011-04-09T00:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2011/04/09/centralized-data-breaches.html", "tags": ["Technology","Privacy \u0026 Security"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2011/03/26/someone-make-a.html", "content_html": "

Someone make a Pinboard2Wordpress plugin?

\n

Put up a draft page of API documentation here: http://pinboard.in/api

— Pinboard (@Pinboard) March 26, 2011
\n\n\n\n", "date_published": "2011-03-26T08:14:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2011/03/26/someone-make-a.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2011/03/15/tethering-my-ipad.html", "content_html": "

Tethering my iPad via my iPhone 4 on the bus. This works very well.

\n", "date_published": "2011-03-15T08:29:34-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2011/03/15/tethering-my-ipad.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2011/03/15/my-mobile-data.html", "title": "My Mobile Data Usage Trends", "content_html": "

Now that I’ve upgraded to iOS 4.3 I was itching to enable Personal Hotspot on my iPhone 4. I take the bus to work most of the time and want to use Personal Hotspot to get my MacBook Air and iPad online for the trip. However, both Tammy and I were still grandfathered in to the original iPhone unlimited data plan and AT&T will not let you do unlimited data with the Personal Hotspot feature. I had to move to a metered plan to get the win.

\n

I went on the AT&T website and they now have this great feature that will show you your trends. I consider myself a bit of a data pig and use my phone all the time. The numbers really surprised me.

\n\"Bar\n

I’ve never used over 400MB and most of the time fit just around 200MB. That was shocking to me. I am on WiFi at home and work so I guess it makes sense that it’s only my true mobile use, but it still seemed light.

\n

I looked at Tammy’s numbers and they were even lighter.

\n\"Bar\n

I was able to move Tammy to a lower plan and save a good amount every month and offset entirely the cost of moving me to a 4GB plan with Personal Hotspot enabled.

\n

The point of this post is to not assume. Look at the numbers. 200MB gets you further than you would think.

\n", "date_published": "2011-03-15T00:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2011/03/15/my-mobile-data.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2011/03/14/on-the-phone.html", "content_html": "

On the phone with AT&T getting mobile hot spot enabled. Surprised that I only use around 300MB of data a month on my iPhone.

\n", "date_published": "2011-03-14T16:41:06-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2011/03/14/on-the-phone.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2011/03/02/ipad-inch-thick.html", "content_html": "

iPad 2 (0.34 inch thick) is 0.005 inches thicker than Kindle 2 (0.335 inch thick). I read that as “same”. Impressive.

\n", "date_published": "2011-03-02T14:36:24-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2011/03/02/ipad-inch-thick.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2011/03/01/mac-rx-work.html", "content_html": "

Digging out some SATA cables and bare drive adapter this afternoon to rescue a Mac. I always find this stuff fun, when it is easy. If you are curious, the funky bare drive adapter I have is the Newer Technology USB 2.0 Drive Adapter.

\n\"A\n", "date_published": "2011-03-01T01:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2011/03/01/mac-rx-work.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2011/02/22/just-spent-two.html", "content_html": "

Just spent two hours cleaning vandalism off of one of my websites. (mediawiki, not WordPress). Nasty Internet out there.

\n", "date_published": "2011-02-22T02:08:49-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2011/02/22/just-spent-two.html", "tags": ["Technology","Privacy \u0026 Security"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2011/02/12/wow-launching-twitterific.html", "content_html": "

Wow - launching Twitterific 4.0 with the “light” theme is a breath of fresh air. Upgraded my license! Yeah for normal windows!

\n", "date_published": "2011-02-11T21:50:29-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2011/02/11/wow-launching-twitterific.html", "tags": ["Technology","Social Media"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2011/02/06/family-websites-updated.html", "title": "Family Websites Updated", "content_html": "

We took a little time this weekend and updated everyone else’s websites this weekend.

\n

Tyler now has a landing page up on his website. No blog or anything for him, just a simple page with some links. Mazie switched to a new theme and I posted a bunch of her pictures from the last few weeks. Last but not least Tammy also put a new theme on Smaller Than a Redwood.

\n

Everyone looks clean, fresh and nicely updated!

\n", "date_published": "2011-02-06T01:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2011/02/06/family-websites-updated.html", "tags": ["Family","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2011/01/14/guy-on-bus.html", "content_html": "

Guy on bus is listening to his Android phone using white iPod earbuds. Is that allowed? 😀

\n", "date_published": "2011-01-14T18:56:09-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2011/01/14/guy-on-bus.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2011/01/12/macvelope-arrived.html", "content_html": "

I got my Grantwood MacVelope today for my 11" MacBook Air. I like it. It’s fun, small and will protect the Air when I don’t want to carry a larger bag.

\n

Plus, it is cool looking. 😊

\n\"Silver\n", "date_published": "2011-01-12T01:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2011/01/12/macvelope-arrived.html", "tags": ["Technology","Apple"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2011/01/02/happy-birthday-macbook.html", "title": "Happy Birthday: MacBook Air", "content_html": "\"Apple\n

I’m writing this blog post on my super light, super fast, and super tiny 11" MacBook Air. Thanks to Tammy, my Mom & Kurt, and my sister Alona I got a really nice surprise for my birthday.

\n

I was very impressed with this laptop when I first saw one and I had thought of all the times when an Air would be so nice to have. Notably, you couldn’t have a better bus laptop or blogging and surfing on the couch.

\n

I’ll be installing software for a while now. 🙂

\n", "date_published": "2011-01-02T01:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2011/01/02/happy-birthday-macbook.html", "tags": ["Technology","Apple"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2010/12/19/smaller-desktop-footprint.html", "title": "Smaller Desktop Footprint", "content_html": "

For many years now I have sat down at my desk in front of giant monitors. I’ve wanted to become more nomadic in my computing and am going to try to ween myself off of a big 30" external monitor. This will be my setup for the next few weeks.

\n\"Wood\n", "date_published": "2010-12-19T01:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2010/12/19/smaller-desktop-footprint.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2010/12/16/got-my-glif.html", "title": "Got my Glif!", "content_html": "

My Glif arrived in the mail today! I was one of the many backers on their Kickstarter campaign. This little widget is to allow you to place your iPhone 4 in all sorts of interesting ways, including putting it on a tripod.

\n\"Glif\n

I already used it to tilt the iPhone up while displaying a recipe on the kitchen counter.

\n", "date_published": "2010-12-16T01:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2010/12/16/got-my-glif.html", "tags": ["Technology","Apple"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2010/12/14/omnifocus-and-sync.html", "title": "OmniFocus and Sync Server Possibilities", "content_html": "

I often like to dream that I get to wave a magic wand and influence the future product plans of software that I use. I’ve been a constant user of OmniFocus since the very first release on the Mac. I jumped right in when the iPhone version came out and eagerly grabbed the iPad version when it was released.

\n\"Purple\n

A while back Omni started to host their own Omni Sync Server for OmniFocus. Before that, you had to use MobileMe, WebDAV or some other wonky stuff. I used MobileMe for a long time to sync multiple instances of OmniFocus on different Macs as well as my iPhone. I’ve had as many as five separate installs of OmniFocus running and synchronizing and OmniFocus has done a great job making it all seamlessly work.

\n

When the Omni Sync Server was released it made my head buzz with a handful of things that I really wished that I could do with it. Let me take the three ideas that I can’t get out of my head and share them with some hope that Ken Case and the Omni team will think they are awesome and run with it. :-)

\n

OmniFocus for Web

\n

Since my OmniFocus data is on the Omni Sync Server, I would really like to have a HTML browser-based version of OmniFocus that I can get to from any web browser and manage tasks. Why? There are a few reasons.

\n\"Purple\n

Even though I have OmniFocus on my Macs, my iPhone and my iPad there are still times that I’m at a computer that isn’t mine and I would really like to get a full desktop-like experience to work on some stuff.

\n

With that being said, I think the biggest reason to do this would be to reach non-Mac users. The iPhone and iPad versions of OmniFocus are awesome, but I would hesitate to recommend it only on those devices. I have friends that use Windows and if there was a web version it would give them a place to go during the workday and hammer away on things.

\n

This could also turn into the hub for managing devices that you are synchronizing with, and a wonderful way to manage any data inconsistencies that may pop up. It could also be a great partner to OmniFocus on all platforms to host documents in the cloud for access anywhere.

\n

Push Notifications

\n

When iOS 4.0 came out OmniFocus immediately started supporting local notifications, which was a step in the right direction. However, it drives me crazy. Here is the problem.

\n

Assume I have a task due at 4:30p and I do it at 2:00p on my Mac. I switch over to OmniFocus (which is open all the time) and mark the task as complete. A couple of hours later I’m getting ready to go and my iPhone is displaying an alert because I didn’t get the task done. Since I haven’t opened OmniFocus on my iPhone and done a synchronize it didn’t know this alert wasn’t correct, the task is completed.

\n

I really think that Omni Group needs to jump in and deal with this using real push notifications. The sync server should be the one to send those notices, and it would have the current state and know that that earlier task has already been completed. There is no need to notify me. This could also be used to dynamically change the badge count to show the real number of tasks due without me even opening OmniFocus. That is another pet peeve. At 9am OmniFocus will say there are 3 tasks to do, when I open it and it walks through the data I really have 14 tasks. I really want the badge number to be right at all times, regardless of when OmniFocus was last launched.

\n

(While at it all of the weird calendar synchronization stuff in OmniFocus could be removed and the server could just host an iCal feed I could subscribe to.)

\n

Web API

\n

My last big, big hope is to have a web-based API to get access to OmniFocus. OmniFocus is scriptable using AppleScript, but that doesn’t work for the types of actions I want to use it with.

\n

My hope here is to be able to merge cron, a bunch of bash, Ruby or Perl code along with curl to create tasks.

\n

Some scenarios:

\n\n

You get the idea. I think the interface should be simple. Probably should use JSON to transfer data around. Should support HTTPS. Should allow read and write.

\n

This would be really fun, and I think that the creative solutions built around it would go beyond what anyone imagines now.

\n

There is more…

\n

Those three things are the big ones that I want out of the Omni Sync Server. There are more things that I would like to be able to do with it.

\n\n

I realize doing any of this would likely mean that OmniFocus would have to stop supporting the other synchronization methods. That doesn’t bother me. I would still have the data locally. And the added benefits, particularly with an API, would be huge wins.

\n

That’s that. So what do you say Ken Case? OmniFocus 2.0? :-)

\n", "date_published": "2010-12-14T01:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2010/12/14/omnifocus-and-sync.html", "tags": ["Productivity","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2010/12/10/attract-customers-with.html", "title": "Attract Customers with WiFi Name", "content_html": "

A while back we were traveling and I noticed that this coffee shop, Kavarna, didn’t just have its name in its WiFi network as most do. They smartly were telling anyone that could see the WiFi signal to come on in and use the network.

\n\"iPhone\n

Smart. More places should do this. How about “Free Refills” in your WiFi network name?

\n", "date_published": "2010-12-10T01:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2010/12/10/attract-customers-with.html", "tags": ["Technology","Work"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2010/11/22/upgrade-bonanza.html", "title": "Upgrade Bonanza!", "content_html": "

Some of you reading this realize how much I like to upgrade things. I really do. I’m not saying it is wise, but I feel a nearly unstoppable urge to upgrade as soon as I can. And my favorite kind of upgrade? Firmware. Upgrading firmware is absolutely delicious.

\n

Tonight was a marvelous feast. Upgrading iOS on an iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS, two iPad’s and two 2nd generation Apple TV’s. Just great!

\n", "date_published": "2010-11-22T01:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2010/11/22/upgrade-bonanza.html", "tags": ["Technology","Apple"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2010/11/11/dental-wifi.html", "content_html": "

My dentist has a guest WiFi network. For some reason this surprises me.\nStream a movie rental while I’m “in the chair”?

\n", "date_published": "2010-11-11T01:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2010/11/11/dental-wifi.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2010/11/03/just-added-my.html", "content_html": "

Just added my 100th web login to 1Password.

\n", "date_published": "2010-11-02T19:45:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2010/11/02/just-added-my.html", "tags": ["Technology","Privacy \u0026 Security"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2010/10/09/finished-monthly-update.html", "content_html": "

Finished monthly update of offline backups. 4 TB safe and sound.

\n", "date_published": "2010-10-08T23:14:22-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2010/10/08/finished-monthly-update.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2010/09/13/turning-off-google.html", "content_html": "

Turning off Google Instant. That feels much, much better.

\n", "date_published": "2010-09-13T13:20:33-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2010/09/13/turning-off-google.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2010/09/08/first-impression-of.html", "content_html": "

First impression of Google Streaming Search: hate it. Distracting, clunky. It’s like someone not allowing me to finish a sentence.

\n", "date_published": "2010-09-08T13:19:42-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2010/09/08/first-impression-of.html", "tags": ["Software Development","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2010/08/01/just-setup-my.html", "content_html": "

Just setup my Magic Trackpad. Will take some getting used to, but has promise. See if I can replace my 10+ year Kensington Trackball run.

\n", "date_published": "2010-07-31T19:42:16-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2010/07/31/just-setup-my.html", "tags": ["Technology","Apple"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2010/07/23/moving-about-tb.html", "content_html": "

Moving about 2.5TB of data to the new LaCie 4Big drive. This is going to take a while. :-)

\n", "date_published": "2010-07-22T22:42:25-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2010/07/22/moving-about-tb.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2010/07/23/installing-dozens-of.html", "content_html": "

Installing dozens of apps on my new MacBook Pro. Nice and fast!

\n", "date_published": "2010-07-22T22:18:07-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2010/07/22/installing-dozens-of.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2010/07/23/010431.html", "content_html": "

Trying to figure out if I want to partition this 6TB drive or just have one big volume.

\n\"Mac\n", "date_published": "2010-07-22T20:04:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2010/07/22/010431.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2010/07/17/just-ordered-lacie.html", "content_html": "

Just ordered LaCie 4big 8TB drive to go with new laptop (and an OWC ExpressCard/34 eSATA adapter for speed)

\n", "date_published": "2010-07-16T20:11:23-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2010/07/16/just-ordered-lacie.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2010/07/17/just-ordered-my.html", "content_html": "

Just ordered my new laptop. 17" MacBook Pro, loaded.

\n", "date_published": "2010-07-16T19:40:42-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2010/07/16/just-ordered-my.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2010/06/14/anyone-out-there.html", "content_html": "

Anyone out there with personal experience using an eSATA ExpressCard adapter on a MacBook Pro? I’d love to hear what card and if it works?

\n

This OWC eSATA adapter seems to be a winner. No drivers. Bootable. 64-bit happy. Paired with Lacie 4Big should be good.

\n", "date_published": "2010-06-13T23:06:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2010/06/13/anyone-out-there.html", "tags": ["Technology","Apple"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2010/04/17/please-rate-me.html", "title": "Please Rate Me", "content_html": "

Annoying behavior to game the ratings in the AppStore.

\n\"Groupon\n", "date_published": "2010-04-17T00:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2010/04/17/please-rate-me.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2010/03/12/ipad-ordered.html", "title": "iPad Ordered!", "content_html": "

Placed the order this morning for the iPad and am excited to see the future of touch computing in early April. I wasn’t sure what one to get, so I decided to go in the middle with the 32 GB. It is hard to know how much space we will want on these devices.

\n\"Shopping\n", "date_published": "2010-03-12T01:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2010/03/12/ipad-ordered.html", "tags": ["Technology","Apple"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2010/03/09/democratization-of-media.html", "content_html": "

Democratization of Media — G. Love and Garrick.

\n\"MINI\n", "date_published": "2010-03-09T01:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2010/03/09/democratization-of-media.html", "tags": ["Music","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2010/02/28/id-really-like.html", "content_html": "

I’d really like a new MacBook Pro to have Core i7 and two eSATA-II ports. I’m planning on going laptop only very soon.

\n", "date_published": "2010-02-28T00:07:22-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2010/02/27/id-really-like.html", "tags": ["Technology","Apple"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2010/02/28/im-considering-one.html", "content_html": "

I’m considering one of the LaCie 4big Quadra units. Anyone have one of these?

\n", "date_published": "2010-02-27T23:51:36-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2010/02/27/im-considering-one.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2010/02/27/macbook-hopes.html", "content_html": "

I’d really like a new MacBook Pro to have Core i7 and two eSATA-II ports. I’m planning on going laptop only very soon.

\n", "date_published": "2010-02-27T01:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2010/02/27/macbook-hopes.html", "tags": ["Technology","Apple"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2010/02/07/why-do-people.html", "content_html": "

Why do people on eBay think that I will add a Buy-It-Now price when I specifically listed it without one. C’mon!

\n", "date_published": "2010-02-06T22:42:49-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2010/02/06/why-do-people.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2010/01/30/putting-my-pleo.html", "content_html": "

Putting my Pleo (s/n 1650) on eBay. Sort of sad for the little guy.

\n", "date_published": "2010-01-30T17:33:20-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2010/01/30/putting-my-pleo.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2010/01/23/played-with-twilio.html", "content_html": "

Played with Twilio today. Impressed.

\n", "date_published": "2010-01-22T21:06:33-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2010/01/22/played-with-twilio.html", "tags": ["Software Development","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2009/12/19/081807.html", "content_html": "

Drobo problems: Does not properly sleep/wake with Mac Pro, and under heavy load will randomly reboot itself.

\n", "date_published": "2009-12-19T08:18:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2009/12/19/081807.html", "tags": ["Technology","Apple"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2009/12/10/a-minute-call.html", "content_html": "

A 35 minute call to Australia cost me $122.15 from AT&T! I realize it’s international, but that is shocking! Also exceeded my text allowance by 2x. Brutal AT&T bill this month.

\n", "date_published": "2009-12-10T20:48:12-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2009/12/10/a-minute-call.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2009/11/24/just-got-chrome.html", "content_html": "

Just got Chrome OS running in Parallels 5 to play with it. Nifty.

\n", "date_published": "2009-11-23T20:41:08-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2009/11/23/just-got-chrome.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2009/11/11/im-an-avid.html", "content_html": "

I’m an avid Safari user, and when I launch Firefox I wonder if they are purposefully making it ugly. Can someone please clean it up?

\n", "date_published": "2009-11-10T22:52:45-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2009/11/10/im-an-avid.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2009/11/11/with-apple-and.html", "content_html": "

With Apple and Google getting less cozy, how long until Safari allows easy switching away from Google for search bar?

\n", "date_published": "2009-11-10T22:40:10-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2009/11/10/with-apple-and.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2009/11/11/what-the-bing.html", "content_html": "

What the… Bing is indexing one of my websites which has an explicit robots disallow. C’mon people!

\n", "date_published": "2009-11-10T21:57:40-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2009/11/10/what-the-bing.html", "tags": ["Software Development","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2009/11/11/upgrading-my-vista.html", "content_html": "

Upgrading my Vista license to Windows 7 is going to cost me $200? What the? Someone at Microsoft needs to look at Mac OS X pricing.

\n", "date_published": "2009-11-10T21:01:25-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2009/11/10/upgrading-my-vista.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2009/11/09/ugly-bug-in.html", "title": "Ugly Bug in Mac OS X Address Book?", "content_html": "

I don’t have an official bug report for this but I’m seeing a very ugly bug in Mac OS X Address Book or some part of the applications that work with its data. In short, it seems that in some situations Address Book can duplicate all the images associated with contacts, multiple times.

\n

I keep really important data in my Address Book and as a result I do a weekly manual backup in addition to Time Machine backups. Look at the size of my weekly backups in this screenshot.

\n\"File\n

In a two-week period the duplication happened multiple times. From October 24 to October 30 it happened twice increasing the size of all images from 17 to 34MB and then again from 34 to 64MB. It happened again doubling from 64M to 120MB! The culprit here are the images associated with contacts and stored in ~/Library/Application Support/AddressBook/Images. This behavior is on my Mac Pro which is synchronized with MobileMe to my MacBook Pro and iPhone. However, the error isn’t the same on all synchronized Macs. Looking in the images directory on my Mac Pro there is 130.5MB of data with 8,782 files.

\n\"Mac\n

The same folder on my MacBook Pro is much smaller at 17.9MB with 1,222 items, however even that is too many.

\n\"Mac\n

To put this into context my address book has 979 cards in it and I tend to associate an image with most entries. Sadly when I look at the images directory manually even the one on my MacBook Pro has duplicated once.

\n

It is very hard to figure out what is going on that directory since the file names are all just random GUIDs. The best way I’ve found is to sort by file size which usually puts the duplicate files right next to each other. It seems likely that these extra files are just ignored, but they are taking up a lot of space and I worry will lead to eventual corruption.

\n

If you use MobileMe I’ve found a way to fix this. Do a Reset Sync data and choose to replace your content on your computer with the data from MobileMe. After doing that my images directory is healthy at 11.9MB with 757 items in it.

\n\"Mac\n

Strange and concerning behavior. Does anyone else see this behavior?

\n", "date_published": "2009-11-09T01:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2009/11/09/ugly-bug-in.html", "tags": ["Technology","Apple"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2009/10/22/welcome-windows.html", "content_html": "

Happy Birthday to Microsoft [Windows 7]!

\n\"White\n", "date_published": "2009-10-22T00:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2009/10/22/welcome-windows.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2009/10/11/just-listened-to.html", "content_html": "

Just listened to Steve Earle’s appearance on KQED’s Forum. Great interview.

\n", "date_published": "2009-10-10T19:19:34-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2009/10/10/just-listened-to.html", "tags": ["Music","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2009/09/29/drobo-scares.html", "content_html": "\"Drobo\n

Just sitting here working away with some reasonably heavy I/O operations on my Drobo and it spontaneously rebooted itself. Yikes.

\n", "date_published": "2009-09-29T00:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2009/09/29/drobo-scares.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2009/09/09/fancy-flash-websites.html", "title": "Fancy Flash Websites on the iPhone", "content_html": "

There are a bunch of reasons that you shouldn’t have a website that is just one big flash application. Here is one simple one. The other day we were thinking of going to Tejas for lunch and wanted to check their hours. Simple enough. So I brought up their website on my iPhone. This is what I got.

\n\"iPhone\n

Needless to say, totally and completely useless. In fact, it took me a while to even realize if I was on the right website. At least have the header, or something at all, in HTML! We went somewhere else.

\n", "date_published": "2009-09-09T00:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2009/09/09/fancy-flash-websites.html", "tags": ["Software Development","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2009/09/09/itunes-removes-old.html", "title": "iTunes 9 Removes Old iPhone Restore Images", "content_html": "

Upon upgrading to iTunes 9 today I noticed that some old iPhone restore images had been dumped in my trash. I’m not real sure where they were being kept before, but the trash now had this stuff in it.

\n\"List\n

Nifty. That cleared up 1,793 MB of storage that was never going to be used again. Especially the files for iPhone 1,1 - a device I don’t even own anymore.

\n", "date_published": "2009-09-09T00:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2009/09/09/itunes-removes-old.html", "tags": ["Technology","Apple"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2009/09/05/itunes-feature-request.html", "title": "iTunes Feature Request: Song Linking", "content_html": "

A couple of weeks ago I was having an email dialog with my friend Dave Oosterhuis about iTunes metadata. We had been discussing the finer points of dealing with duet albums. Are they compilations? No. What artist field do you set? It’s all just a bit annoying for the obsessive-compulsive crowd.

\n

During this exchange he suggested a feature in iTunes that I now really wish I had. If only I would have been able to remain ignorant. His idea is that iTunes should support “song linking”. He isn’t a blogger, so I decided to put this idea out there in the hopes that millions of people on the Internet will barrage Apple with requests to make this happen.

\n

The basic premise behind Song Linking is that sometimes you have more than one copy of the same song, or maybe a just slightly different version of the same song. Immediately the song If I Can’t Change Your Mind by Sugar came to my mind. Sugar was more prolific with singles than most bands. This song appears on their first album, Copper Blue. It then appears again on their Besides collection as well as on The Joke is Always on Us collection. Additionally it is on the Helpless single not to mention that the two different singles titled If I Can’t Change Your Mind with the song appearing once on the ‘yellow cover’ version, and twice on the red cover version. Oh, and just for fun it appears on Bob Mould’s solo album The Silence Between Us. Whew.

\n

So, after all this iTunes looks like this.

\n

\"Multiple-Songs-iTunes-Linking\"

\n

So, what would song linking do? Song Linking would allow to me select multiple songs and then link selected metadata for those songs. The songs would be unchanged in their various album locations, but I could have the option to link play count and last played date. These are not independent songs and when building a smart playlist based on last played date they should be treated as linked. They are independent songs if you are playing any of the albums that they are on.

\n

To link you would simply select any grouping of songs and invoke the link feature. You could then select checkboxes for what metadata to link. This should contain rating, play count, last played date, skip count, last skip date and genre.

\n

Using this feature in the example above, I would be ecstatic to link items 3, 5, 6, 7 and 8 into one set. Items 2 and 4 would be separately linked since they are both solo versions. Item 1 would not be linked since it is a fairly different rendition of the song (as indicated by the different rating I applied). iTunes could show a small chain icon next to the tracks that have links, and on hover could provide links to the linked tracks.

\n

I could see using this feature a fair amount and it would really help make Smart Playlists more effective.

\n", "date_published": "2009-09-05T00:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2009/09/05/itunes-feature-request.html", "tags": ["Music","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2009/09/03/no-content-found.html", "content_html": "

“Domain names, like ideas, are cheap.” — me

\n", "date_published": "2009-09-03T00:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2009/09/03/no-content-found.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2009/08/30/windows-tax.html", "content_html": "\"Windows\n

We have been in Lignite, ND this weekend visiting my family. It’s really nice to see everyone. In addition to great relatives, I’ve had less stellar visits with a couple of Windows XP machines that needed various levels of help. Mostly cleaning up junk and updating things, however, my aunt had a full blown spyware infestation that was fairly gnarly. Microsoft owes me about 5 hours of time from this trip.

\n", "date_published": "2009-08-30T00:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2009/08/30/windows-tax.html", "tags": ["Family","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2009/08/12/dropping-the-www.html", "title": "Dropping the www", "content_html": "

I’ve debated this many times, but finally decided to pull the trigger and remove the “www.” prefix from my website. This really isn’t anything that anybody need worry about. You will be redirected as appropriate to the right spot. I’ve been hesitant to drop the www because the search engines see it as www.thingelstad.com, not thingelstad.com. However, Google Webmaster tools seems to make this an easy change.

\n

So, away with the “www.”

\n", "date_published": "2009-08-12T00:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2009/08/12/dropping-the-www.html", "tags": ["Software Development","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2009/07/30/my-solution-for.html", "title": "My Solution for Microsoft to Get Nerds Back", "content_html": "

I was catching up on my Daring Fireball feed today and saw that John Gruber had put together a longer post on Microsoft’s earnings shortfall. It’s a worthwhile read, and I think that Gruber is correct in suggesting that Microsoft has begun a very difficult time and is going to be there for a while.

\n
\n

Today that is simply no longer the case. Microsoft has lost all but a\nsliver of this entire market. People who love computers overwhelmingly\nprefer to use a Mac today. Microsoft’s core problem is that they\nhave lost the hearts of computer enthusiasts. (Emphasis mine)\nRegular people don’t think about their choice of computer platform in\ndetail and with passion like nerds do because, duh, they are not\nnerds. But nerds are leading indicators.

\n
\n

Now, let me be particularly cautious here. This is combustible territory I realize. A couple of months ago I was asked by a couple of people for my opinion of what Microsoft should do to change direction. After considering it for a while I came up with a simple two step plan that would make me think that something big had happened at Microsoft.

\n

Neither of these two steps I’m going to suggest are things that average consumers would notice, or even really care about. My point, agreeing with Gruber, is to do something that will get the nerds to take notice. However, before proceeding, let me come clean that I have been a huge Microsoft advocate. MarketWatch.com is one of the largest financial websites on the Internet, and is entirely built on Windows technology. I’ve advocated with people the benefits of Windows development environments. I’ve even been quoted in Microsoft case studies. With all that said, I can’t imagine using Windows in a new company, and I haven’t seen an early stage company using Windows for years now.

\n

Unix Has Won

\n

My first suggestion for Microsoft is to wave the white flag on the NT kernel. Dump it. Dump it and replace it with a Linux, BSD, Mach or other Unix-type kernel. I’m not going to get into arguments about the benefits of the NT kernel and its VMS lineage. This isn’t a point of threading models or memory management. My point is both a technical and cultural one. It seems unnecessary to continue to shoulder the burden of the NT kernel. Move to an open-source Linux kernel and stop carrying all the water yourself.

\n

What happens with Windows? Not much for the user. Microsoft should do what Apple did when it made Mac OS X. Wholesale change the kernel but keep the user experience pretty much the same. The engine is new and different, but users don’t need to know that. Meanwhile, the nerds of the world can enjoy a native shell with the thousands of Unix executables available native on the platform.

\n

If you’re saying to yourself “Jamie, the kernel is not Microsoft’s problem!” you are likely right. I’m not suggesting that blue screens of death are regular and that the kernel is broken. I’m suggesting that Microsoft needs to adopt a new culture, a new perspective on software. They need to force themselves onto a new path that acknowledges what has happened in the open-source world for the last 20 years. Adopting an open-source Unix style kernel would send a very clear, and very loud message that things have changed. That the future is going to be different. A new path is being broken.

\n

Stop Fighting the Web Browsers

\n

My second suggestion rings similar to the first, but is in a different area. I’m not going to suggest that Microsoft should abandon Internet Explorer. They can and should do what they can to make a great browser that works amazingly in Windows. Internet Explorer should be that. However, they should immediately ditch the rendering engine in IE and move to one of the open-source ones. WebKit, Gecko, anything other than Trident (or MSHTML).

\n

The nerds of the world, the ones that build the websites that everyone uses, know intimately how bad Internet Explorer is. At this point, IE’s lack of compliance and its adoption of web standards is so poor that I would argue they are impeding the progress of the web. Ask any web developer and they will tell you how they could make amazingly better sites if only they could rely on the major browsers to behave well. By and large Firefox (Gecko), Safari (WebKit), Chrome (WebKit) all do. Even Opera (Presto). But Internet Explorer? No way. Microsoft has created a problem for everyone else, and they need to fix it.

\n

Again, changing the rendering engine won’t be noticeable to most people (although when sites work better and load faster they will notice that). This is another move that would signal to the leading part of the technology market, that Microsoft “gets it”. That they have woken from a long slumber and are going to do it right now.

\n

Two Steps, That’s it…

\n

With those two moves Microsoft could wake me up, and I think a lot of other people too. They would embrace the open-source movement. They would stop positioning themselves as them against everyone else in the entire world. And, on top of it they could save money by owning the maintenance of less software, and they would have products that worked better.

\n

Of course, I doubt these things would ever happen. But then again, I also didn’t think Macs would ever have 2-button mice or use Intel chips, and that all came true. Microsoft isn’t a bad company, and they aren’t going away. But they do need to recapture the hearts of people who are passionate about this stuff. This is my recommendation for how they can do that.

\n

Apple’s Two Steps

\n

Friends that have known me for a very long time know that I used to be a Mac guy for many years, and I gave up on Apple completely. I was a Mac user on System 5, System 6 and System 7. I really loved my Macs. But, I bid the platform farewell after experiencing one too many operating system failures. I never looked back and used Windows NT and it’s follow-on versions for a many, many years.

\n

A couple of years ago I converted every computer in the house back to Macs and that is pretty much all I use now. What made me come back? Two things.

\n

First, Apple bought NeXT computer and adopted it’s Mach-based kernel and underlying operating system. They didn’t change the user experience in a major way, but underneath it was all different. A real operating system, that didn’t crash.

\n

The second change was to abandon the Motorola PowerPC processor. Intel was clearly the way to go, but it seemed unlikely that they ever would.

\n

I bought my first Mac again when Mac OS X 10.3 was out. It was still on the Motorola chip, but I took a flyer. Shortly thereafter they moved to Intel chip and I’ve not looked back.

\n

My point in telling this is to highlight how, for me at least, these two changes made all the difference in the world. Perhaps the two changes I’ve outlined above could do the same for Microsoft.

\n", "date_published": "2009-07-30T00:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2009/07/30/my-solution-for.html", "tags": ["MarketWatch","Software Development","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2009/04/22/im-really-struggling.html", "content_html": "

I’m really struggling to get the hang of the Goldtouch Ergo keyboard. The command key is hard to adjust to. The CTRL key is horribly placed.

\n", "date_published": "2009-04-22T13:31:14-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2009/04/22/im-really-struggling.html", "tags": ["Technology","Home"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2009/04/20/oracle-buying-sun.html", "content_html": "

Oracle buying Sun saddens me.

\n

Greed beating passion.

\n", "date_published": "2009-04-20T13:21:27-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2009/04/20/oracle-buying-sun.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2009/04/16/just-had-a.html", "content_html": "

Just had a great work session using OmniGraphSketcher. This program has a lot of potential, still in beta. Hope to see it move fast!

\n", "date_published": "2009-04-16T15:34:12-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2009/04/16/just-had-a.html", "tags": ["Technology","Apple"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2009/04/16/its-funny-to.html", "content_html": "

It’s funny to me that IE8 has moved Windows Update from the Tools menu, to the Safety menu. Be safe!

\n", "date_published": "2009-04-16T10:39:13-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2009/04/16/its-funny-to.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2009/04/11/you-could-spend.html", "content_html": "

You could spend a nearly infinite amount of time goofing around with Cacti.

\n", "date_published": "2009-04-11T09:52:29-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2009/04/11/you-could-spend.html", "tags": ["Software Development","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2009/04/07/broinlaw-wants-me.html", "content_html": "

Bro-in-law wants me to help him find a good Windows box. There are none. 🙂 iMac with Boot Camp?

\n", "date_published": "2009-04-06T21:53:35-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2009/04/06/broinlaw-wants-me.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2009/04/02/friendly-social-urls.html", "title": "Friendly Social URLs Using Redirects", "content_html": "

Have you ever thought it would be nice to be able to easily give someone the URL to your Facebook profile? It’s not easy with the id number URL that Facebook uses. Just try saying “go to facebook dot com slash profile dot php question mark id equals six hundred and five million seven hundred seventy six thousand fifty seven”. Bzzzt, nope. Even something as easy as a custom URL for LinkedIn can be hard to remember. It hit me the other day that there is a really easy solution to this!

\n

If you have your own domain name, and host the DNS somewhere, you are almost guaranteed to be able to easily create URL redirects. I use Namecheap and it is very easy to do. I created these URL redirects to make it a lot easier to tell people where to find me!

\n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n
FriendlyDestination
facebook.thingelstad.comwww.facebook.com/profile.p…
flickr.thingelstad.comwww.flickr.com/photos/jt…
linkedin.thingelstad.comwww.linkedin.com/in/jthing…
reader.thingelstad.comwww.google.com/reader/sh…
twitter.thingelstad.comtwitter.com/thingles
\n

It’s so much easier to say “Just go to flickr.thingelstad.com” to see my pictures on Flickr! Or “go to facebook.thingelstad.com”. Even Twitter allows people to just know my name, and not need to remember my Twitter username, and just go to twitter.thingelstad.com!

\n

Nice huh? I like it.

\n", "date_published": "2009-04-02T00:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2009/04/02/friendly-social-urls.html", "tags": ["Technology","Social Media"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2009/04/01/installers-are-evil.html", "content_html": "

Installers are evil. I have no idea what voodoo they do, and I’m sure there is voodoo. Everything should be drag & drop install.

\n", "date_published": "2009-04-01T18:39:14-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2009/04/01/installers-are-evil.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2009/04/01/i-thought-i.html", "content_html": "

I thought I had IE8 installed but now Windows Update has insisted on uninstalling whatever I had, rebooting, and installing IE8. Sigh…

\n", "date_published": "2009-04-01T18:37:34-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2009/04/01/i-thought-i.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2009/03/27/185346.html", "content_html": "

We need a website that ranks coffee shops on reliability and speed of their Internet connections. coffeebits.com?

\n", "date_published": "2009-03-27T13:53:46-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2009/03/27/185346.html", "tags": ["Coffee","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2009/03/19/second-step-in.html", "content_html": "\n", "date_published": "2009-03-19T10:10:49-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2009/03/19/second-step-in.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2009/03/13/in-the-room.html", "content_html": "

In the room at the U of M where I first met the Internet. I feel like I should have brought a gift or something.

\n", "date_published": "2009-03-13T13:04:40-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2009/03/13/in-the-room.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2009/03/13/i-kind-of.html", "content_html": "

I kind of like Safari 4’s tab placement. Don’t hate me for it.

\n", "date_published": "2009-03-12T21:04:22-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2009/03/12/i-kind-of.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2009/03/08/scheduling-help-when.html", "title": "Scheduling Help: When Is Good", "content_html": "\"Green\n

Like all of you reading this, I have some things that I just hate to do. It’s not that they are particularly difficult, I just find them irrationally frustrating. Probably at the top of my list is scheduling things. Here is how I typically end up scheduling something with some buddies.

\n
\n

Me: How about Monday or Thursday night?  \nThem: Oh, man, those don’t work. What about Tuesday?  \nMe: No can do, busy then. What about Friday?  \nThem: No, that won’t work either.  \nMe: Forget it. This sucks. Later.

\n
\n

The extension of this are all the emails about times that are open that swirl and get no conclusion. Add more than two people to this and you reach a point of frustration even faster. I’ve long wished that there was a drop-dead simple tool on the web allowing people to collaborate on times to get together. And now there is!

\n

When is Good?

\n\"Weekly\n

When is Good is just such a tool. It is painfully easy. It doesn’t even require you to register to use it. You can zone out times that work to get a group together and then everyone else can filter those zones down using a 1-click web interface and at the end you’ve found the times that work for everyone. Brilliant!

\n

I think that they are building this service the absolute right way. They are adding more features incrementally but just focusing on making the first thing work really well. You can get absolutely killed in complexity in calendaring dealing with iCal files and syncing. Nothing like that here, just find the time that works for people.

\n

Hopefully When is Good will let me get things scheduled with people and keep my blood pressure down at the same time.

\n", "date_published": "2009-03-08T01:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2009/03/08/scheduling-help-when.html", "tags": ["Productivity","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2009/03/05/graffletopia.html", "content_html": "

Graffletopia ← Using OmniGraffle? Need stencils? Stop your search, here they are. Wow.

\n", "date_published": "2009-03-05T01:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2009/03/05/graffletopia.html", "tags": ["Productivity","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2009/03/02/omnigraffle-scripts.html", "title": "OmniGraffle Scripts", "content_html": "

OmniGraffle Scripts ← Several scripts by Peter McMaster that help do some nice things, like drawing arcs, in OmniGraffle.

\n", "date_published": "2009-03-02T01:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2009/03/02/omnigraffle-scripts.html", "tags": ["Productivity","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2009/02/12/flashback-bigcharts-partnership.html", "title": "Flashback: BigCharts Partnership Portfolio from 1997", "content_html": "

We recently converted my home office to hardwood flooring from carpet. Doing this required that the room be emptied, including a big filing cabinet. I decided it was time to do a filter through that filing cabinet and found some fun things from a many years ago. One of those items was the BigCharts Partnership Portfolio from 1997-1998. This was a printed, high-gloss, portfolio item that we shared with clients so they could see how people were using the products. It’s pretty fun to see all these screen shots of sites (many of which are long gone now) from a decade ago. I scanned a copy so others could enjoy.

\n
\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"
\n

Some highlights that gave me a chuckle:

\n\n", "date_published": "2009-02-12T01:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2009/02/12/flashback-bigcharts-partnership.html", "tags": ["BigCharts","MarketWatch","Technology","Work"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2009/02/04/the-turning-gate.html", "content_html": "

The Turning Gate Lightroom Web Galleries ← Nice set of additional web galleries that can be added to Lightroom.

\n", "date_published": "2009-02-04T01:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2009/02/04/the-turning-gate.html", "tags": ["Photography","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2009/02/03/google-forcing-software.html", "title": "Google Forcing Software Update Install", "content_html": "

I just upgraded to the new Google Earth 5.0 beta and was really surprised when I first launched it to get this dialog.

\n\"Dialog\n

The problem with this are the options. So, I get to either install Google Software Update, or Quit Google Earth. Where is the button saying “Decline” and allow me to just happily run my software and update it myself. Smells a lot like Microsoft. The last paragraph of the text is the worst (highlighting is my addition).

\n
\n

To continue using Google Earth, you must accept the new Google privacy policies and allow Google Software Update to run in the background on your computer.

\n
\n

I may have to remove Google Earth and bid this thing farewell. Google, you must accept that people have the right to choose what software they allow to run on their computer. It’s my computer, not yours. Get back! I didn’t read the new privacy policies, almost scared to look in there. What else does this Google Software Update do while running in the background?

\n", "date_published": "2009-02-03T01:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2009/02/03/google-forcing-software.html", "tags": ["Technology","Privacy \u0026 Security"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2009/02/03/wintergreen-photography-workshop.html", "title": "Wintergreen Photography Workshop in Google Earth", "content_html": "

I just pulled the data out of my Garmin GPSmap 60CSx from my dog sledding trip. I just love being able to go into the wilderness and just drop my GPS somewhere with a little visibility and get a perfect track log. I fired up GPS Babel and got the data into KML format and you can now see it in Google Earth, check out Wintergreen 2009 Photography Workshop in Google Earth.

\n

\"Wintergreen-2009-KML-Snapshot.png\"

\n

If you don’t have Google Earth installed, you can see it in Google Maps using your browser too.

\n", "date_published": "2009-02-03T01:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2009/02/03/wintergreen-photography-workshop.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2009/01/26/i-am-here.html", "content_html": "

I Am Here: One Man’s Experiment With the Location-Aware Lifestyle ← I’ve done some playing with location-aware applications, mostly Brightkite, and this article rang true to some of the thoughts and challenges I had with them as well. Location-awareness brings a new dimension to the web, but it will take some time to figure out how to do it right. His example of how easily he was able to find out where a woman he saw taking pictures in the park lived is an eye opener.

\n

Found via GrumbleDroid by Tim Bray.

\n", "date_published": "2009-01-26T01:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2009/01/26/i-am-here.html", "tags": ["Technology","Privacy \u0026 Security"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2009/01/19/i-use-opendns.html", "title": "I use OpenDNS, and you should too!", "content_html": "\"OpenDNS\n

A few months ago I switched my home network to using OpenDNS for domain name lookups. Prior to that I had typically ran my own DNS server on my home LAN. This was a near requirement for me because I hosted some of my sites at my house and I needed to resolve them to private addresses when on the home LAN, blah. It was annoying. I no longer do that, and no longer need to run my own DNS, and good riddance.

\n

Note, if you don’t know what DNS is, or what name resolution is, you can probably stop reading now. ;-) If you are interested to learn more the DNS page on Wikipedia will get you started. Read it and then proceed. DNS is to the Internet like legs shoes are to walking.

\n

I relied for a bit on Comcast’s DNS servers and they were fine but they didn’t give me any added value. I poked around and found OpenDNS and it looked really promising. I posted on Twitter about it and found a handful of friends of mine that are technical rockstars and had been happily using it for a long time. I guess I was slow to the party.

\n

Anyway, after using OpenDNS for a while now I strongly endorse it. I would go so far as to suggest that anyone with the option of flipping DNS providers should switch to it. Some reasons.

\n

Content Filtering

\n

When you start using OpenDNS you create an account and you can manage how DNS requests should be handled. OpenDNS has a whole set of content filtering options and everyone should ask it to filter Phishing sites. Phishing sites have gotten incredibly good, and I love the fact that OpenDNS will simply not allow a computer on my network to go to a site marked as a phishing site. This alone is worth the switch.

\n

The options are numerous for filtering. You can be as strict or open as you like. I think this is a great place to implement this sort of policy on a home network. No software to maintain, it just works and keeps working. This is how parental controls and basic Internet safety should be done.

\n

Statistics

\n

OpenDNS makes it really easy to get information on DNS requests. You can get a cool graph like this.

\n\"Line\n

Okay, that is cool because it is a graph and all graphs are cool. But it is also useful. Let’s say that you got a virus or spambot on one of your computers. You would possibly notice a large spike in the number of DNS requests being issued. Sudden and large changes in that graph indicate something unusual is going on somewhere.

\n

Other Stuff

\n

To me this is enough to justify the switch to a wonderful free service. There are some other things that it does that may be cool. It allows you to great shortcuts, so in my house if you type “thing” into a browser it will turn that into “thingelstad.com” or “goog” into “www.google.com”. Firefox can do that too, but having it at the DNS level is nifty since it works everywhere (iPhone, Wii).

\n

It’s free, you just create an account and change your router to start using the OpenDNS servers!

\n", "date_published": "2009-01-19T01:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2009/01/19/i-use-opendns.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2009/01/16/itunes-tip-using.html", "title": "iTunes Tip: Using a \"No Playlist\" Playlist", "content_html": "\"iTunes\n

I have all of my music in iTunes and it is my central hub for distributing nearly all content to various iPods, iPhones and Apple TV’s throughout the house and on-the-go. In my iTunes library, as of right now, I have 18,439 items totaling over 65 days of continuous music without any repeats. The only way to get the most out of a really large music collection is to leverage Smart Playlists extensively, and I do.

\n

I have dozens of Smart Playlists to listen to all kinds of slices of my music archive. Creating these Smart Playlists involves setting the criteria of what I want in the playlist, but also, what I don’t want in the playlist. For example, unless the playlist is for Mazie’s enjoyment, I don’t want any Children’s Music in it. Similarly, unless the playlist is for the holidays, I don’t want Christmas music popping up. Sure, it’s a 5-star Christmas song, but that doesn’t mean I want to hear it in my 5-star Smart Playlist in July.

\n

So, I started by having a lot of repeated rules in my Smart Playlists and having to update dozens of things anytime some of my criteria changed. After dealing with that, I figured out a way to be a lot smarter about my Smart Playlists. Use a Smart Playlist to remove the stuff you don’t want in other Smart Playlists.

\n

“No Playlist” Playlist

\n

To do this you first need to create your No Playlist Playlist. This could be called a “blacklist” of songs, but that seems more like unchecking songs. This is more a greylist of songs you only want to hear when you are specifically looking to hear them, regardless of their other qualities. Just create a Smart Playlist and make sure to change the match criteria to “any” or you will likely not have any matches. Also, it’s a good idea to uncheck the “Match only checked items” checkbox. If you don’t, and have other Smart Playlists that don’t check that, you will let some stuff through.

\n

I have mine setup like this:

\n\"iTunes\n

This creates my No Playlist Playlist with all Children’s Music, Radio content (archived episodes of This American Life mostly) and Holiday music. I’ve now got a good list. So, next I take my Smart Playlist of “Music from the ‘80’s”. Clearly I want all my great high school favorites, but I don’t want Mazie’s Red Grammer album showing up in there, or any other stuff from my No Playlist Playlist. So a simple rule as follows will keep it right (see the last criteria).

\n\"iTunes\n

Now, the reason this is great is that I’ve now abstracted that rule into another set of conditions. So, if I forget one, like Comedy, that should be excluded from dozens of playlist I can simply change my No Playlist Playlist and it’s all better. I could even get funky with this and exclude tracks that were played within the last day or so, forcing rotation through other playlists without doing the work in each and every Smart Playlist.

\n

Cool, huh?

\n", "date_published": "2009-01-16T01:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2009/01/16/itunes-tip-using.html", "tags": ["Music","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2009/01/15/hd.html", "content_html": "

I wonder how long the HD acronym will be around. At some point it will just be the default right?

\n", "date_published": "2009-01-15T01:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2009/01/15/hd.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2009/01/14/mobileme-sync-loves.html", "title": "MobileMe Sync Loves Apple, Inc.", "content_html": "\"List\nI was really hoping that the 10.5.6 Mac OS X update, which promised nice\nimprovements to MobileMe sync, would solve this incredibly annoying\nproblem that I've had for a long time with MobileMe. I'm not exactly\nsure what is going on, but for some reason the Address Book entry for\nApple, Inc. replicates itself. Again. And again. And again.\n

I’ve yet to identify the pattern, or a possible solution. I routinely, at least weekly, will launch address book and select several Apple, Inc. address book entries and then select Merge Selected Cards to consolidate them back to one. Wait a few more days and I’ll have multiple entries again.

\n

This seems to be a special case with this card. It doesn’t happen with any other cards that I have. Anyone else see this behavior? Or better, know how to fix it?

\n", "date_published": "2009-01-14T01:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2009/01/14/mobileme-sync-loves.html", "tags": ["Technology","Apple"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2009/01/13/bottle-cap-tripod.html", "title": "Bottle Cap Tripod", "content_html": "\"Compact\n

This is pretty cool. While I’m not going to support anyone using plastic water bottles, if you have something that this mounts to it could be really handy. Someone want to make a version of this that can screw into a SIGG bottle? adaptinstyle:

\n
\n

why carry around a cumbersome tripod when all you want to do is\ncapture a group photo or mount a small video camera for stable\nfilming?

\n

this ingenious little device turns standard water bottles into tripods\nallowing you to setup the perfect shot with physical ease—and what a\nconversation piece!

\n
\n", "date_published": "2009-01-13T01:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2009/01/13/bottle-cap-tripod.html", "tags": ["Photography","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2009/01/13/lightroom-tip-smart.html", "title": "Lightroom Tip: Smart Collection for Pictures Without Location", "content_html": "

Lightroom 2 introduced a badly needed feature, Smart Collections. I was ecstatic about using Smart Collections to assist with workflow. One of those workflows I’ve been working on has been adding IPTC location data to my photos, essentially setting the Country, State, City and Location for photos. It would be great to create a Smart Collection that included all photos that do not have location details and then just work through it with photos automatically being removed after adding the information. You can try this by creating a Smart Collection like this:

\n\"Lightroom\n

But, it won’t work. Lightroom doesn’t have an operator “is blank”. The next best thing is to just do “is” and set the value to nothing, but Lightroom doesn’t honor this and just assumes you made a mistake. I stopped here for a long time and just assumed what I wanted to do wasn’t possible. However, then I came up with this workaround:

\n\"Create\n

And this works perfect! Create a smart collection using “doesn’t contain” for each letter in the alphabet and you will get the desired result, all photos that do not have anything in their location. Great!

\n", "date_published": "2009-01-13T01:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2009/01/13/lightroom-tip-smart.html", "tags": ["Photography","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2009/01/10/upgraded-apple-tv.html", "title": "Upgraded Apple TV Hard Drives", "content_html": "

I’ve been really pleased with the newest releases of the Apple TV software. Notably, the incorporation of AirTunes has resulted in me using them a lot more for stand-alone music playback. Contrary to what I’ve said many times in the past, I started to wish that I had more content local on the Apple TV units themselves. Why? A couple of reasons.

\n\n

I decided to take the plunge and do the upgrade. I had read about the procedure and it seemed pretty simple. Certainly way easier than hacking an Xbox. No soldering required here. If you are curious about doing this yourself, I followed the Engadget article on upgrading your Apple TV hard drive. I’ll add some of my own comments on the process below.

\n

First thing, you need some drives. I ordered three of the Western Digital Scorpio Blue 250GB 2.5" PATA drives from NewEgg.

\n\"Three\n

With the drives in hand, it was time to rip open one of the Apple TV’s and give it some bigger storage. This is really the only tricky part of the upgrade, since the Apple TV is not meant to be opened by the end-user.

\n\"Disassembled\n

The process is pretty painless, but I will highlight a couple of things not found in all the How To articles.

\n\n

After doing the first one, the process was really simple and didn’t take long at all. After getting the drive out you have to duplicate the image from the factory installed drive to the new drive. You do this with [dd](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dd_(Unix)). You’ll need to be able to easily connect the drive to a computer. I had a USB adapter that can be connected to a bare drive already so this was easy. The dd step takes a while. It took 2 hours for me to read the drive and make the image, and another two hours to write the image onto the new drive.

\n

Note, some of the write-ups suggest modifying the writing to not write the media files. I just did the entire image. Saving time here was not a priority for me, I wanted the drive exactly the same.

\n

I wimped out and used iPartition to resize the Media partition. That turned a dozen commands into a click of the mouse and a few seconds of drive spinning. I figure I can use iPartition for other things too. After the repartition you just put it all back together and plug it in again.

\n\"First-generation\n

Just like that I had a ton of available storage, and let iTunes spend another few hours filling it up with content.

\n\"Storage\n

I have noticed that iTunes synchronizes things in a specific way when you have a big drive. All of my music is stored locally on each Apple TV, I like that. But priority seems to be given to unwatched TV Shows. There seems to be a rule in the sync that always wants those local if there is space. Probably makes sense, but it does mean that after TV and Music most movies are streaming. I wish there was a way to do something between automatic and custom sync. I’d like to do an automatic sync, but be able to pin a number of things to be local all the time. This would be really great for Mazie’s stuff that she watches repeatedly.

\n

So far everything is great. I did find a bug in the Apple TV software while testing offline use of the Apple TV related to AirTunes. I think having more local content will make the user experience all that better. Plus, I dig the idea of leaving for a trip and just yanking an Apple TV to take along and having so much content with us in a small package.

\n", "date_published": "2009-01-10T01:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2009/01/10/upgraded-apple-tv.html", "tags": ["Technology","Home"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2009/01/09/airtunes-bug-in.html", "title": "AirTunes Bug in Apple TV 2.3", "content_html": "

I was doing some work on my Apple TV’s today, swapping out hard drives, and at the same time we’ve had some painting going on so my 802.11n network has been offline. I got done upgrading the Apple TV and plugged it into ethernet to do an initial sync. Afterwards I put it upstairs where it normally sits on an 802.11n wireless network, but today it’s not connected to anything. That was fine since I wanted to test playing local content.

\n

Mazie wanted to watch a quick show so I fired that up and it worked great, no issues. I decided then to play some music and hit a wall. The Apple TV refused to play any music or audiobooks. At first I thought it was something with FairPlay, even though that made no sense, but I couldn’t even play MP3 files I had ripped off of my own CD’s. Something was amiss.

\n

It hit me then that this Apple TV typically connects to the AirTunes destination for the Living Room, and that with no network connection it wouldn’t be able to see that. Bug! I tested it out and verified that this is indeed a bug in Apple TV 2.3.

\n\"Silver\n

If you have your Apple TV set to play through an AirTunes destination, and you then take the Apple TV off of all networks, it will fail on playback of content that it would typically send to AirTunes (video will work fine since that never goes to AirTunes). Now, what really kills about this bug is that since there is no network the menus have no options to deselect an AirTunes destination. It seemed the only way to get rid of this issue would have been to do a reset, or get it back on a network and deselect the remote speaker destination. Ugly.

\n

I chose to just get it online and deselect the speaker set. Resetting settings would cause me to have to change other things as well. I filed a bug report with Apple, #6484963. Hopefully they will clean this up. It’s not a likely scenario, but I could see it happening particularly if you took an Apple TV to a cabin for the weekend and then wanted to listen to music without a network connection.

\n", "date_published": "2009-01-09T01:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2009/01/09/airtunes-bug-in.html", "tags": ["Technology","Home"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2009/01/08/164400.html", "content_html": "

Midway through upgrading one of my Apple TV’s from 40G to 250G. Easy so far.

\n

The dd steps on Apple TV hard drive upgrades take a long time.

\n", "date_published": "2009-01-08T17:44:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2009/01/08/164400.html", "tags": ["Technology","Home"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2009/01/08/subscribe-fail.html", "content_html": "

Tried to sign up for a trial subscription to JPG\nMagazine today. I don’t think this was the result I\nshould have gotten. The error, and stack trace, is courtesy of CDS\nGlobal.

\n\"CDS\n", "date_published": "2009-01-08T01:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2009/01/08/subscribe-fail.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2009/01/06/bummed-that-slicehost.html", "content_html": "

Bummed that Slicehost doesn’t support IPv6. No AAAA record for me. Lame.

\n", "date_published": "2009-01-06T00:08:16-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2009/01/05/bummed-that-slicehost.html", "tags": ["Software Development","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2009/01/05/mobileme-needs-time.html", "title": "MobileMe Needs Time Machine", "content_html": "

I’m frustrated with MobileMe synchronizing again. I have no idea what happened but around 10:00 am this morning my Address Book has a duplicate everything. All the groups are duplicated, and every contact is duplicated. They are identical, with one exception, the pictures. So now I have 2x the real number of entries and they are all whacky. These are all rolled down to my iPhone already too.

\n

Now, I can get back to healthy pretty easy with Time Machine and I’ve also started doing a weekly archive of my Address Book “just in case”, but I thought syncing for MobileMe was supposed to be improved in 10.5.6?

\n\"MobileMe \n\"Time\n

This made me think, Apple needs to implement Time Machine on MobileMe. I should be able to just login to MobileMe and go back to a few hours and make it all better! MobileMe and Time Machine would be like chocolate and peanut butter. Makes total sense.

\n", "date_published": "2009-01-05T01:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2009/01/05/mobileme-needs-time.html", "tags": ["Technology","Apple"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2008/12/22/fluidapp-makes-pandora.html", "content_html": "

Fluid.app makes Pandora into a standalone app pretty well!

\n", "date_published": "2008-12-22T16:01:06-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2008/12/22/fluidapp-makes-pandora.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2008/12/22/trying-to-figure.html", "content_html": "

If you have a LaserJet 2605dtn and are using Leopard - you need to get firmware 20071108. It will make you much happier.

\n", "date_published": "2008-12-22T12:23:20-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2008/12/22/trying-to-figure.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2008/12/15/macbook-battery-toast.html", "title": "MacBook Battery Toast", "content_html": "

I was just updating our oldest Mac, my original MacBook (black) that is now pretty much Tammy’s laptop. I was upgrading it to 10.5.6 and realized two things.

\n
    \n
  1. \n

    It was way behind in updates. I’m usually so good with this, but 6\nupdates to apply? Yikes!

    \n
    2. \n
  2. \n

    The battery is so wasted that it couldn’t even make it through the\nupdate process. Ouch! I fired up\nCoconutBattery to\nsee how bad it was and promptly ordered a new battery.

    \n
    3. \n
\n\"CoconutBattery\n

184 load cycles and 31 months isn’t horrible though.

\n

New Battery

\n

Took a quick trip to the Apple Store and got a new battery. The old black MacBook is now like new! Actually, better than new looking at the numbers.

\n\"CoconutBattery\n", "date_published": "2008-12-15T01:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2008/12/15/macbook-battery-toast.html", "tags": ["Technology","Apple"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2008/12/12/downloading-a-mb.html", "content_html": "

Downloading a 22.6MB app to decompress a 3.9MB file. This makes sense.

\n", "date_published": "2008-12-12T09:59:04-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2008/12/12/downloading-a-mb.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2008/12/09/mirror-rfid-for.html", "title": "Mir:ror - RFID for the Home", "content_html": "

I’ve been wondering when these little RFID gadgets will start to make a presence in the home. Big companies have done pretty amazing things with their supply chains using RFID, but what use will a geeky household be able to make of RFID. There hasn’t been much.

\n

I was interested to see an email this morning from Violet, the makers of the Nabaztag. This company is definitely “out there”. I’ve tried explaining the Nabaztag to visitors and they just look funny when you tell them “it is a WiFi Rabbit”. Then it starts talking and moving its ears and they really wonder. Both Violet and Ambient Devices, makers of the Ambient Orb, are doing some really interesting things bringing the web into the real world.

\n

Mir:ror is Violet’s newest product. This video explains it best.

\n
\n \n
\n\n

It’s interesting. In essence the stamps are just RFID tags and they have made a consumer friendly RFID reader (the mirror). I can think of a couple of neat things to do with this, particularly if you keyed it with home automation. For example, take your keys and swipe them on the mirror to turn off all the lights in the house when you leave. I would love that.

\n

It will be interesting to see what kind of applications people think of for RFID in the home. This is a cool first step.

\n

Update: My friend John Riedl just posted about this on his blog as well.

\n", "date_published": "2008-12-09T01:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2008/12/09/mirror-rfid-for.html", "tags": ["Videos","Technology","Home"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2008/12/08/204846.html", "content_html": "\n", "date_published": "2008-12-08T21:48:46-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2008/12/08/204846.html", "tags": ["Technology","Home"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2008/12/08/directv-v-itunes.html", "title": "DirecTV v. iTunes \u0026 Apple TV", "content_html": "

I recently was doing a review of some of our monthly expenses. With the economy in the toilet I think this is a pretty common activity. Mainly I wanted to look for things that we weren’t necessarily using, or didn’t think we needed anymore. The trick to doing this exercise is to annualize all the expenses. $50 a month doesn’t sound nearly as expensive as $600 a year.

\n

Mostly everything was fine, but one number jumped out at me in a very big way – DirecTV satellite TV service.

\n

$1,079.88

\n

That is the annualized cost of our DirecTV service. When looking at that number Tammy and I didn’t feel like we got anywhere close to $1,000 of value out of the service. What to do?

\n

What do you want?

\n

To be clear, none of this is stuff that you really need but is instead something we want. So I started by looking at what we actually use the $1,000 of service for.

\n

We are in essence only DVR users. We don’t really ever watch live TV, instead grabbing season passes for the shows that we have decided to watch and then skipping the commercials. This makes it really easy to explore options as our usage is pretty simple. Our TV usage could be broken down as follows:

\n
    \n
  1. Shows that we season pass and watch on our schedule.
    2. \n
  2. Political coverage, breaking news and occasional sporting events – these are all watched in realtime.
    3. \n
  3. European sports coverage: professional cycling and Formula 1.
    4. \n
  4. Rarely we might watch a movie via pay-per-view.
    5. \n
\n

That is really it. To be fair, that $1,000 buys more than just that, but I don’t care since I don’t use it. We use DVR extensively, but almost never to “pause live TV,” instead just to time-shift content. That is an important distinction for us as it removes a key need of DVR that some people have.

\n

Solution: Season Pass Shows

\n

We have three TV’s in the house, they are all Sharp LCD panels, and each one has an Apple TV on it connected to a central iTunes repository. iTunes now offers a decent variety of content so I took the shows that we had season passes for and did a comparison on iTunes. We season pass a total of 13 shows and all but 2 of them were available. The two that were not were both HGTV shows and they have very little on iTunes, and the content was really optional for us.

\n

I then added up the season pass cost for iTunes for each of these shows, calculating it at the cost for the high definition versions of the show (interesting note, you could save even more money by opting out of HD for some shows that you may not care about the quality difference for). The total was:

\n

$647.76

\n

Wow! For our first need I could replace everything that we get now with the same content from iTunes and in the process I can save $432.12. Not only do I save over $400 a year, but I don’t even have to skip commercials since there are none to skip. And there is more. Once the content is in iTunes I can now time shift it like we always do, but I can easily place shift it with my iPhone or iPod. Lastly, I get a better service because the way our house is wired up now I only get HD content downstairs, and with this solution I get HD content for all of these shows.

\n

The story doesn’t end there though. I found that this analysis totally changed the way I was looking at these shows. With DirecTV I have to pay that $1,000 to get into the buffet and then it’s all you can eat from there. Moving to an iTunes solution I was making the decisions independent of a service package or even the network it was on. I found some interesting variances. For example, one of the shows we watch occasionally is Heroes. But Heroes costs $64.99 for the season. I compared that to a show we really like to watch, Boston Legal at $24.99. I would be happy to pay even more for Boston Legal, but there is no way I would pay over $30 for a season of Heroes. Heroes gets cut out. By doing this, the cost of our programming drops another $150-$200 dollars further.

\n

The other big change is how a show like The Daily Show weighs in. You don’t buy a season of The Daily Show, you buy a pack of episodes. The impact of this is that if you stop watching for a month you pay nothing. If they go to reruns for a week you pay nothing. So how do you calculate the cost? I just assumed the worst case of every episode, with all episodes being new every day, all year. If that happened (which it never would), it would cost $119.88 a year for the Daily Show.

\n

On first blush that seems really high, but when I thought about it the real costs would likely be around $80 since there are many rerun periods, and we tend to watch for a while and then not watch for a while. Even then that seems high, but, if I considered what content we watch with what frequency you can justify that it should be the most expensive thing we subscribe to given its daily frequency.

\n

Anyway, my expectation of the real world cost of getting this programming is that it would come in somewhere around

\n

$420.00

\n

That’s right, we would cut our cost by 50%.

\n

Solution: Live Programming

\n

So the next thing I needed to figure out is live programming. This is mostly an occasional football game or election coverage every couple of years. For us this programming is almost all on a major broadcast network, and they all send out wonderful HD broadcasts that I pick up with my ChannelMaster 4221 antenna. I already have that coming into the house on coax and going to the DirecTV satellite tuner.

\n

It turns out that it is very easy for me to get this everywhere in the house. I can just reuse the coax that is already going to each TV and hook the antennae up to it and then plug it into the ATSC tuners on all the TV’s.

\n

This solution actually proves to be superior than our current solution in a few ways:

\n
    \n
  1. \n

    The quality of the picture is amazing. DirecTV takes the 1080i signal from the broadcaster and re-encodes it typically at a lower bitrate and then sends it over the satellite. The picture quality is noticeably better using a direct OTA ATSC tuner.

    \n
    2. \n
  2. \n

    Simpler and easier to use since you are watching TV just like watching TV. You aren’t controlling a DVR through an IR repeater that actually lives in the lower level. When people babysit Mazie and want to watch TV it’s always so complicated. Not so in this model.

    \n
    3. \n
\n

Now, I don’t have any way to get CNN live for breaking news of that nature, but that is why I have a broadband connection and computers all over the house.

\n

Solution: Cycling and Formula 1

\n

This one is the hard one. There is no solution. Nothing. I’m willing to forego Formula 1 in its entirety, but I really want to watch the grand tours. My best option would be to subscribe to a web site and watch it over the web. You can do that, and in many ways the coverage is better and more thorough. Versus (formerly OLN) continues to have weaker coverage, although I expect with Lance racing again this year it will be better.

\n

Solution: Pay-per-view

\n

This is a simple swap. Instead of pay-per-view bound to time we can just rent on-demand via the Apple TV. The experience is way better than anything pay-per-view offered.

\n

Next Steps

\n

I’m currently battling with DirecTV to move forward with this. I’ve been a customer for about 12 years and they are trying to make the case that I just renewed my contract due to their requirement to swap in MPEG4 receivers for me and take my TiVo (MPEG2 only) boxes away.

\n

It is very clear to me that I will save money and have a better service. I’ll save a lot of money in fact, and have a way better service. I also like that it will get rid of the occasional channel surfing that could be better spent reading a book. But with that said I’ve also felt some hesitation to pull the cord on this. I likely just need to do it and not look back, we’ll see. Saving $600 a year sounds great!

\n

But what about DRM?

\n

You can’t look at this option without addressing DRM. I have a couple of different thoughts on this.

\n

First, DirecTV and its satellite based DVR system is a DRM world that is even more locked up than iTunes and Fairplay. At least with Fairplay I can use it anywhere in the iTunes ecosystem. The DirecTV environment I can’t even get something from one DVR to another, much less to my phone or media player. So, here I’m saying we already have DRM and iTunes is a “more open” DRM.

\n

Second, this is TV content and after I’ve watched it I may not even keep it around. With DirecTV I watch an episode and delete. With the iTunes solution I own (with DRM) the content and can keep it forever (as long as Fairplay works). But I don’t really care about keeping it forever. It’s not a movie or music that I own, it’s a show I watch and then move on.

\n

Lastly, I do think that DRM is going to fade away at some point, and when it does I would only want to be on a DRM system that the majority of “the herd” is on. I find it hard to believe that Fairplay could ever stop working. Even if Apple went out of business and died a horrid death, Fairplay would have to be addressed. There is simply too much content (#1 music reseller is iTunes?) for it to not exist, or be purchased away and made free the same way that iTunes Plus works now. So, there is a clear technical path to phase it out that could be put into effect pretty quickly.

\n", "date_published": "2008-12-08T01:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2008/12/08/directv-v-itunes.html", "tags": ["Movies","Family","Technology","Home"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2008/12/06/comcast-broadband-upgrade.html", "title": "Comcast Broadband Upgrade - Faster", "content_html": "\"Laptop\n

A while back Comcast announced that they were rolling out a new high-speed option called DOCSIS. I always want more bandwidth but the price tag on that new service made me flinch. It seems that patience has paid off though since I’m getting nearly that performance without upgrading now.

\n

I got a note from Comcast a couple days ago saying that my speed had been doubled. It claimed that with the PowerBoost® feature I now could download up to 15 Mbps. Seems they were conservative.

\n\"Speedtest.net\n

After power cycling my modem to insure everything was updated I pulled over 20 Mbps download. The upload is what really impressed me though. I’ve never seen an 8 Mbps upload or even anything close to it before. I did two more tests just to see and pulled 20,679/7,440 and 20,929/6,728. I didn’t do these as sterile tests, for all I know another computer may have been pulling stuff off the net as I did them. The numbers are impressive either way.

\n

Nicely done Comcast. It’s rare that I would send them a compliment, but this is a welcome upgrade.

\n

If you want to test your connection head over to SpeedTest.net and try it out.

\n", "date_published": "2008-12-06T01:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2008/12/06/comcast-broadband-upgrade.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2008/12/01/my-nabaztag-rabbit.html", "content_html": "

My Nabaztag Rabbit just reported the stock market is “up up up!” It is so very wrong. Wishful thinking?

\n", "date_published": "2008-12-01T10:01:52-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2008/12/01/my-nabaztag-rabbit.html", "tags": ["Technology","Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2008/11/18/twitter-down-for.html", "title": "Twitter Down for Database Maintenance", "content_html": "

Lately Twitter has actually been reasonably reliable, at least compared to it’s previous daily (hourly?) issues. But can this really be right? I pulled up the page at 10:22 am CT and apparently they are down for database maintenance? First off, you should be able to do maintenance without going down. Secondly, why on earth would you do this during the day when you are swamped with traffic?

\n

\"twitter-down-for-database-maintenance.jpg\"

\n", "date_published": "2008-11-18T01:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2008/11/18/twitter-down-for.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2008/11/13/happy-to-report.html", "content_html": "

Happy to report that the Airport Extreme can map internal requests to external port mappings. Whew.

\n", "date_published": "2008-11-13T18:46:23-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2008/11/13/happy-to-report.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2008/11/13/dnsomatic-httpswwwdnsomaticcom-is.html", "content_html": "

DNS-O-Matic is pretty darn cool. Happy days!

\n", "date_published": "2008-11-13T18:31:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2008/11/13/dnsomatic-httpswwwdnsomaticcom-is.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2008/11/13/dogs-andor-cat.html", "content_html": "

Dogs and/or Cat pulled the Firewire cable out of the Drobo again. Grrr!

\n", "date_published": "2008-11-13T16:13:44-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2008/11/13/dogs-andor-cat.html", "tags": ["Technology","Dogs"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2008/11/11/installing-parallels-so.html", "content_html": "\n", "date_published": "2008-11-11T16:20:38-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2008/11/11/installing-parallels-so.html", "tags": ["Software Development","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2008/11/10/so-when-can.html", "content_html": "

So, when can we get a POTUS Podcast going. Please add that to the list for change.gov.

\n", "date_published": "2008-11-10T15:26:03-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2008/11/10/so-when-can.html", "tags": ["Technology","Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2008/11/05/my-macbook-pro.html", "content_html": "

My MacBook Pro is up to 133 °F. No wonders my arms are sweating. Time to shut it down for the night. Time to sleep.

\n", "date_published": "2008-11-05T00:41:41-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2008/11/04/my-macbook-pro.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2008/11/01/upgrade-to-was.html", "content_html": "

Upgrading my home server from Ubuntu 8.04.1 (Hardy Heron) to 8.10 (Intrepid Ibex).

\n

Upgrade to Ubuntu 8.10 was totally easy, breezy.

\n", "date_published": "2008-10-31T20:59:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2008/10/31/upgrade-to-was.html", "tags": ["Software Development","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2008/10/29/120934.html", "content_html": "

Initial estimate shows that dropping DirecTV and going iTunes/Apple TV plus OTA HD will save me $432 a year.

\n

I can do all sorts of things on DirecTV.com, except for cancel my service. So common on the web, but so rude.

\n", "date_published": "2008-10-29T12:09:34-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2008/10/29/120934.html", "tags": ["Movies","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2008/10/29/leopard-seems-much.html", "content_html": "

Leopard seems much faster talking NFS as compared to SMB.

\n", "date_published": "2008-10-29T09:55:48-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2008/10/29/leopard-seems-much.html", "tags": ["Technology","Apple"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2008/10/25/the-usb-drive.html", "content_html": "

The USB drive on my Airport Extreme just blew chow - complete erase and new filesystem. There goes four machines Time Machine history.

\n", "date_published": "2008-10-24T21:38:16-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2008/10/24/the-usb-drive.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2008/10/22/considering-a-switch.html", "content_html": "

Considering a switch from del.icio.us to Ma.gnolia. Thoughts?

\n", "date_published": "2008-10-22T14:03:36-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2008/10/22/considering-a-switch.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2008/10/10/091128.html", "content_html": "

Markets are recovering by websites are not. Much of the web just not working…

\n

NYTimes.com, WSJ.com, Marketwatch.com, Economist.com – all are loading very slowly or not at all.

\n

Just got whiplash from the market.

\n", "date_published": "2008-10-10T09:11:28-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2008/10/10/091128.html", "tags": ["MarketWatch","Technology","Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2008/10/10/google-language-detection.html", "title": "Google Language Detection Problems", "content_html": "

When I was traveling in the UK I had a couple of really interesting experiences using the normal set of online services I use. The Internet really doesn’t have a concept of countries, but I found myself unable to do some things while I was there because various online services made assumptions by mapping my IP address to a country. This is a process called geo targeting and it is used in online advertising almost always. My experience highlighted that you should be careful to use it for account settings or commerce transactions.

\n

For example, when I was in parts of the UK and tried to login to Google Reader I was greeted with this screen.

\n\"Google\n

I’m not sure what language that is, but it isn’t one I know. Now, while it wasn’t english it was obvious to me, and I think to most people, that you should just login in the form provided. I figured once I logged in it would then know via my preferences where I live and flip the language back to english. Unfortunately, it wasn’t so smart.

\n\"Google\n

Another example of this problem popped up when I was trying to renew my Google Earth subscription. Unfortunately I wasn’t even able to do it since it would only allow me to see the UK store and only allow me to buy the one in £’s even though my account is entirely setup in the US.

\n

Good food for thought on how far you should take geo targeting in building out products, versus marketing.

\n", "date_published": "2008-10-10T00:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2008/10/10/google-language-detection.html", "tags": ["Technology","Work"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2008/10/10/iphone-feature-need.html", "title": "iPhone Feature Need: Block WiFi Network", "content_html": "

I really dig my iPhone and it seems to get better and better with every software release. However, I really wish that Apple would add a feature to block certain WiFi networks. Here is a screen that all iPhone owners are very familiar with:

\n\"iPhone\n

Here is the problem with this screen, I see it all the time! I have no idea what the “2WIRE251” network is but I never, ever want to see it since I will never, ever use it. I’m not a customer of the “USI Wireless” network, and would rather not see that. I have no use, ever, for the “Available Now MPLS Wir…” or “City of Minneapolis Publi…” networks.

\n

Please Apple, give us the ability to block networks like these and stop prompting to join networks that I know I will never want to join.

\n

While I’m on this screen, it would also be great to have a checkbox to only join a given network once and not save it for the future. I’m guessing almost all iPhones have a saved preference for “NETGEAR” or “Linksys” networks and I find myself on some broken network named that on a frequent basis.

\n

While I’m dreaming, it would be so nice if a WiFi network could advertise itself as a captive portal. For example, three of those networks in the screenshot claim to be open, but they are not. They are captive portals only useful for customers of the service. We need another type available beyond secured and open.

\n", "date_published": "2008-10-10T00:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2008/10/10/iphone-feature-need.html", "tags": ["Technology","Apple"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2008/10/08/canon-exceeded-download.html", "title": "Canon Exceeded Download Capacity?", "content_html": "

A few days ago I watched this amazing video that was created on the brand new Canon 5D Mark II. I was going to put a link to it on my site, but when I went to found it I was greeted with this screen.

\n\"Canon\n

What? Canon USA has “EXCEEDED [THEIR] DOWNLOAD CAPACITY” (the all-caps is courtesy of them). Does anyone at Canon realize how ridiculous it makes them look to have this message on their site? I’m wondering if maybe Canon just hosts at Dreamhost or something.

\n

Canon, if you are going to tell people about how serious you are about amazing imaging and beautiful video, the first place to start is by being able to serve that content to the web. And please never use ALL CAPS.

\n

Apparently the video will be back up “shortly” and I’ll post a link to it then.

\n", "date_published": "2008-10-08T00:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2008/10/08/canon-exceeded-download.html", "tags": ["Photography","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2008/09/29/to-numbersapp-from.html", "content_html": "

To: Numbers.app
\nFrom: me

\n

I suggest you work with me, and be good, or you will be replaced.

\n

Sincerely, Jamie

\n", "date_published": "2008-09-29T10:16:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2008/09/29/to-numbersapp-from.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2008/09/29/iwork-really-badly.html", "content_html": "

iWork really badly needs a Numbers.app 2.0. It’s a nice try, but needs a big boost.

\n", "date_published": "2008-09-28T21:56:11-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2008/09/28/iwork-really-badly.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2008/09/28/macbook-pro-battery.html", "title": "MacBook Pro Battery on the Ropes", "content_html": "\"Cracked\n

I’ve been thinking that my MacBook Pro’s battery has been especially lightweight lately. To be honest, none of Apple’s laptops do great with battery life but it’s been an especially poor contender lately. I fired up CoconutBattery to check out the state of affairs and it was shocking. I’m currently only getting 39% of original battery capacity. The battery is only sucking up a measly 2,187 mAh out of a rated 5,500 mAh.

\n

I’m going to try a series of battery conditioning cycles and see if I can get this thing back. In January I was right around 90% of capacity and the battery has only gone through 237 cycles in its 20 month lifespan.

\n\"CoconutBattery\n\"CoconutBattery\n", "date_published": "2008-09-28T00:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2008/09/28/macbook-pro-battery.html", "tags": ["Technology","Apple"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2008/09/28/time-to-do.html", "content_html": "

Time to do a cycle on my battery. Only 51% of capacity available!

\n", "date_published": "2008-09-27T23:39:12-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2008/09/27/time-to-do.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2008/09/26/running-dvdfab-inside.html", "content_html": "

Running DVDFab inside of a Parallels VM working on a DVD. Seems to be working.

\n", "date_published": "2008-09-26T17:47:45-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2008/09/26/running-dvdfab-inside.html", "tags": ["Movies","Software Development","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2008/09/24/just-got-a.html", "content_html": "

Just got a CrashPlan connection going with my neighbor. Speed looks promising. May be able to stop worrying about offsite backups of photos

\n", "date_published": "2008-09-24T17:32:25-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2008/09/24/just-got-a.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2008/09/24/creating-a-tb.html", "content_html": "\n", "date_published": "2008-09-24T06:48:52-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2008/09/24/creating-a-tb.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2008/09/22/abalastow-compendium.html", "title": "Abalastow Compendium", "content_html": "\"Antique\n

My buddy Dan has issued an SEO challenge to the students in his class. I thought it was pretty cool and could use some spice to see how base PageRank affects search rankings. I’m curious to see where I would fit in, so I put this post out there. Google, come and get it.

\n

I see the search results already have a hit from blog.lib.umn.edu. That is going to be tough since Google loves .edu and .org so much more than .com, but we’ll see.

\n

No Wikipedia hits for Abalastow\nCompendium\neither.

\n

The image at the right is what I imagine an antique Abalastow Compendium to look like.

\n

Update (9/25/08): Proving some theory of the Internet™ or human behavior true some enterprising individuals have actually put a trump card and bought the Abalastow Compendium domain name, both the .com and even the .org version. Nobody grabbed .net it seems.*

\n", "date_published": "2008-09-22T00:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2008/09/22/abalastow-compendium.html", "tags": ["Technology","Blogging"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2008/09/22/these-mojave-experiment.html", "content_html": "

These Mojave Experiment ads are – desperate? Anyone else think it’s exactly like Folgers instant coffee commercials from way back?

\n", "date_published": "2008-09-21T20:46:54-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2008/09/21/these-mojave-experiment.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2008/09/16/my-least-favorite.html", "content_html": "

My least favorite error from MobileMe (which is paid for):

\n

idisk.me.com server returned “payment required” (402) in response to a request

\n", "date_published": "2008-09-16T14:30:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2008/09/16/my-least-favorite.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2008/09/14/address-book-just.html", "content_html": "

Address Book just sync’d itself into corruption nightmare. This is not good.

\n

Had to revert to an Address Book backup 2 months old. ☹️

\n", "date_published": "2008-09-14T14:43:47-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2008/09/14/address-book-just.html", "tags": ["Technology","Apple"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2008/09/11/checking-out-of.html", "content_html": "

Checking out of this apartment shortly and saying goodbye to broadband until we are home on Saturday. Not using that 3G modem anymore!

\n", "date_published": "2008-09-11T02:28:32-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2008/09/11/checking-out-of.html", "tags": ["Travel","Technology","London 2008"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2008/09/10/yikes-first-half.html", "content_html": "

First half of AT&T bill that includes London trip: $417.74 😬

\n", "date_published": "2008-09-10T15:59:32-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2008/09/10/yikes-first-half.html", "tags": ["Travel","Technology","London 2008"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2008/09/09/since-when-is.html", "content_html": "

Since when is there a .travel TLD? Was I asleep when that was announced?

\n", "date_published": "2008-09-09T15:15:59-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2008/09/09/since-when-is.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2008/09/03/growing-more-than.html", "content_html": "

Growing more than a little worried about the AT&T bills that will follow this month in the UK. On phone to get a bit more international data coverage for remainder of the trip.

\n", "date_published": "2008-09-03T10:31:16-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2008/09/03/growing-more-than.html", "tags": ["Travel","Technology","London 2008"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2008/09/03/the-gb-of.html", "content_html": "

The 2GB of RAM on my MacBook Pro (max) is feeling like a room with a 5 foot ceiling. It also feels smaller when I have 7GB on my Mac Pro. Lightroom 2 (64-bit) gets over 4GB of memory for itself! Fast!

\n", "date_published": "2008-09-03T09:41:32-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2008/09/03/the-gb-of.html", "tags": ["Photography","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2008/09/02/140113.html", "content_html": "

Ran to coffee shop for working WiFi, but they close at 8pm!

\n

What are the chances the coffee shop WiFi router knows they close at 8pm? :-)

\n", "date_published": "2008-09-02T14:01:13-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2008/09/02/140113.html", "tags": ["Coffee","Travel","Technology","London 2008"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2008/08/30/is-there-an.html", "content_html": "

Is there an official name yet for someone that collects domain names?

\n", "date_published": "2008-08-30T10:43:38-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2008/08/30/is-there-an.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2008/08/29/170727.html", "content_html": "\n", "date_published": "2008-08-29T17:07:27-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2008/08/29/170727.html", "tags": ["Travel","Technology","Current Events","London 2008"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2008/08/22/plan-to-plug.html", "content_html": "

Plan to plug iPod into TV here in London is thwarted by confusing SCART connector!

\n", "date_published": "2008-08-22T14:11:46-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2008/08/22/plan-to-plug.html", "tags": ["Travel","Technology","London 2008"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2008/08/21/living-with-a.html", "title": "Living with a 3G Modem", "content_html": "\"Mail.app\n

I’ve mentioned that our “included Internet access” at our London Apartment is a 3G USB Modem (Huawei E220 to be precise). It’s been a long, long time since I’ve had to deal with modems. I honestly thought those days were behind me. The service is provided by 3. Short rant, who names a company 3? I’ve made the best of it though. I’ve got the E220 connected to my MacBook Pro and am using OS X Internet Connection Sharing to broadcast my own WiFi network that our iPhones and the MacBook Pro are using to get online. I can happily report that setting up this kind of network is a lot easier than it was in the past. My only issue was from an overly aggressive firewall on my MacBook Pro. After I cleared that it all worked fine.

\n

The connection itself is a bit spotty. If it’s under continuous light load it does okay, as long as it doesn’t get backed up. The pain with this connection is latency. Throughput isn’t actually that bad. I downloaded an 8MB file very quickly. But latency is horrible and can result in big delays. This screen grab is the list of activity from Mail.app. You can see 18 active IMAP commands, 9 of them actually in progress and another 9 just waiting idle for attention.

\n

This is as good as it gets for the next month though. We won’t be watching any of the Olympics streaming over the web here. I’m certainly not buying any marketing that 3G is some panacea of bandwidth.

\n", "date_published": "2008-08-21T00:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2008/08/21/living-with-a.html", "tags": ["Travel","Technology","London 2008"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2008/08/18/hello-from-london.html", "content_html": "\n", "date_published": "2008-08-18T11:14:56-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2008/08/18/hello-from-london.html", "tags": ["Travel","Technology","London 2008"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2008/08/14/scoring-gymnastics-bring.html", "title": "Scoring Gymnastics, Bring the Computers", "content_html": "\"Beijing\n

Tammy and I have been watching a lot of the Beijing Olympics this year. Tammy is a huge gymnastics fan and we’ve been watching nearly all of the coverage this year. A few years ago gymnastics changed its scoring system to make it less subjective and the commentators, particularly Al Trautwig, love to recount the changes all the time, over and over.

\n\"Black\n

However, even with all these changes gymnastics is filled with questions on scores. I’m writing this as all the commentators are scratching their head trying to figure out why Nastia Liukin got such a low score on her vault. On top of this, there have been significant delays as judges stare at frame by frame replays trying to figure out how to score the routine.

\n

My response, bring on the computers!

\n\"Gymnast\n\"Person\n

I’m guessing the technology may not be there right now but only because people haven’t tackled the problem. You could easily see how a combination of real-time 3D scanning lasers around the routine area, in combination with some simple instrumentation that is integrated into the gymnasts uniform and completely unobtrusive, could provide the data for algorithmic analysis of the gymnasts motion with ridiculous levels of precision.

\n

After capturing to extreme resolution and frequency the routine, a warehouse of machines could analyze the data and determine exactly what happened. How many degrees the shoulders turned; how many millimeters was the step on the landing; exactly how close were the feet. This could remove the subjectivity and timing of human judging and make such a subjective sport objective and farer for the athletes.

\n", "date_published": "2008-08-14T00:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2008/08/14/scoring-gymnastics-bring.html", "tags": ["Sports","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2008/08/11/just-slapped-a.html", "content_html": "

Just slapped a new 2TB Western Digital drive on my Mac Pro. HD video just eats up drive space.

\n", "date_published": "2008-08-11T16:31:40-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2008/08/11/just-slapped-a.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2008/08/11/iphone-app-sleepover.html", "title": "iPhone App - SleepOver", "content_html": "\"Glowing\n

I haven’t posted anything about the release of iPhone 2.0, but the approximately 20 applications that I’ve installed on my phone show that I’ve been pretty immersed in it. Developers are still figuring the platform out and there is some cool stuff, as well as some really lame stuff, out now. SleepOver is a cool little utility that I think is a great idea for the iPhone. SleepOver is a simple paid application ($2.99) that has one function, waking up other computers. I’ve spent some effort to reduce electricity usage and my computers are big offenders. To help, I’ve set them to go to sleep when they can. This is great for energy saving, but inevitably you will need to access it over the network and find that it is asleep. You may be accessing it from your Apple TV and need to wake up iTunes. SleepOver provides a nice iPhone interface to send the “magic” Wake-on-LAN packet that will bring the other machine out of its slumber.

\n

Just a couple of days ago SleepOver combined with the Remote application allowed me to switch on my Mac Pro, start playing a playlist on it, and tell it to use the Apple TV upstairs as remote speakers – all while standing at the stove. Pretty cool!

\n

This is a great example of a small, purposeful and useful application that makes great sense to have in your pocket all the time.

\n", "date_published": "2008-08-11T00:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2008/08/11/iphone-app-sleepover.html", "tags": ["Technology","Home","Apple"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2008/08/05/mac-pro-up.html", "content_html": "

Just got nVidia GeForce 8800 GT to replace overheating ATI Radeon X1900 XT in Mac Pro. Got the special one for “legacy Mac Pro”.

\n

Mac Pro up and running with nVidia GeForce 8800 now. Hopefully this is “Bye Bye” to random freezes and video artifacts.

\n", "date_published": "2008-08-05T17:33:14-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2008/08/05/mac-pro-up.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2008/08/05/now-the-proud.html", "content_html": "

Now the proud owner of minnewordcamp.com.

\n", "date_published": "2008-08-04T21:57:32-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2008/08/04/now-the-proud.html", "tags": ["Software Development","Technology","Blogging"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2008/08/04/computer-overloaded.html", "title": "Computer Overloaded", "content_html": "

Rare change this afternoon with me feverishly working on my Mac Pro getting a bunch of stuff done. Running a ton of apps and everything working hard. It’s clear I need more cores though. It’s all just busy.

\n\"CPU\n", "date_published": "2008-08-04T00:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2008/08/04/computer-overloaded.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2008/08/02/092606.html", "content_html": "

At The Bad Waitress!
\nBad Waitress has open WiFi.
\nI 💚 open WiFi.
\nI 💚 Bad Waitress!

\n", "date_published": "2008-08-02T10:26:06-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2008/08/02/092606.html", "tags": ["Technology","Restaurants"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2008/08/01/has-anyone-fully.html", "content_html": "

Has anyone “fully” IPv6 enabled their home network? Curious for some info if you have.

\n", "date_published": "2008-08-01T08:16:44-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2008/08/01/has-anyone-fully.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2008/07/31/switching-to-opendns.html", "content_html": "

Switching to OpenDNS (who needs to try when Hadar says it is great!)

\n", "date_published": "2008-07-31T16:21:47-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2008/07/31/switching-to-opendns.html", "tags": ["Software Development","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2008/07/31/just-switched-to.html", "content_html": "

Just switched to using Comcast’s DNS server. I’ve always ran my own on the local LAN, but trying to reduce server count at home.

\n", "date_published": "2008-07-31T16:10:33-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2008/07/31/just-switched-to.html", "tags": ["Software Development","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2008/07/31/mac-pro-video.html", "content_html": "

Mac Pro video card/freezing issues have started again. Time to pull out the X1900 and replace it. Fans are already jacked trying to cool it.

\n", "date_published": "2008-07-31T15:19:06-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2008/07/31/mac-pro-video.html", "tags": ["Technology","Apple"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2008/07/31/just-called-att.html", "content_html": "

Just called AT&T and got my options for iPhone usage while in London. Ugly.

\n", "date_published": "2008-07-31T10:58:53-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2008/07/31/just-called-att.html", "tags": ["Travel","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2008/07/30/i-love-logging.html", "content_html": "

I love logging onto WiFi at Caribou Coffee as foo@bar.com. Always makes me smile.

\n", "date_published": "2008-07-30T09:45:29-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2008/07/30/i-love-logging.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2008/07/29/lightroom-in-bit.html", "title": "Lightroom 2 in 64-bit Glory", "content_html": "

Lightroom 2 was just released today and I immediately got the upgrade. After waiting a bit to get the serial number for the new version I installed it and upgraded my catalogs. Everything worked perfectly.

\n

One of the first things I wanted to test was using Lightroom in 64-bit mode. My Mac Pro has 7 gig of RAM so enabling 64-bit would give Lightroom some room to stretch. Here is the 32-bit snapshot of memory usage after some extensive usage.

\n

\"lightroom-2-32bit.png\"

\n

and here we are after unchecking the “32-bit” checkbox on Lightroom 2.app.

\n

\"lightroom-2-64bit.png\"

\n

Note that at launch Lightroom loaded into it’s typical footprint. After I scanned through a few thousand photos though it had allocated itself out into some nice 64-bit space. And as a user, it’s very noticeable. I was able to flip around in my catalog so much faster than in 32-bit mode and I noticed that I seemed to be thrashing the hard disk a lot less.

\n

Lightroom is the first application that I’ll use on a regular basis where 64-bit makes a big difference. Sure server applications benefit from 64-bit, but seeing Lightroom perform so much faster in 64-bit makes me really hope that most of my applications are there soon.

\n

Congrats to the Lightroom team for getting this milestone in!

\n", "date_published": "2008-07-29T00:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2008/07/29/lightroom-in-bit.html", "tags": ["Photography","Technology","Apple"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2008/07/29/its-odd-that.html", "content_html": "

It’s odd that sometimes Finder initiated restart will hang forever, but /sbin/restart will work from a terminal launched via Quicksilver.

\n", "date_published": "2008-07-28T21:33:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2008/07/28/its-odd-that.html", "tags": ["Technology","Apple"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2008/07/26/overheard-during-haircut.html", "content_html": "

Overheard during haircut:

\n
\n

“My cellular phone is so old it doesn’t even have a camera!”

\n
\n", "date_published": "2008-07-26T15:21:11-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2008/07/26/overheard-during-haircut.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2008/07/24/095121.html", "content_html": "\n", "date_published": "2008-07-24T09:51:21-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2008/07/24/095121.html", "tags": ["Technology","Apple"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2008/07/18/checking-out-omnifocus.html", "content_html": "

Checking out OmniFocus. Considering it as a replacement for Backpack since OmniFocus has a nice iPhone app already.

\n", "date_published": "2008-07-18T08:19:58-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2008/07/18/checking-out-omnifocus.html", "tags": ["Productivity","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2008/07/18/evernote-worries-me.html", "content_html": "

Evernote worries me. I’m not sure why. Backpack seems a lot easier and portable. Evernote feels proprietary and locked in. Wrong?

\n", "date_published": "2008-07-17T21:04:53-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2008/07/17/evernote-worries-me.html", "tags": ["Productivity","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2008/07/17/just-registered-thingelstadme.html", "content_html": "

Just registered thingelstad.me.

\n

Also got: mazie.me, jjt.me, jamiethingelstad.me. Mazie will be the cool, hip kid with mazie.me. 🙂

\n", "date_published": "2008-07-17T15:55:03-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2008/07/17/just-registered-thingelstadme.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2008/07/15/getting-video-artifacts.html", "content_html": "

Getting video artifacts on my primary video card again. Fans are already set pretty high. May have to ditch this card soon.

\n", "date_published": "2008-07-14T23:34:08-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2008/07/14/getting-video-artifacts.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2008/07/15/wow-looking-for.html", "content_html": "

Wow. Looking for “Frenzic iPhone”. Google returned old, worthless junk. Summize gave me precisely what I wanted instantly. Huh.

\n", "date_published": "2008-07-14T19:48:27-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2008/07/14/wow-looking-for.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2008/06/15/the-soul-of.html", "title": "The Soul of a New Machine by Tracy Kidder", "content_html": "\"Book\n

A while back at one of my book club meetings John Riedl mentioned the author Tracy Kidder. I expressed my ignorance and he was dumbfounded. “You haven’t read Kidder? Soul of a New Machine? You have to read it.” His conviction was strong enough that I figured I needed to read it and rectify this horrific literary gap. I finished it today, and really enjoyed the book.

\n

To start with, Soul of a New Machine is not a technical book. You do not need to know anything about computers to read this book. Also, this book was originally published in 1981. This is a time when “super-minis” were just coming out and the computer industry was jumping to 32-bit architectures. This is four years before the introduction of the first Macintosh computer. I would recommend this book to my technical friends for the same reason I would recommend Steven Levy’s Hackers (1984), Cliff Stoll’s The Cuckoo’s Egg (1990) or Out of the Inner Circle (1984). There is a great depth of history and culture in this book that is worthwhile and reminds us of the roots of our profession. We still see these roots playing out today in nearly all computer related industries. Thirty years ago it was displayed by wire-wrapping boards to make CPU’s, today it’s shown in mashups. The world of programming and computer engineering, despite what many might think, is filled with passion and creativity.

\n

Soul of a New Machine chronicles the development of a new 32-bit computer from Data General called the Eagle (or the Data General Eclipse MV/8000). Kidder does an excellent job of telling a compelling story of how this machine comes to life and dives into the stories of the people that make it. He concludes that a computer isn’t just a machine, but represents the ideas and personalities of those that create it. He’s spot on.

\n

Kidder illuminates the culture that has filled computer labs, computer science departments, technology, and now Internet startups for years. A born-desire to solve the unsolvable. The unstoppable desire to know how something works.

\n

As I read Soul of a New Machine I could draw parallels to products that I had worked on in a variety of different roles. It was amusing to see that while almost all the tools have changed, so much of the “how” and the “why” has stayed the same.

\n", "date_published": "2008-06-15T00:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2008/06/15/the-soul-of.html", "tags": ["Technology","Books"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2008/06/03/bricking-my-linksys.html", "title": "Bricking my Linksys WTR-54GS", "content_html": "

Sometimes I really should know better. There are some things you just don’t do, like updating firmware on something when you need it right away, or hacking the firmware on your travel router, when you are in the first part of a six week road trip!

\n\"Linksys\n

I’ve had a Linksys WTR-54GS for a while now. I’ve used it quite a bit. It’s nice to get to a hotel that doesn’t have wireless and pop the WTR-54GS in and you’ve got your very own private, secure WiFi network. This is a good thing for our trip since we are traveling with two laptops and two iPhones and WiFi is a must have.

\n

When in Seattle I did some research on hacking the WTR-54GS and putting DD-WRT on it. This sounded great to me, since Linksys has done a horrible job supporting this device. It is now discontinued so effectively it’s dead and DD-WRT gives a great way to put a Linux based system on it and get a ton of additional functionality. Great!

\n

I checked out the instructions and decided I shouldn’t do it. It was too risky. I may need the router at the next stop. If it went wrong, I’d have a brick on my hands. Nope, no way.

\n

Then that just cycled and cycled. I had to. I now knew I could hack it and I therefore must. To make matters even better, I would be running the hack from Windows running inside of Parallels on my MacBook Pro. Great – even more risk. 🙂

\n

I did the hack and everything went really great, until it didn’t. The router just died after flashing a new boot-loader on it and I can’t get it do to anything. I may be able to bring it back to life with a JTAG cable, but that is a serious amount of work for sometime when I’m back at home. Lesson learned, should have left it alone.

\n

Of course the hotel we stayed at for RailsConf lacked WiFi, and my brick didn’t do any good.

\n", "date_published": "2008-06-03T00:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2008/06/03/bricking-my-linksys.html", "tags": ["Travel","Technology","Summer of Love 2008"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2008/06/02/find-friends-on.html", "title": "Find Friends on Flickr", "content_html": "\"flickrfriends\n

I find myself really liking Flickr more and more. I’m really pleased with the features and how usable, and very importantly, how extendable it is.

\n

However, one area where Flickr falls really short is finding your friends. Sure, if you have a GMail or Yahoo! Mail account you can find people via that, but what about everyone else? Enter Flickr Friends!

\n

Flickr Friends is a great little site that will take an address book export (including a vCard dump from Leopard’s Address Book) and find anyone in your address book that has a Flickr account. It’s great stuff and I was able to connect with a bunch of friends right away.

\n", "date_published": "2008-06-02T00:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2008/06/02/find-friends-on.html", "tags": ["Photography","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2008/05/28/delicious-library-released.html", "title": "Delicious Library 2 Released", "content_html": "\"App\n

Last night Wil Shipley, and the Delicious Monster team, released Delicious Library 2. Delicious Library is a cataloging application that I’ve put to very real use to manage my CD and DVD archive. Since I’ve moved all of my media onto my network, the physical assets are of no use other than as proof of ownership. I’ve moved them all into Slappa cases and to track where things are I use Delicious Library. Yes, a spreadsheet could do it, but it would suck. Delicious Library is such a nice application for this.

\n

Delicious Library 2 has been anticipated for a long time so it was exciting to get ahold of it. I’m happy to report that with my 1,400+ item library it is much faster. The old Library just stored things in XML, the new one uses CoreData and makes things much faster. Smart Collections are a very welcome addition and remove a needless step from my workflow. I’m also really excited to see additional item types. Software is now trackable and there is a field for serial number so I may move to using this instead of Backpack to keep my software licenses around.

\n

I knew one of the big things coming was web publishing of your library. That’s neat, and I’ve already published my library on the web. You can see it at library.thingelstad.com. Pretty nifty! There is even a special iPhone view. However, even cooler, you can actually load a published library into another users copy of Delicious Library 2. So, if you have Delicious Library 2, add my library in and you can get native access to it. Very nice!

\n

Publishing lists like this is a long standing tradition with me. My very first website had a list of my CD’s, as well as a list of Laserdiscs.

\n", "date_published": "2008-05-28T00:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2008/05/28/delicious-library-released.html", "tags": ["Technology","Apple"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2008/05/26/attempted-unwise-ddwrt.html", "content_html": "

Attempted unwise flash of WTR-54GS to DD-WRT while traveling. Doesn’t look good. Have a brick right now. Will investigate more in morning. 🙁

\n", "date_published": "2008-05-26T00:39:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2008/05/25/attempted-unwise-ddwrt.html", "tags": ["Travel","Technology","Summer of Love 2008"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2008/05/18/i-keep-thinking.html", "content_html": "

I keep thinking that I need a license for Yep. It does a great job. I’m not sure why I sit on the fence about it so much.

\n", "date_published": "2008-05-17T23:20:04-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2008/05/17/i-keep-thinking.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2008/05/09/i-think-that.html", "content_html": "

I think that one of the four ports in this USB I have doesn’t get power. Stuff works fine on the other three, but not that one port. Odd.

\n", "date_published": "2008-05-09T00:39:37-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2008/05/08/i-think-that.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2008/05/09/changing-primary-workstations.html", "title": "Changing Primary Workstations", "content_html": "

As I get ready to leave Dow Jones I’ve been working to get my home office setup more streamlined for work. I think I’ve succeeded, and am in store for a big upgrade actually! Here is my current workstation at the office, where I spend most of my computer time.

\n

Find and upload Office Workstation farm4.static.flickr.com/3053/2440404104_c8cc6fd4d2.jpg

\n

And this is what I’ll be using at home.

\n

Find and upload Home Workstation farm3.static.flickr.com/2308/2439579081_df7b9a4c2c.jpg

\n

Yeah, that will work. 🙂

\n", "date_published": "2008-05-09T00:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2008/05/09/changing-primary-workstations.html", "tags": ["Technology","Home"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2008/05/09/upgrading-my-windows.html", "content_html": "

Upgrading my Windows XP virtual machine to SP3. Long, long, long… will visit it in the morning.

\n", "date_published": "2008-05-08T22:32:36-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2008/05/08/upgrading-my-windows.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2008/05/07/playing-with-bento.html", "content_html": "

Playing with Bento for the first time. This has some real promise. Would be a killer app if it had great iTunes integration.

\n", "date_published": "2008-05-06T23:28:20-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2008/05/06/playing-with-bento.html", "tags": ["Technology","Apple"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2008/05/02/this-new-service.html", "content_html": "

This new service, Dropbox, looks pretty cool. I may happily be able to abandon FolderShare finally.

\n", "date_published": "2008-05-01T22:42:31-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2008/05/01/this-new-service.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2008/05/01/the-newest-handbrake.html", "content_html": "

The newest Handbrake may make my iTunes/movie project achievable in a finite period of time. Nice.

\n", "date_published": "2008-05-01T07:07:59-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2008/05/01/the-newest-handbrake.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2008/05/01/long-distance-phone.html", "content_html": "

Long Distance phone bill for May: $0.05

\n", "date_published": "2008-04-30T20:32:16-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2008/04/30/long-distance-phone.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2008/04/29/updating-pleo-to.html", "content_html": "

Updating Pleo to 1.1.

\n", "date_published": "2008-04-29T10:54:21-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2008/04/29/updating-pleo-to.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2008/04/27/suspect-firewire-cable.html", "content_html": "

Suspect FireWire cable just wasted an hour of time.

\n", "date_published": "2008-04-27T01:43:56-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2008/04/27/suspect-firewire-cable.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2008/04/27/tipp-never-ever.html", "content_html": "

Never record DV and HDV content on a single DV tape. Makes importing a total nightmare!

\n", "date_published": "2008-04-27T01:26:42-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2008/04/27/tipp-never-ever.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2008/04/26/just-got-anothe.html", "content_html": "

Just received another $100 deposit from Google Adwords for Road Sign Math. I should really pay at least a little attention to that site.

\n", "date_published": "2008-04-26T16:40:33-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2008/04/26/just-got-anothe.html", "tags": ["Road Sign Math","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2008/04/24/yum-kitchen-gets.html", "title": "Yum Kitchen gets WiFi", "content_html": "\"Circular\n

The Internet continues to expand! I was recently at Yum! Kitchen and Bakery, a regular favorite restaurant of ours, and was happy to see my iPhone detect a new open wireless network named “Yum”.

\n

You can now happily nosh on some great food, coffee and treats while surfing the Internet in style.

\n", "date_published": "2008-04-24T00:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2008/04/24/yum-kitchen-gets.html", "tags": ["Technology","Restaurants"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2008/04/21/spent-the-entire.html", "content_html": "

Spent the entire evening playing digital librarian. Moving photos and home movies around to their proper spots. Tedious, but necessary.

\n

Would someone come and add metadata to 50,000 photos and home movies?

\n", "date_published": "2008-04-21T19:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2008/04/21/spent-the-entire.html", "tags": ["Photography","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2008/04/22/t793997415.html", "content_html": "

File copy was taking forever and I just noticed I was on my 802.11g network. Flipped to 802.11n, much faster.

\n", "date_published": "2008-04-21T19:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2008/04/21/t793997415.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2008/04/22/t794007262.html", "content_html": "

iPhone just restarted itself while syncing. 😕

\n", "date_published": "2008-04-21T19:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2008/04/21/t794007262.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2008/04/22/t794009465.html", "content_html": "

Just imported my first DV tape from the Canon HV30. Quality is amazing.

\n", "date_published": "2008-04-21T19:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2008/04/21/t794009465.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2008/04/17/very-dissapointed-that.html", "content_html": "\n", "date_published": "2008-04-17T19:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2008/04/17/very-dissapointed-that.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2008/04/17/t791066969.html", "content_html": "

Truth Revealed! Fresh dent in MacBook Pro is from wife dropping it!

\n", "date_published": "2008-04-16T19:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2008/04/16/t791066969.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2008/04/17/t791195794.html", "content_html": "

Adding yet another Vista BSOD to the my running count.

\n", "date_published": "2008-04-16T19:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2008/04/16/t791195794.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2008/04/16/t789951098.html", "content_html": "\n", "date_published": "2008-04-15T19:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2008/04/15/t789951098.html", "tags": ["Travel","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2008/04/14/t789102611.html", "content_html": "

If KML is the HTML of geo, what is the XHTML of geo?

\n", "date_published": "2008-04-13T19:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2008/04/13/t789102611.html", "tags": ["Software Development","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2008/04/13/minneapolis-getting-comcast.html", "title": "Minneapolis Getting Comcast Love", "content_html": "\"Comcast\n

This rolled by in my newsfeed a few days ago and caught my eye. The New York Times had a short piece on Minneapolis getting some new high-speed options from Comcast. I found the release on Comcast’s website about it as well.

\n

Comcast is rolling out this new DOCSIS 3.0 technology and it promises to give us 50 megabit download speeds. That’s a whopping 10x on what I get now on a regular basis. The service is about 2.5x as expensive as well, but I’d seriously consider the upgrade.

\n

I checked out my service area and this isn’t an option for me yet. Does anyone see this as an option yet? Supposedly it’s available now.

\n", "date_published": "2008-04-13T00:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2008/04/13/minneapolis-getting-comcast.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2008/04/13/ted-podcast-you.html", "title": "TED - Podcast You Should Be Watching", "content_html": "

TED stands for Technology, Entertainment, Design. TED has an annual conference that in recent years has become a pretty amazing event. Getting into TED is not easy. On top of a very expensive entry fee, you actually have to write an essay expanding on your accomplishments and what you expect to achieve in the coming years.

\n

Fortunately for everyone, TED has also opened up in a very big way. The TED website is pretty amazing and has videos of hundreds, if not thousands, of TED presentations. You should add this to your list of sites to watch and check out. The podcast for TED and my iPhone are musts for me.

\n

Here is a collection of three amazing videos released this year from the TED conference. I watched them in this order, in a row, and that is why I wrote this post. I just felt more people should see this great stuff. It makes you think.

\n

Karen Armstrong

\n
\n

Stephen Hawking

\n
\n

Al Gore

\n
\n", "date_published": "2008-04-13T00:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2008/04/13/ted-podcast-you.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2008/04/13/t788068039.html", "content_html": "

My computers are turning on me and its ugly!

\n", "date_published": "2008-04-12T19:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2008/04/12/t788068039.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2008/04/13/t788368744.html", "content_html": "

Mac Pro going into the shop for diagnostics and repair. Apple TV being swapped today.

\n", "date_published": "2008-04-12T19:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2008/04/12/t788368744.html", "tags": ["Technology","Apple"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2008/04/13/t788413031.html", "content_html": "

Funny that using OS X still makes me so much happier than any other OS I use on a regular basis.

\n", "date_published": "2008-04-12T19:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2008/04/12/t788413031.html", "tags": ["Technology","Apple"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2008/04/12/t787771493.html", "content_html": "

Ugh – finally gave up and made an appointment for my Mac Pro. This has to be a hardware issue.

\n", "date_published": "2008-04-11T19:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2008/04/11/t787771493.html", "tags": ["Technology","Apple"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2008/04/12/t787915880.html", "content_html": "

Anyone know if you can change Time Machine in Leopard to run while on battery power? Only running when plugged in is screwing me up.

\n", "date_published": "2008-04-11T19:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2008/04/11/t787915880.html", "tags": ["Technology","Apple"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2008/04/10/t786205886.html", "content_html": "\n", "date_published": "2008-04-09T19:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2008/04/09/t786205886.html", "tags": ["Technology","Apple"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2008/04/08/t785245746.html", "content_html": "

Very annoyed that I cannot just download a Google Earth installer anymore. You are forced to download the Google Updater and use it!?

\n", "date_published": "2008-04-07T19:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2008/04/07/t785245746.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2008/03/30/t779778467.html", "content_html": "

Seems the USB hub in one of my Dell monitors is dead. 1 hour of my life wasted.

\n", "date_published": "2008-03-29T19:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2008/03/29/t779778467.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2008/03/29/t779340618.html", "content_html": "

Enabling Time Machine via network drive for all Macs.

\n", "date_published": "2008-03-28T19:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2008/03/28/t779340618.html", "tags": ["Technology","Apple"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2008/03/27/t777747044.html", "content_html": "

I wish time didn’t go so very fast when I’m jamming on my laptop in the evening.

\n

One of the tweets highlighted in my MarketWatch Farewell Video.

\n", "date_published": "2008-03-26T19:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2008/03/26/t777747044.html", "tags": ["MarketWatch","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2008/03/27/t777750622.html", "content_html": "

The question isnt if, but to what extent, I’m addicted to the Internet.

\n

One of the tweets highlighted in my MarketWatch Farewell Video.

\n", "date_published": "2008-03-26T19:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2008/03/26/t777750622.html", "tags": ["MarketWatch","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2008/03/27/t777941397.html", "content_html": "

Wish I had an Xserve running Leopard server at home. Starting to feel the need for something like iCal server.

\n", "date_published": "2008-03-26T19:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2008/03/26/t777941397.html", "tags": ["Technology","Apple"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2008/03/24/installing-drivers-for.html", "content_html": "\n", "date_published": "2008-03-24T19:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2008/03/24/installing-drivers-for.html", "tags": ["Technology","Home"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2008/03/24/t776002223.html", "content_html": "

Watching MacBook Air commercial and experiencing lust.

\n", "date_published": "2008-03-23T19:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2008/03/23/t776002223.html", "tags": ["Technology","Apple"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2008/03/21/t774747099.html", "content_html": "

Ordering a Canon HV30. Finally making the jump to a new, hi-def video camera.

\n", "date_published": "2008-03-20T19:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2008/03/20/t774747099.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2008/03/20/t774206558.html", "content_html": "

Wow – Safari 3.1 really is blazing fast.

\n", "date_published": "2008-03-19T19:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2008/03/19/t774206558.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2008/03/19/t774061430.html", "content_html": "

Vista SP1 has totally hosed my WiFi card. How ridiculous can Vista get. It worked fine before.

\n", "date_published": "2008-03-18T19:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2008/03/18/t774061430.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2008/03/17/t772874971.html", "content_html": "

Getting lots of server errors while using Google Reader today. Anyone else?

\n", "date_published": "2008-03-16T19:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2008/03/16/t772874971.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2008/03/11/fluid-and-sitespecific.html", "title": "Fluid and Site-Specific Browsers", "content_html": "\"Globe\nSo, you may be wondering what a site-specific browser is. In a nutshell, it\nis just a web browser that is packaged with some specific functionality\nor extensions to work with a specific website. I think this is going to\nbe an interesting area over the coming years. If you think about how\nboth Quicken and Money mesh the web into their applications, that is a\nvery tiny sliver of a SSB.\n

If you are a Mac user, you can have your very own SSB’s to your hearts content. Fluid is a program for your Mac that creates SSB’s. You launch Fluid and with a couple of commands it creates another application that becomes that SSB. Why do this? Well, there are a number of reasons.

\n

Long Lived Web Applications

\n

If you are a web application user for GMail or Yahoo! Mail you’ve probably had multiple tabs open and had a page on another tab cause the browser to crash. With a poof your mail disappears.

\n

If you are using an SSB the SSB is in another process space and is protected.

\n

Keep Focus

\n

The SSB is locked down to the domain you specify. If anything in that domain links you out to another domain, that will launch out in your default browser.

\n

Integration With Your Desktop

\n

The reasons above are why I created SSB’s for both Basecamp and Backpack. Another benefit? I can now quickly launch them via Quicksilver and they appear in my alt-tab sequence just like they were a real application. There is a good write-up on the 37 Signals blog about how to set this up, with nice graphics to use for icons.

\n\"macOS\n

I find this user experience really changes how you work with these web applications.

\n", "date_published": "2008-03-11T00:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2008/03/11/fluid-and-sitespecific.html", "tags": ["Technology","Apple"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2008/03/07/t768130081.html", "content_html": "

Heading to lunch with Tom Von Kuster and Paul Bieganski. Thanks Dan Grigsby for the intro.

\n", "date_published": "2008-03-06T19:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2008/03/06/t768130081.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2008/03/06/updating-vista-to.html", "content_html": "\n

One of the tweets highlighted in my MarketWatch Farewell Video.

\n", "date_published": "2008-03-06T19:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2008/03/06/updating-vista-to.html", "tags": ["MarketWatch","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2008/03/05/t766842021.html", "content_html": "

Just spent a really frustrating hour trying to move a 4.5G set of files over my Wireless network. Grr…

\n", "date_published": "2008-03-04T19:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2008/03/04/t766842021.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2008/02/25/t757629152.html", "content_html": "

Just ran into Dan Grigsby having coffee with Matt O’Keefe at my local coffee shop.

\n", "date_published": "2008-02-24T19:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2008/02/24/t757629152.html", "tags": ["Coffee","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2008/02/22/having-a-frusttrating.html", "content_html": "

Having a frustrating time trying to export a movie out of ScreenFlow.

\n

I’m totally impressed with how well done Slicehost tutorials are written. Very helpful. You’re actually smarter after following them.

\n

Just moved one of my sites over to Slicehost. Now I wait for the DNS records to expire.

\n

Just reconfigured PCI-e lanes to get a bit more performance. Afraid to go to slot 4 since it’s right next to the hard drives. Oh well.

\n

String at awe at my now triple display Mac Pro. Ohhhh…

\n

Using the optical drive on my MacBook Pro and totally shocked about doing it.

\n", "date_published": "2008-02-22T19:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2008/02/22/having-a-frusttrating.html", "tags": ["Software Development","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2008/02/23/t746456602.html", "content_html": "

Just calculated that I have 7,624,000 pixels on my desktop.

\n

One of the tweets highlighted in my MarketWatch Farewell Video.

\n", "date_published": "2008-02-22T19:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2008/02/22/t746456602.html", "tags": ["MarketWatch","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2008/02/20/t733462512.html", "content_html": "

Giving up on NetNewsWires and NewsGator and going back to Google Reader. Just can’t deal with the suboptimal mobile experience.

\n", "date_published": "2008-02-19T19:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2008/02/19/t733462512.html", "tags": ["Technology","Blogging"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2008/02/18/t726287902.html", "content_html": "

Ordered an HP Color LaserJet 2605dtn. Looking forward to having a nice printer with all the whistles - Postscript, Duplexing.

\n", "date_published": "2008-02-17T19:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2008/02/17/t726287902.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2008/02/17/t721786552.html", "content_html": "

Reading about the Epson Stylus Pro 3800 and trying to convince myself I need one.

\n", "date_published": "2008-02-16T19:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2008/02/16/t721786552.html", "tags": ["Photography","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2008/02/17/t722877382.html", "content_html": "

Just got my Nabaztag hooked up to Twitter! Welcome Twitter people to Thinglestag!

\n", "date_published": "2008-02-16T19:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2008/02/16/t722877382.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2008/02/17/t723789342.html", "content_html": "

Totally obsessed about getting my MacBook Pro laser etched. Any suggestions?

\n", "date_published": "2008-02-16T19:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2008/02/16/t723789342.html", "tags": ["Technology","Apple"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2008/02/15/t714043632.html", "content_html": "

Got a NabazTag from my wife for Valentines day. Can’t wait to connect it to Twitter!

\n", "date_published": "2008-02-14T19:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2008/02/14/t714043632.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2008/02/11/mac-os-x.html", "title": "Mac OS X 10.5.2 Update is Out!", "content_html": "

The long awaited, and huge (341MB), update for Mac OS X 10.5.2 is out now! Get it while it’s hot!

\n\"Mac\n

Don’t forget to do a second Software Update after the 10.5.2 install is done to get the Leopard Graphics Update as well.

\n

Still wondering where that promised Apple TV update is!

\n", "date_published": "2008-02-11T01:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2008/02/11/mac-os-x.html", "tags": ["Technology","Apple"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2008/02/10/t697121832.html", "content_html": "

Trying out Coda for the first time and thinking that it may be perfect!

\n", "date_published": "2008-02-09T19:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2008/02/09/t697121832.html", "tags": ["Software Development","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2008/02/09/t693276732.html", "content_html": "

Happy to be using my MacBook Pro again.

\n

Missed it after a week on that horrible Dell Latitude.

\n", "date_published": "2008-02-08T19:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2008/02/08/t693276732.html", "tags": ["Technology","Apple"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2008/02/08/t689382222.html", "content_html": "

I can’t have jam.ie, too bad. I could have thingl.es.

\n

The domain maz.ie is actually available. That would be a nice reservation for my daughter. But €75 a year? Ouch!

\n

Debating the merits of a domain that ends in .ly — Libya? Hmmm…

\n", "date_published": "2008-02-07T19:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2008/02/07/t689382222.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2008/02/08/t691445232.html", "content_html": "

Watching Walt Mossberg talk about the iPhone and technology trends. Cool!

\n", "date_published": "2008-02-07T19:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2008/02/07/t691445232.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2008/02/01/jumpnode-network-appliance.html", "title": "Jumpnode Network Appliance", "content_html": "\"Small\n

For the last few months I’ve had a Jumpnode appliance in my house keeping a tab on all of my computers, the network and other infrastructure. The Jumpnode is an appliance created by a Minneapolis startup that allows people to keep an eye on technology in remote offices, server performance or anything else that you can query via SNMP or WMI. It delivers on it’s promise of ease-of-use and exceptionally simple setup.

\n

When you get your Jumpnode you simply unbox it, record the unique serial number and plug it into your network. Everything else is done with a slick Flash application that is hosted by Jumpnode.

\n", "date_published": "2008-02-01T01:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2008/02/01/jumpnode-network-appliance.html", "tags": ["Technology","Tech Community"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2008/01/30/solving-offsite-backups.html", "title": "Solving Offsite Backups", "content_html": "\"Hand\n

Nobody likes to deal with backups. It’s a chore. It usually has some expense to it. But we all know it’s critical. Your probably backing up to a USB drive that you picked up and plugged into your machine. That’s good. Maybe you’ve actually progressed with another computer in your house or a NAS device and are backing up over the network. This is a good idea to provide some separation between the backup and the computer the data is on.

\n

But, what if there was a real catastrophe? What if your house burned down? What if someone broke into your house and stole all the computers? Bad things happen, and those hard drives no longer just have letters and check book accounts. Those are your family photos and videos, and if your like me you cannot lose that. There is only one way to guarantee your data and that is offsite backup. I’ve finally implemented a robust offsite backup regime that I think works best.

\n

The first thing about doing offsite backups is that it requires pairs of storage. You could get by without it, but that will double your trips offsite to insure that you always have storage offsite. My approach is to have an A-set and B-set of disks, and swap them via a safe deposit box at the bank. If the A-set is at your house or in transit, the B-set is in the bank. If the B-set is in motion, the A-set is in the bank. There is always a safe set.

\n

Now what kind of disk do we go with? There are a lot of options for USB and FireWire drives that will do the job, but there are some challenges with that approach. First, these drives have custom power adapters that are unique to the drive. They also have a lot of air in those cases, greatly increasing the phyiscal space required to store the disks. This is important if you are placing them in a safety deposit box with limited space. The answer is to just use bare hard drives, just like you would put inside your machine.

\n

IMAGE OF DISKS

\n

But it’s crazy to open up your machine all the time. That is where a USB drive adapter comes to the rescue.

\n

IMAGE OF ADAPTER

\n", "date_published": "2008-01-30T01:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2008/01/30/solving-offsite-backups.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2008/01/01/defensive-domain-names.html", "title": "Defensive Domain Names", "content_html": "

I purchased thingelstad.com in April 1999. I’m a little surprised that it took me until 1999 to buy my own last name. It seems odd to me now that I didn’t buy it in 1995 or so, when I clearly knew that this whole Internet thing was real. Luckily I beat a Thingelstad in Norway who had to settle for thingelstad.org in June 2000.

\n\"3D\n

I recently filled out my personal domains and grabbed thingelstad.net as well as thingelstad.name. These were imminently obvious. It also seems to me that if you care to own your identity on the Internet you should make sure to own your full name. As such, I also own jamiethingelstad.com, jamiethingelstad.net, jamiethingelstad.org and jamiethingelstad.name.

\n

Lastly, I have to deal with a name that is long and not easy to spell. The most common misspell of my name is to transpose the e and the l. So, I also now own thinglestad.com, thinglestad.net, thinglestad.org and thinglestad.name. These all just do a permanent redirect to the real domain.

\n

GoDaddy really loves me. 🙂

\n", "date_published": "2008-01-01T01:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2008/01/01/defensive-domain-names.html", "tags": ["Technology","Privacy \u0026 Security"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2007/12/30/western-digital-tb.html", "title": "Western Digital 1TB My Book", "content_html": "\"Silver\n

A long, long time ago I decided to do an experiment. I built a server with 1 terabyte in storage. I wanted to see if the average person could deploy a terabyte of storage. The answer to my question was a solid no. That was April 2004. It cost a little over $3,000 and was painful. Oh times have changed.

\n

I was loitering around the Apple Store the other day and I saw this nifty little Western Digital 1TB My Book. I was hesitant to purchase this since I figured mail order would be a better deal. I whipped out my iPhone and surmised that I was going to pay a $30 “convenience” cost to walk out of the store with it right then. Off I went.

\n

I realize it sounds kind of “old man” of me to say that I’m amazed I can get 1 terabyte in a single disk. But, I am amazed! This is a decent drive too, supporting FireWire 400 and 800, as well as standard USB. As an added bonus it supports eSATA. I have it on my FireWire 800 port with the Mac Pro and it’s nice and fast.

\n

I’m not brave enough to let Time Machine take this drive and have it’s way with it. I’m going to keep on using Chronosync to backup home movies, photos and iTunes media to it. I also need to find a place to put the raw DVD rips of 300 discs that I’m planning to start soon. More on that another time…

\n

If you are looking for a big, huge disk to have around this is an easy alternative. Surely a lot easier than building a horrific box with 8 SATA drives. Ugh!

\n", "date_published": "2007-12-30T01:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2007/12/30/western-digital-tb.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2007/12/25/awesome-bluetooth-headset.html", "title": "Awesome Bluetooth Headset Dude!", "content_html": "

I got my brother-in-law Denny a new Bluetooth headset for Christmas and my brother-in-law Hector showed up after putting in a mandatory morning at the office and just loved his new headset. Words cannot do his reaction justice. This short movie attempts to capture the moment.

\n

\n", "date_published": "2007-12-25T01:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2007/12/25/awesome-bluetooth-headset.html", "tags": ["Technology","Holidays"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2007/12/15/olpc-xo-arrived.html", "title": "OLPC XO-1 Arrived", "content_html": "

My One Laptop Per Child XO-1 arrived today! I haven’t had any time to work with it so you will all have to wait to hear my thoughts on it. Some things that jumped right out though include…

\n\n

To tide everyone over, here are some pictures of Mazie holding it. She’s a kid after all! :-)

\n

\"20071215-153023-3477.jpg\"

\n

\"20071215-153025-3479.jpg\"

\n", "date_published": "2007-12-15T01:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2007/12/15/olpc-xo-arrived.html", "tags": ["Family","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2007/12/06/pleo-hatches.html", "title": "Pleo Hatches", "content_html": "

After months of waiting Pleo has finally arrived! Pleo is the first robot from Ugobe.

\n\"Green\n

It seems not many people had pre-ordered Pleo (according to Jyte). Of course there were only 2,000 of the special “First Hatch” editions available.

\n

I charged Pleo’s batteries and woke him up for the first time. So far I’m pretty impressed. Ugobe has done a great job of getting Pleo to convey a variety of emotions. I took him to work today and people had a great time playing with him. He’s already learned several new motions and actions. I had read another blog post saying that they thought he was really loud. Granted you can hear the servos, but I don’t think they are too loud. Engadget has a nice write-up on Pleo.

\n

I’ll post more on my first few days with Pleo later, perhaps with some video.

\n", "date_published": "2007-12-06T01:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2007/12/06/pleo-hatches.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2007/12/04/linksys-wtrgs-making.html", "title": "Linksys WTR-54GS: Making Travel Better for Internet Junkies", "content_html": "\"Linksys\n

I recently picked up a Linksys WTR-54GS travel router based on the positive recommendation of my friend Chris. He had gotten one before going on a big trip to make sure that he had WiFi in all the locations he wanted it and it worked really well.

\n

I’ve considered getting something like this for a while, but never had a need that pushed me over the edge. The iPhone was the tipping point. When staying in a hotel I wanted to get my iPhone online and even if a hotel does provide WiFi they usually limit each room to one device (via the MAC address). By using a travel router like this I can put a small network in my room with several devices and not have to pay any additional fees. I’m using it right now in my hotel room with my Dell laptop, MacBook Pro and my iPhone all online. It works really well.

\n

As an added benefit the WTR-54GS has a firewall integrated into it so you can protect all of your devices from other hotel guests. I’ve noticed lately that if I launch iTunes in a hotel I could see a large number of peoples shared music. Tsk tsk. The firewall in the travel router will keep me protected from such things.

\n

The WTR-54GS itself is a nice package. It has an integrated power supply so there isn’t any extra junk for plugging it in. It comes with a nice, very packable, 10-BaseT cable. It’s small and can easily be thrown in your suitcase for any trip. One of the unique features of the Linksys model is that you can even bridge from one WiFi network to your own, thus still getting the advantages even when the hotel offers only WiFi.

\n

If you travel with any regularity, and are an electronics pack mule like me, you should consider grabbing one of these.

\n", "date_published": "2007-12-04T01:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2007/12/04/linksys-wtrgs-making.html", "tags": ["Travel","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2007/11/18/one-laptop-per.html", "title": "One Laptop Per Child, and Me", "content_html": "\"One\n

Technology has the promise of being the great equalizer, or a great divider. I don’t think enough is being done to make sure that the benefits that the “technological have’s” enjoy are available to all. I think this is going to be a big problem in the US particularly. In developing countries it’s even more basic. One Laptop Per Child has the mission of bringing technology to kids in an affordable package to help bridge this gap. They have been working on developing a $100 laptop for a while now that could be given to kids in developing countries (they didn’t quiet get to $100 on this one). I’d suggest they send a few million around the US too! They’ve just released their first computer, the XO-1. I think it’s pretty cool looking!

\n\"Green\n

The goal of this machine is to make something that is cheap, rugged and very usable for kids in developing countries. It has WiFi and a basic web browser to hop on the Internet. In fact, it forms it’s own mesh network whenever more than one is present, allowing kids to collaborate in ad hoc settings. It’s power use is very modest, and a solar panel can be attached to the back of it to allow for permanent off-grid use. I’m also ecstatic that they include a number of different development environments. Hit a few buttons and your writing your own programs for it. Great! David Pogue did a really good video review about the XO-1. It’s worth watching.

\n

OLPC is running a limited time special where you get one, and give one. The only way to buy one is to buy two, and one goes to a kid. I’ve ordered mine up and am looking forward to playing with it. A friend also ordered one so it will be fun to play with the networking features. I even noticed a CTO acquaintance of mine has purchased one. My friend Chris suggested that this may be the new status symbol. Like owning a Prius. Go hang out at the coffee shop with your XO-1. Can’t wait. Offer ends soon, go order one!

\n

After I get mine I’ll post some reaction to it.

\n", "date_published": "2007-11-18T01:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2007/11/18/one-laptop-per.html", "tags": ["Technology","Giving"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2007/10/29/t373827522.html", "content_html": "

Just grabbed thinglestad.com (e and l transposed). This is the most common mispelling of my last name. A bit surprised it was still available.

\n", "date_published": "2007-10-28T19:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2007/10/28/t373827522.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2007/10/23/t357124492.html", "content_html": "

After using the iPhone for a few months the Blackberry can feel like you are carving on stone tablets.

\n", "date_published": "2007-10-22T19:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2007/10/22/t357124492.html", "tags": ["Technology","Apple"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2007/10/17/t341243622.html", "content_html": "

I’m never going to agree to ship to Canada on eBay ever again.

\n", "date_published": "2007-10-16T19:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2007/10/16/t341243622.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2007/10/08/t320810172.html", "content_html": "

Have resorted completely to Meebo after Trillian and Vista separated with irreparable differences.

\n", "date_published": "2007-10-07T19:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2007/10/07/t320810172.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2007/10/04/t312711672.html", "content_html": "

Uh oh, I think I just bricked my BlackBerry

\n

Yep, BlackBerry is bricked. Have to send it in. Ugh.

\n", "date_published": "2007-10-03T19:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2007/10/03/t312711672.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2007/09/26/feeling-like-the.html", "content_html": "

Feeling like the guy that dissolves in the storm of papers in the movie Brazil.

\n

Starting to question if I will EVER be able to transfer 100 gig of data up to Amazon S3.

\n", "date_published": "2007-09-26T19:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2007/09/26/feeling-like-the.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2007/09/11/etymotic-research-er.html", "title": "Etymotic Research ER6 Earbuds for iPhone", "content_html": "\"Two\n

One of the unexpected byproducts of getting the iPhone is that I’m listening to a lot more music on the go. There are two primary reasons for this. The most important one is that my phone is almost always with me (unlike an iPod). Since the iPhone is much more than a phone, but is my phone, I now almost always have music with me. The second reason is that the experience is just so nice that I really enjoy using it. The integration of the phone and music player into the same device has some nice other benefits, like still being able to receive a call while walking around the city or working out and listening to music, or books, or podcasts.

\n

Listening to more music I decided to do an upgrade of the earbuds that come with the iPhone. The included buds are okay, but you can do better. This is a tricky upgrade however. The iPhone comes with the customized headphones that have a mic in them for making phone calls (which is great by the way, it’s really nice to do calls with both ears). Of course you can plug in normal headphones and they work fine, but with less functionality.

\n

UltimateBuds came to the rescue with an innovative approach. You can send them your iPhone headphones and they will detach the Apple earbuds and put the Etymotic ER6i earbuds on in there place. The microphone functionality is not affected, since it is still the same headphone set. Brilliant! I opted for this and sent my headphones in a week ago. The turnaround time was fast and the quality of the replacement is great.

\n

I’ve now been able to try my modified Etymotic ER6’s in a variety of conditions and I am very pleased. I’m typing this while using them on a plane and having used noise cancelling headphones as well, these are far superior. The thing that takes some getting used to with the ER6’s is that they don’t really sit in your ear like typical buds do. They are rather just speakers designed for your ear canal. They go deeper into your and that takes a little getting used to. The sound is great though. Detail comes through crisply, bass is reproduced with depth and boom. Two thumbs up!

\n

My only challenge with them thus far has been on an airplane. I’m a bit more sensitive than most to air pressure and ears. I found that placing the headphones in with a complete “seal” made for a lot of pressure on my ear. Working the earbud around a bit makes it okay though.

\n

If your looking for better sound on the go with your iPhone, and don’t want to sacrifice the microphone, this is a great option.

\n", "date_published": "2007-09-11T00:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2007/09/11/etymotic-research-er.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2007/08/07/laserjet-memory-upgrade.html", "title": "LaserJet Memory Upgrade", "content_html": "

I think I’m like most people and never really think about my printer. Last week though I thought about it a lot as I waited forever to have it print some really complicated documents. I decided to take action and ordered some more memory. I just got done slapping a 128MB DIMM in my HP LaserJet 1320. Why? Because you can and it costs so very little. And I expect I’ll have this printer for a good long while. It sure prints faster.

\n\"System\n", "date_published": "2007-08-07T00:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2007/08/07/laserjet-memory-upgrade.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2007/08/04/t185826382.html", "content_html": "

Wishing that del.icio.us was integrated with Safari on my iPhone.

\n", "date_published": "2007-08-03T19:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2007/08/03/t185826382.html", "tags": ["Technology","Apple"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2007/08/04/t186689642.html", "content_html": "

Upgrading firmware on all network devices and breaking things.

\n", "date_published": "2007-08-03T19:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2007/08/03/t186689642.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2007/07/31/t178594962.html", "content_html": "

Celebrating Backpack’s adoption of OpenID!

\n", "date_published": "2007-07-30T19:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2007/07/30/t178594962.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2007/07/21/t160521642.html", "content_html": "

twitterfeed is kind of cool and it supports OpenID.

\n", "date_published": "2007-07-20T19:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2007/07/20/t160521642.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2007/07/20/t158791972.html", "content_html": "

The iPhone is an even better flashlight than the BlackBerry.

\n", "date_published": "2007-07-19T19:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2007/07/19/t158791972.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2007/07/14/initial-iphone-impression.html", "title": "Initial iPhone Impression", "content_html": "\"First-generation\n

I’ve now had the iPhone for a couple of weeks and it is about time that I share some of my thoughts on the little magical device. I’m not going to try to write some in-depth review. If you want that, Ars Technica and Engadget both did very thorough reviews covering everything you could possibly imagine. Read those for the nitty gritty. I’ll just hit on the things that I particularly dig, or don’t dig.

\n

Let me first start with the question everyone asks me, is this a BlackBerry killer? The simple answer is, right now, not at all. I’ve been a “CrackBerry” addict for a long time now, currently sporting the BlackBerry 8800. The iPhone outshines the BlackBerry in almost every area, but the maturity of the BlackBerry environment and shortcuts really slams the iPhones v. 1 shortcomings. I’ll be keeping both my iPhone and the BlackBerry 8800. For power email users the iPhone currently doesn’t even come close to the BlackBerry. Now, let’s move onto the iPhone.

\n

The Device

\n

The physical form factor of the iPhone is stunning. It’s a great size and fits perfectly in my hand. It feels very rugged. I would love it to be a bit lighter, but it’s okay. The glass screen is a nice change from other handheld devices and gives you a crystal clear view at the stunning display. The display is amazing and even readable in full-daylight.

\n

On the negative side it does get hot after prolonged use (say 30 minutes of web browsing). It doesn’t get super hot. It’s no AppleTV (which I swear could bake a cake!), but it is warm to the hand and ear. This generally doesn’t bother me, but I’m growing more annoyed by all my devices creating so much heat. The other device issues have been written about thoroughly – EDGE-limited and no 802.11n. Insert that for the record.

\n

I think Apple hit it out of the park on the physical form-factor. My overall take is that this is by far the best ultra-mobile little computer ever made. And really, that is what the iPhone is, a very tiny little computer.

\n

The Software

\n

This is where things get ugly. Let me start with the positives. Many of the included applications are pretty cool. The Google Maps application is an absolute joy, and highlights how great things can be. Other applications like Stocks and Weather are functional, but are severely limited in functionality. The iPod “application” is great, and another home run.

\n

Safari on the iPhone is the best web browser on a mobile device ever, even if it is buggy and crashes fairly regularly on me.

\n

But then there is Mail. Mail, and this is sad, really is horrible on the iPhone. If you have a public IMAP server, or use Yahoo mail you may find it okay. If you use GMail you are in for pain and suffering as you have to resort to POP. Really, who should be forced to use POP in 2007? I find it stunning that there is no way on the iPhone to select 10 email messages and delete them at once. This is an instant non-starter for power email users. Very, very sad.

\n

The software keyboard is not worth worrying as much as most have. I’ve found it quiet capable, and after 3 days I fealt very proficient with it. However, it falls short in two areas that BlackBerry has shown the light for. The iPhone badly needs AutoText. I want to type “sked” and have “schedule” appear, or “msp” and get “Minneapolis”. The iPhone also needs the nice touches like a double space producing a period and a space.

\n

I’m not overly bitter about this because, well, it is software. I expect this will be fixed and improved dramatically. The true power of the iPhone goes back to it just being a little computer and a new software update could dramatically make the whole thing much better.

\n

We Need Software

\n

This highlights the biggest problem in the iPhone, the lack of a software development kit. This simply has to be solved, and hopefully will be soon. The bone that Apple threw, building applications in Safari, is a joke. Get real guys. I want native GMail, Google Calendar and many others on my iPhone. I want them on the main screen. And I don’t want Safari in the middle!

\n

If Apple doesn’t get on the ball here, I will be the proud owner of a cool phone that doesn’t do as much as it should. A mere shadow of what it could be. I’m confident that this will get resolved, until then I love my iPhone with a number of notable footnotes.

\n", "date_published": "2007-07-14T00:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2007/07/14/initial-iphone-impression.html", "tags": ["Technology","Apple"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2007/07/02/iphone-activation.html", "title": "iPhone Activation", "content_html": "

One of the ways in which the iPhone claims to be revolutionary is how you activate it. Rather than sitting in the store and having someone press a few dozen numbers on your phone, you simply take it home and plug it into your computer and follow a few easy screens in iTunes. Sounds great!

\n

And great it is! On Tammy’s phone, it was flawless. I changed her phone on her existing account and it flowed with ease through iTunes. Everything was great. No issues. Bliss.

\n

Then it was my turn. I knew this would be more complicated since I decided that I was going to move my phone to my individual account and no longer submit it through my business. During the weekend I called AT&T and the service representative said I had to call back on Monday, but I could just activate now on my individual plan and they could fix it up on Monday. It turns out that was incorrect. After about 90 minutes of time on the phone with AT&T this is what had to be done.

\n
    \n
  1. Transfer my existing account from the business to a new individual account.
    2. \n
  2. Move my existing individual account to the same “market” as my business number was. (This seems totally odd to me.)
    3. \n
  3. Cancel the activation I did on my iPhone before.
    4. \n
  4. Get a new SIM card for iPhone. (Once you activate a SIM card it’s toast, trip to the store!)
    5. \n
  5. Reactivate iPhone.
    6. \n
\n

I came within millimeters of just giving up and changing numbers. I’m going to be astounded if there are no billing issues the first couple of months.

\n

Note: there was some concern on various sites about replacing your SIM card. I can say with confidence that replacing your SIM card is very painless on the iPhone. Just pop a new one in from AT&T and re-activate in iTunes. All of your existing sync settings will be retained.

\n

The story has a happy ending. After getting a new SIM card, and having the AT&T people get my account all prepared for it, activation was flawless on my phone as well.

\n

There are many people complaining about activation problems. Perhaps Apple didn’t spend enough time on this process. Or, in my opinion, they are just trying to do something that isn’t possible. The complexity required to move my phone would be incredibly hard to code around, and expensive. Solving the problem seamlessly for 80% is great, but the other 20% are probably thinking it’s easier than it really is.

\n", "date_published": "2007-07-02T00:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2007/07/02/iphone-activation.html", "tags": ["Technology","Apple"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2007/06/08/t95343992.html", "content_html": "

Watching AllThingsD Gates/Jobs interview. Transcript.

\n
\n \n
\n\n", "date_published": "2007-06-07T19:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2007/06/07/t95343992.html", "tags": ["Videos","Technology","Apple"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2007/06/01/going-offline-with.html", "title": "Going Offline with Google Gears", "content_html": "

I just spent a little while getting caught up on a variety of sites with Google Reader. Reader is my RSS tool of choice. This isn’t all that special, except that I did it while sitting on an airplane.

\n

Last night Google released the first “developer release” (alpha?) of Google Gears, and along with it Google Reader got a revision to allow you to go offline using Gears. The experience was pretty amazing. Reader works just as you would expect it to. You launch your web browser, go to the Reader URL and instead of the expected error since your not online, you actually get the site but in offline mode.

\n

This is a first release for Reader using the offline capability so it’s a little overly modal (either offline or not) and some features are frustratingly unavailable, particularly marking all items read. To my surprise sharing items is available.

\n

Google Gears, the technology that makes this all possible, provides a nice suite of features to make this all work. I’m assuming that the Googleplex is hard at work on making an offline version of GMail, it’s the most obvious next candidate. I did a little poking around the developer documentation for Gears and I was really excited to see that all the hooks are there for ‘sometimes offline’ applications. With a little bit of ingenuity we should see web applications that seamlessly go online and offline as needed. I’d love to see this in a number of tools – all the 37 Signals applications, Wordpress, Google Calendar.

\n

I think this is a big moment. The Internet is nearly pervasive, but there are times when it may be unavailable. The biggest net benefit of technology like Gears may be in making applications much more resilient to transient network failures – in addition to the offline experience.

\n

It will be worthwhile to keep a close eye on this space.

\n

Update

\n

I used this on the flight back with a lot more unread items and it again worked great. Going offline took more time since there was more data. The lack of a mark all as read feature in offline Reader is a real pain though.

\n

Update 2

\n

I tried getting this going in Firefox on Vista and the installer fails. The Mac OS X Firefox install is a breeze and is just a browser plugin. The Windows install is a separate installer. YMMV.

\n", "date_published": "2007-06-01T00:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2007/06/01/going-offline-with.html", "tags": ["Technology","Blogging"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2007/05/31/t85672812.html", "content_html": "

Used the BlackBerry 8800 + GPS + Google Local to get coffee in completely random locale. Now watching myself walk on the map on the BlackBerry. Geek++

\n", "date_published": "2007-05-30T19:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2007/05/30/t85672812.html", "tags": ["Coffee","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2007/05/29/my-robot-and.html", "title": "My Robot and Steven Wright", "content_html": "

A friend of mine forwarded this screen capture from a friend of his who grabbed this great Twitter moment. It seems my robot and Steven Wright (also on Twitter) are on similar wavelengths.

\n

\"twitter-snapshot.png\"

\n", "date_published": "2007-05-29T00:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2007/05/29/my-robot-and.html", "tags": ["Technology","Social Media"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2007/05/28/t81643372.html", "content_html": "

Just bought greenrequest.com.

\n", "date_published": "2007-05-27T19:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2007/05/27/t81643372.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2007/05/27/what-food-would.html", "title": "What food would you give up the Internet for?", "content_html": "

Tammy and I had a really funny conversation today on the way home from the grocery store. I prompted the question of giving up the Internet for something. For example, if you were forced, would you give up chocolate, or the Internet. Forever. Not a month, but permanently. Would you never have another bite of chocolate so you could continue to bathe in the wonders of the Internet.

\n

To me this question was simple – I’d be passing on the chocolate. I love chocolate. Don’t get me wrong. Lindt and Vosges are very special brands in my book. But compared to the Internet, it’s no question.

\n

I theorized that if given the choice of continuing to use the Internet or drinking nutrient complete meal replacement shakes that I would have to think for a long time. What flavors exactly? Tammy laughed at me, citing that I wouldn’t make it through a single Thanksgiving.

\n

So, that made me wonder, what would your breaking point be? What food do you care so much about that you would abandon the Internet forever for it?

\n", "date_published": "2007-05-27T00:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2007/05/27/what-food-would.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2007/05/23/t74646192.html", "content_html": "

Pleo may ship in the next month – exciting!

\n", "date_published": "2007-05-22T19:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2007/05/22/t74646192.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2007/05/11/openid-makes-identity.html", "title": "OpenID Makes Identity Easy", "content_html": "\"Orange\n

I’ve been using OpenID for a couple of weeks now, and I’m really impressed. I created an OpenID identity on MyOpenID a few months ago, but there was nothing to use it with so it just sat. In these few months though, there has been a lot of progress! Recently David Hansson was blogging about OpenID which peaked my interest again (I asked him about it in the interview with him at Minnebar –fast forward to 44:13 minutes). There are now a decent number of web properties that are using OpenID to manage authentication. What is OpenID?

\n

I’m not going to write this when others have done it so well. Excerpt from ReadWriteWeb:

\n
\n

OpenID is an open, decentralized, free framework for user-centric digital identity. It is aimed at solving the problem of Web single sign-on. How does the problem of web single sign-on affect you? Well, if you struggle with keeping track of different usernames and passwords at different websites where you have an account, OpenID can help you. With OpenID you will be assigned a standard username (typically a URL or an i-name, similar to an email address) that you can use on all sites that support OpenID.

\n
\n

There is a wealth of information at the OpenID “How it works” page as well. If you insist on not wanting to read anything (and you likely wouldn’t have made it this far in this post if that were the case), Simon Willison did a nice screencast on using OpenID that is worth watching.

\n

Where is the momentum?

\n

OpenID is getting a surprising amount of support. There are now over one hundred sites, including some fairly large ones, that allow OpenID authentication. The list is growing daily with sites like Digg announcing they will be using OpenID. Microsoft is working to make OpenID and CardSpace work together. AOL has adopted OpenID and every AOL account now has OpenID capability (all 63 million of them!). Sun has announced support of OpenID. Mozilla has also announced that Firefox 3.0 will support OpenID. I’m a bit mystified at Google’s complete silence on this topic.

\n

That is a lot of activity, and much more momentum than was ever enjoyed by passed failed attempts at single-sign-on on the web like Microsoft Passport (now Windows LiveID). The fact that OpenID is decentralized, free and open-source gives it a very good chance at making it.

\n

Cool OpenID Stuff

\n

Once you have an OpenID account using OpenID-enabled sites is a breeze. Here is my OpenID. I can go to any OpenID-enabled site and type in http://thingles.myopenid.com/ and I’m in. I could even make that my own website URL, but I haven’t found a need. Passwords become a thing of the past.

\n

Having a centralized identity also opens up new capabilities. Jyte is a website that makes little sense without OpenID. Jyte is like Everybody Votes for Wii built on OpenID using the Web. See my Jyte page. What makes Jyte compelling is that identity is shared across OpenID sites. So, if I gave permission, another website could query Jyte, using my OpenID URI, and retrieve my information from Jyte to personalize my experience at the new site. Very cool! (And a little scary.)

\n

ClaimID is another interesting idea around identity management. It uses the centralized identity of OpenID to allow you to claim ownership of URL’s. See my ClaimID page. It combines OpenID federation, with the MicroID (get the Wordpress plugin!) microformat (a topic worthy of another post) to allow you to verify ownership of URL’s and centralize this in one federated OpenID-enabled identity.

\n

Hopes

\n

I hope that OpenID continues to get adoption. Identity management is a big problem on the web, and everyone has a myriad of passwords. Additionally, it gets really annoying to have to retype your name, email, address, etc. OpenID has a great framework for selectively controlling the distribution of that information. It removes so much of the friction from both signing up for a new service, and returning to use it in the future.

\n", "date_published": "2007-05-11T00:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2007/05/11/openid-makes-identity.html", "tags": ["Minnestar","Technology","Privacy \u0026 Security"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2007/05/11/t59395862.html", "content_html": "

Delicious Library find similar function is totally cool.

\n", "date_published": "2007-05-10T19:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2007/05/10/t59395862.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2007/05/09/capacious-memory.html", "title": "Capacious Memory", "content_html": "

I just upgraded my Mac Pro to 7 GB of memory. It’s really great to have the room to stretch your arms out and make yourself at home.

\n\"About\n

Now Lightroom can eat up memory to its hearts content.

\n", "date_published": "2007-05-09T00:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2007/05/09/capacious-memory.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2007/05/09/new-adobe-cs.html", "title": "New Adobe CS3 Icons", "content_html": "\"Dock\n

In the most recent iteration of the Adobe product line Adobe decided to make a radical departure with their “iconography”. The new color wheel of icons caused quiet a stir with their customers, and even drawn contests in the community to create alternative icons. The first program I got with this new look was Lightroom. This week I received my CS3 versions of Photoshop and Illustrator as well. Here the new icons are in my dock.

\n

I’m going to go on the record as saying that I really like these. When they are all lined up in your dock like this they are simple to see, easy to understand and the theme is obvious. Kudos Adobe.

\n", "date_published": "2007-05-09T00:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2007/05/09/new-adobe-cs.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2007/05/02/t46747692.html", "content_html": "

Ordered another 4GB of memory for my Mac Pro.

\n", "date_published": "2007-05-01T19:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2007/05/01/t46747692.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2007/04/22/stunned-by-how.html", "content_html": "\n", "date_published": "2007-04-22T19:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2007/04/22/stunned-by-how.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2007/04/23/t36565922.html", "content_html": "

Just registered c12free.com.

\n", "date_published": "2007-04-22T19:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2007/04/22/t36565922.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2007/04/23/t37300372.html", "content_html": "

Wife “green lit” several consumer electronics things. What the hell is going on?

\n", "date_published": "2007-04-22T19:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2007/04/22/t37300372.html", "tags": ["Family","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2007/04/13/highrise-crm-for.html", "title": "Highrise: CRM for Home?", "content_html": "\"Isometric\n

I realize that I’m probably on the verge (or well past the point) of being considered a 37 Signals “fanboi”. I’ve written already about how much I like Backpack. I still use it every single day, it’s one of very few things I pay a monthly fee for and never regret it. It is my homepage on all my personal computers. A few weeks ago when I started seeing some of the early information on Highrise I was rather dismissive of it. It seemed like a streamlined, “kiss” version of Salesforce.com. I figure I didn’t have a need for this – unlike the knob. (Note, CRM in the title here is Customer Relationship Management.)

\n

I started using Highrise just to see what it did and explore how the 37 Signals team had built it. It’s a great application, incredibly and simply designed. I’d encourage anyone that builds web applications to check it out just to experience the user interface. I decided to give it a go for my “personal business”. Things like tax preparation with the accountant, projects being done at the house, etc. I warmed slowly to it, and am really liking it now. Highrise has some great features that make it useful even in solo mode, with only me using it. I never would have thought this type of function would be that useful for personal purposes, but it’s pretty nice.

\n

On a side note, I can totally see how a company of 100 or fewer employees would really benefit from Highrise. In fact, the combination of Highrise (customer, vendor management), Basecamp (project management) and Campfire (distributed meetings) fill out most of what a small- to medium-sized company would need for collaboration.

\n", "date_published": "2007-04-13T00:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2007/04/13/highrise-crm-for.html", "tags": ["Productivity","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2007/04/13/t26366451.html", "content_html": "

just installed the newly released Opera Browser on the Nintendo Wii and twittering from it!

\n", "date_published": "2007-04-12T19:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2007/04/12/t26366451.html", "tags": ["Technology","Games"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2007/04/13/t26522571.html", "content_html": "

Installed GPS application Spot on my BlackBerry and recorded GPS location for first time.

\n", "date_published": "2007-04-12T19:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2007/04/12/t26522571.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2007/04/01/t16879561.html", "content_html": "

Struggling with how to manage my digital media assets best.

\n", "date_published": "2007-03-31T19:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2007/03/31/t16879561.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2007/03/31/the-knob.html", "title": "The Knob", "content_html": "\"Griffin\n

I’ve ogled this ultimate Mac accessory for a long time. I found myself in the Apple Store today and decided that it was time to put this shiny piece of brushed aluminum on my desk.

\n

The Griffin Technology PowerMate has been around for a while. This thing is entirely frivolous. There are a few use cases where it is amazingly useful, mainly video editing. But when you touch it and spin it the feel is just amazing. It has heft, and a superb spin that just makes your spine tingle. You can click it by pressing it down. Want to select a range of video in Final Cut, simple spin, press and hold, spin, release. Done. So much more intuitive, and just fun, than dragging a mouse around.

\n

My Mac Pro now has a knob. Yeah!

\n", "date_published": "2007-03-31T00:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2007/03/31/the-knob.html", "tags": ["Technology","Apple"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2007/03/25/bye-bye-imac.html", "title": "Bye Bye iMac G5", "content_html": "\"Apple\n

It’s been just over two years since the Mac invasion of my house began with my first Mac in over a half-decade, the sleek 20" iMac G5. I bought it as a toy really – it went on the desk next to the kitchen. I knew I could run Firefox on it and that I could remote desktop to my “real computer” in the office to do “real things”. So it started.

\n

Now the Mac’s outnumber the PC’s in the house. The Mac Pro has taken over that “real computer” in the office. My laptop of choice is my MacBook, leaving the Sony Vaio to run Quicken mainly.

\n

It was time for it to go. My sister needed a computer and the iMac still has a decent amount of life left in it. Plus it was the only PowerPC machine in the house. Apple announced the switch to Intel just months after I got the iMac G5. I’m going to hold out for a couple of months to get the rumored newly redesigned iMac. It should also come with Leopard. Until then my MacBook is going to be chained to the desk by the kitchen pinch hitting.

\n", "date_published": "2007-03-25T00:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2007/03/25/bye-bye-imac.html", "tags": ["Technology","Apple"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2007/03/25/gps-track-rant.html", "title": "GPS Track Rant", "content_html": "

Why is it that almost all GPS units decide that when you save your active track into memory that they should degrade functionality? Yes, it is true. Nearly all GPS units upon saving do two things. First, they discard the time and date information from the track. Secondly, they remove “unnecessary” points from the track, sort of smoothing it out. This reduces the size of the saved track.

\n

The second item, removing “unnecessary” points isn’t entirely evil, but I do question it. However, removing the time and date stamp upon saving is terribly evil!

\n

I went back into my saved GPS tracks to do some geo-association with photos from Switzerland and the matching program came up with a big clueless expression. The time and dates are all gone. Ugh!

\n

I’m left with only one decent option, writing a program that will associate known times with some number of points in the track and then interpolate the remaining times. Sigh…

\n", "date_published": "2007-03-25T00:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2007/03/25/gps-track-rant.html", "tags": ["Photography","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2007/03/18/t9283631.html", "content_html": "

Still suffering the horrors of a 28.8 kbps dial-up. Windows Update ran all night long.

\n", "date_published": "2007-03-17T19:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2007/03/17/t9283631.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2007/03/17/t8826841.html", "content_html": "

Thinking about learning java just to write a Twitter client for my blackberry.

\n", "date_published": "2007-03-16T19:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2007/03/16/t8826841.html", "tags": ["Software Development","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2007/03/17/t9058461.html", "content_html": "

Getting frustrated on the small end of a ridicoulous 28.8 kbps dial-up connection in rural North Dakota.

\n", "date_published": "2007-03-16T19:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2007/03/16/t9058461.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2007/03/01/t5765904.html", "content_html": "

Excited about the arrival of my Bluetooth barcode scanner!

\n", "date_published": "2007-02-28T19:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2007/02/28/t5765904.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2007/02/25/t5683446.html", "content_html": "

Ordered a Bluetooth barcode scanner to make Delicious Library even more awesome.

\n", "date_published": "2007-02-24T19:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2007/02/24/t5683446.html", "tags": ["Technology","Books"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2007/02/24/wifi-at-lakewinds.html", "content_html": "

If you find yourself in the parking lot of Lakewinds Coop waiting for your daughter to wake up – bring your laptop. The open WiFi in the cafe extends into the parking lot with no problems.

\n", "date_published": "2007-02-24T01:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2007/02/24/wifi-at-lakewinds.html", "tags": ["Family","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2007/02/24/t5669753.html", "content_html": "

Buying a 2G microSD card for my Blackberry 8800. I can’t wait to try out some MP4 files.

\n", "date_published": "2007-02-23T19:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2007/02/23/t5669753.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2007/02/19/t5581384.html", "content_html": "

Got Gmail working on Motorola Razr!

\n", "date_published": "2007-02-18T19:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2007/02/18/t5581384.html", "tags": ["Productivity","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2007/02/19/t5594513.html", "content_html": "

Downloaded the release version of Lightroom! It has been upgrading the library from beta for 1+ hour. Waiting.

\n

Lightroom still upgrading library, nearly 4 hours now. Giving up for tonight. Disappointed that I didn’t get to play.

\n", "date_published": "2007-02-18T19:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2007/02/18/t5594513.html", "tags": ["Photography","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2007/02/14/family-tree.html", "content_html": "

Why isn’t there a site like Cogmap for\nmanaging a family tree? This seems so obvious.

\n", "date_published": "2007-02-14T01:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2007/02/14/family-tree.html", "tags": ["Family","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2007/02/11/th-and-france.html", "title": "50th and France WiFi", "content_html": "

I’m happy to report that if you find yourself in the 50th and France area of Minneapolis with a laptop and some time on your hands – you will not have any problems finding an open WiFi access point to hop on the net.

\n", "date_published": "2007-02-11T01:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2007/02/11/th-and-france.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2007/02/09/blackberry-break.html", "title": "Blackberry Break", "content_html": "

I just got back home after a business trip. This trip entailed an offsite training event. At any event like this you have a couple of breaks in the morning and afternoon. These used to just be a “Break”. A decade ago when cell phones really became prevalent these turned into “Communication Breaks”. Everyone would dash out of the room and dial up their mobiles.

\n

The vernacular has changed! It is now “Blackberry Breaks”. I believe this now makes the ‘crackberry’ a brand like Kleenex. Even the couple of people with non-Blackberry Blackberry’s like Treos and Windows Mobile devices were enjoying their “Blackberry Break”.

\n

I wonder if we’ll be takin “iPhone Breaks”, or just an “iBreak”.

\n", "date_published": "2007-02-09T01:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2007/02/09/blackberry-break.html", "tags": ["Travel","Technology","Work"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2007/02/08/t5374881.html", "content_html": "

Microsoft should have to pay reparations for creating PowerPoint.

\n", "date_published": "2007-02-07T19:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2007/02/07/t5374881.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2007/02/02/t5062443.html", "content_html": "

Going over to neighbors to help put in new WiFi access point.

\n", "date_published": "2007-02-01T19:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2007/02/01/t5062443.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2007/01/23/fanatical-about-backpack.html", "title": "Fanatical About Backpack", "content_html": "\"Backpack\n

I think amongst my cadre of hyper-geeky, super web savvy friends I was probably a little late to get to Backpack. About a month ago however I was faced with a challenge. I had a bunch of information all over the place and I wanted to consolidate it. I’d always liked the idea of a “personal wiki” that I could have anywhere and had considered installing something on my machines for this. I had even installed OpenWiki at home but it’s a dead open source project with no future. What to do? I’d heard about Backpack so I decided to give it a serious look. I’ve been using it for a little over a month and I can’t imagine working without it now.

\n

Backpack is a personal information management web tool from 37 Signals. It’s a great example of simplicity in design yielding great power. Backpack is one of those services that you discover new features and functions all the time, even after using it for a while. I’ve been able to get rid of at least five different “places” that I stored things and move them all onto Backpack.

\n

Let me share a somewhat obscure example of how I’m using Backpack. I recently moved this site to a 3rd party hosting service. They don’t provide backups, so I have to do that myself. Backpack becomes a great part of this workflow. I have a script that backs up the database, compresses it, and then emails it to Backpack. Every page on Backpack has an email address so it just appears as an attached file. Awesome!

\n

Backpack now joins the very elite ranks of web tools that I pay for — happily I may add. I can only hope that they continue to add features galore and make the experience even better.

\n", "date_published": "2007-01-23T01:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2007/01/23/fanatical-about-backpack.html", "tags": ["Productivity","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2007/01/14/t2842423.html", "content_html": "

Transfering data to Garmin GPS60CSx over USB and so happy to be done with serial ports.

\n", "date_published": "2007-01-13T19:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2007/01/13/t2842423.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2007/01/09/t2478443.html", "content_html": "

Drooling over just announced iPhone — must have. Imagining twittering on iPhone.

\n", "date_published": "2007-01-08T19:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2007/01/08/t2478443.html", "tags": ["Technology","Apple"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2007/01/06/new-baby-monitor.html", "title": "New Baby Monitor", "content_html": "\"Philips\n

We have been perpetually frustrated with the baby monitor that we got when Mazie was born. We got the Sony NTM-910 because it had good reviews, brand reputation and specifically since it was 900MHz and wouldn’t collide with our wireless network at 2.4GHz and our wireless phones at 5.8Ghz. However, they just don’t work very well at all. The range was horrible and we started to go slowly insane with the random injection of it’s “out of range” beeps at various times.

\n

We decided to upgrade to the Rolls-Royce of monitors, the new Philips Digital SCD-589. This is the first baby monitor to use the new DECT technology that guarantees completely noise-free operation. We started it up today after giving it a thorough charge overnight and initial tests are great. Tammy was able to walk to the top of our cul-de-sac and back without losing any signal. The audio is crystal clear. On top of that you have nice features like knowing the temperature in the kids room, you can talk to them and even start music or lights in the room from the handset. The parent unit is also significantly smaller and lighter, but not as loud at maximum volume as the Sony was.

\n", "date_published": "2007-01-06T01:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2007/01/06/new-baby-monitor.html", "tags": ["Family","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2007/01/01/must-have-thunderbird.html", "title": "Must Have Thunderbird Add-Ons", "content_html": "

I’m not one of these folks that scours the internet for Firefox extensions only to make my web browser slower and crash more often. However, I’ve recently been really frustrated by some shortcomings in Thunderbird (email client) and thought I would share some findings.

\n

I use Thunderbird on five different computers popping in and out all the time. My mail server is IMAP-based so that is fine, the same messages are there no matter what computer I use. However, not the address book! This has been driving me nuts. Addressbook Synchronizer has come to the rescue however! This great extension allows you to copy your address book to a network location (including an IMAP folder which is great!) and get the updated one on startup. I now have 5 different address books and they are completely in sync, including the two built-in to Thunderbird. If you use Thunderbird on multiple machines, you need this extension.

\n

There are two other extensions that are immensely useful. Contacts Sidebar restores a feature that Outlook Express had but Thunderbird lacked. It shows your address book in a pane on the left side of your message window. Nice to drop notes to people in your address book. Also look into Duplicate Contact Manager, it does a great job of chugging through your address book and culling out “dups” for you.

\n

Also, in case you are interested I did setup an LDAP server using OpenLDAP and try to just have all my mail clients use the LDAP repository. I got the LDAP server setup, but there were huge problems. A little hidden secret of most personal mail clients, including Thunderbird, is that it can read an LDAP repository but cannot modify or add to it. This is a non-starter.

\n", "date_published": "2007-01-01T01:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2007/01/01/must-have-thunderbird.html", "tags": ["Productivity","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2006/12/16/traineo.html", "title": "Traineo", "content_html": "\"Traineo\n

While reading TechCrunch about a week ago I saw a headline about a “web 2.0” community-centric fitness site called Traineo. This hit all my hot buttons since the “geekery” sounded cool and I’m looking for something to help me along my path to getting smaller again. A couple of days later I finally got to the site, signed on and I’ve been really impressed. I’ve decided to start using this to track my fitness progress instead of my decade-plus venerable Lifeform software. Lifeform is still the best food logging software I’ve ever seen, but the rest of it I can do it Traineo easier and it’s a service with community.

\n

Traineo provides some buttons for you to put on your site and such, you will see one on my site showing my progress towards my weight goal. Of the features that I particularly like is the motivator system where you pick four people that will get weekly reports on your progress.

\n

I’m gushing a bit, the service isn’t perfect and I hope to see it improve significantly, but so far I’m really enjoying it. Check out my profile on Traineo. If you’ve been looking for a site to help you with your fitness goals and connect with a community, this is the place to go.

\n", "date_published": "2006-12-16T01:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2006/12/16/traineo.html", "tags": ["Fitness","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2006/12/03/mac-pro-in.html", "title": "Mac Pro in the House", "content_html": "

About 2 months ago my primary workstation died. The machine was behaving very flaky, not posting from time to time and requiring my to jumper the Clear-CMOS on a routine basis. After a couple of times doing that it gave up the ghost and refused to post ever again. I’m fixing it, but it broke my back on home brew machines. I’m just not the kinda guy that wants to open my machines case on a regular basis. Particularly my primary machines that I depend on for a variety of applications and uses. It was time to ditch this thing and move on.

\n

A faithful reader of my website would know that I’ve been on a string of Mac purchases lately. The most recent computers I got were a MacBook and before that an iMac G5. Why break the trend? I decided to get a Mac Pro.

\n

It all started very benign. I just started looking for a new box and scoured Dell and a variety of other sites. I wanted something with serious power, lots of memory, big graphics and growth for the future. Regardless of how you feel about Apple, if you are looking for a great machine at the high-end you need to examine the Mac Pro.

\n

Mac Pro

\n\"Silver\n

I placed the order and got the machine on Halloween. I ordered it with the 2.66Ghz CPUs, the upgraded ATI Radeon X1900 XT video card and the Bluetooth option so I could go wireless on keyboard, mouse and eventually headset for Skype. I got it with 1G of RAM installed (2 512MB FB DIMMs) and ordered another 2G of memory, totaling 3G.

\n

The hardware is very impressive. Taking the side panel off (which is ridiculously easy, yet stable) shows a very well designed machine. The drive bays are elegantly arranged with no cable messes. I dropped 3 additional SATA drives in it to fill it up. The 16 (!!!) memory slots are on a daughter card that easily slides out for adding memory.

\n

I powered the machine on and it is very quiet. The 10,000 RPM boot drive I have in it is the loudest thing in the machine. This is a machine that was completely thought through in all aspects. Two, big thumbs up.

\n

I’m particularly pleased that I’m pretty future proof. I can take memory to 32G if I wanted to and it’s possible to upgrade the dual-core Xeon’s to quad-core and go 8-way with the existing motherboard. Yeah!

\n

Cinema Display

\n\"Apple\nI'd picked out my new machine and I already had the dual Dell 2005FPW\nmonitors from the previous machine. I could have used them, but I had to\nadmit that I wasn't that happy with them. I found the vertical height\n(1050 pixels) to be confining. When using these monitors I always felt\nlike a 6' man standing in a room with 5' 6\" ceilings. If I was going to\nget completely happy with my home workstation a new monitor was in\norder.\n

An Apple Cinema Display was needed, and I decided to go all out with the 30" version (2,560 x 1,600 pixels). The real-estate on this thing is massive. Acreage! This is the largest monitor I’ve worked with and I really like having that much contiguous space. There is something to be said for having multiple monitors, I think it’s a necessity at work where Outlook lives permanently camped on one. At home however the ability to launch Lightroom or Final Cut Express on a huge single display is just amazing. I can view my digital photos at near 1:1 with this display.

\n

Software

\n

When I ordered the machine I was thinking I’d probably just Boot Camp it and run Windows Vista full time. I’m changing my mind. I’ve been enjoying Mac OS X a lot on my MacBook and while I’ve got a lot of software hurdles to get over, I’m going to give it a try full-time. Many applications I have will work in both, but I’ve had to rethink a lot of thins. There are also some applications that are either absent or notably better on Windows (Garmin Mapsource, Quicken) and I’ll either run those in Parallels or Boot Camp. I am going to put Boot Camp on it and Windows Vista just to have it for the occasional times.

\n

I’m immensely happy with everything about this workstation. I recommend everyone, not just casual folks, check out these new workstations from Apple. As I take inventory in the house now, excluding the servers, Macs now outnumber Wintel boxes by 3 to 2. Pretty amazing.

\n", "date_published": "2006-12-03T01:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2006/12/03/mac-pro-in.html", "tags": ["Technology","Apple"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2006/12/03/usb-drive-roundup.html", "title": "USB Drive Roundup", "content_html": "

At the end of August I picked up a new USB thumb drive that would perform at a pace capable of running applications. I got the OCZ Rally2 2G drive and was very happy with it. One of the only deficiencies of the drive was that there was no way to attach a strap to it, and that proved fatal. On a business trip a couple of weeks ago I lost it. Huge bummer. I also lost a bunch of data that wasn’t recently backed up. Bummer ^ 2.

\n

I went on the hunt for a replacement and decided to try some non-traditional form factors. I was happy with OCZ, and they had some good rebate deals on NewEgg so I ordered up a variety. I got the OCZ Rally2 4G, Mini-Kart 2G and Roadster 1G.

\n

The drives fit a bunch of different sizes and use cases (pictured here with a quarter for comparison).

\n\"Three\n

OCZ Rally2 4G

\n

OCZ has revised this drive from the one that I bought a couple of months ago. They added a lanyard strap to keep the drive from getting lost, however the cap still doesn’t have anything to attach it to the drive placing it at risk of getting lost. The drive is spacious and it turns out respectively faster than even the last one. The last version (2G) maxed out at 9.5M/sec write and 19.7M/sec read. This new version ramps it up to 12.8M/sec write and 22.5M/sec read!

\n\"ATTO\n

The traditional form factor makes this drive still not great for constant road warrior use, but the size is great for moving ISO images around and it’s got the speed to keep up.** **

\n

OCZ Mini-Kart 2G

\n

The Mini-Kart is a trip. It is slightly thicker than a credit card, and has a non-traditional USB plug that sits in the USB slot. It could be placed in your wallet pretty easily, and doesn’t require any protection on the plug. It’s big enough for most applications, and sports a nice blue LED on the end to indicate activity. I did a speed test and was pretty impressed with the performance for a compact unit. It topped out at 7.3M/sec write and 13.2M/sec read.

\n\"ATTO\n

This drive should be great for road warrior usage, but I worry about the exposed connector and I think it could be snapped if it’s flexed too much. However, it is very solid and I’m sure would take a big beating.

\n

OCZ Roadster 1G

\n

The Roadster is the drive made for the road warrior. It is a clam shell design, collapsing the USB plug in on itself making it both small and exceptionally tough. I love the design, and love the size. It can be attached to your key chain and forget about it. However, the drive performs miserably. This is a big let down as this is the perfect drive for ultra-mobility, but it’s speed limits its viability for mobile applications. The drive posts a pretty sad 2.3M/sec write and 9.8M/sec write. Very sad since the average “give-away” free USB drive performs about this well.

\n\"ATTO\n

Great form factor, but the performance is very limiting.

\n

Conclusion

\n

I love the Roadster’s design, but it’s speed is a problem. I’ll likely use the Mini-Kart for my mobile applications since it has the speed and a reasonable form factor. I’m very pleased with the Rally2 for moving large data around, and am going to give it a try using it for Vista’s speed boost feature as well.

\n", "date_published": "2006-12-03T01:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2006/12/03/usb-drive-roundup.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2006/11/16/smaller-than-a.html", "title": "Smaller Than a Redwood", "content_html": "

Tammy has launched her website, Smaller Than a Redwood. You should check it out. Her website is finding it’s groove right now. She’s got some early content on it. She doesn’t intend it to be “diary based” like this site. You won’t see what we did when and where on it, but instead different thoughts and comments that she wants to put up. She is also looking to put content from her friends on it as well.

\n

The name of the site came from a conversation Tammy was having with Ann as she was preparing for a trip to San Francisco and the Redwood Forest. She has an assignment to write something for the site while sitting under the Redwoods.

\n

Her site is pretty fun!

\n", "date_published": "2006-11-16T01:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2006/11/16/smaller-than-a.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2006/11/08/new-site-up.html", "title": "New Site Up!", "content_html": "

After wasting a lot of time messing with the routing options on my Zywall 10 I think I finally got the port-forwarding configuration setup right so that the new website is up and running! Yeah! Hint for anyone trying to configure that on the Zywall, go to the manual, and jump to the example configurations at the end. It was the only way I found the voodoo required to make it work.

\n

Let me know what you think of the new site. There are a ton of features on it, and I’m planning on enabling some more stuff and filling out the corners over the next few days.

\n

Regular visitors will notice that the photo galleries are gone. I’m looking for a solution for that that will work well with WordPress.

\n", "date_published": "2006-11-08T01:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2006/11/08/new-site-up.html", "tags": ["Technology","Blogging"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2006/11/08/perhaps-the-geekiest.html", "title": "Perhaps the Geekiest Thing Possible?", "content_html": "

So when your wife is upstairs on her computer, and you are downstairs on your computer, how do you communicate? Why not video chat? 🙂

\n

\"Local\nVideoconference\"

\n", "date_published": "2006-11-08T01:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2006/11/08/perhaps-the-geekiest.html", "tags": ["Family","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2006/10/25/google-reader-thumbs.html", "title": "Google Reader", "content_html": "

Google released a new version of the Google Reader a couple of weeks ago and I’ve been using it for the last few days. I think that I’ve finally found a web-based RSS reader that I can live with now.

\n

I’ve wanted to move my RSS reading to a web reader so that I can access it anywhere, particularly on a mobile device. Google Reader in it’s previous incarnations just didn’t hit it right to me. The significant redesign they did really hit the usability issues right on the head.

\n

If your looking for something a bit more sophisticated, and mobile, than the RSS functions of Thunderbird check out Reader. I don’t think you’ll be dissapointed.

\n", "date_published": "2006-10-25T00:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2006/10/25/google-reader-thumbs.html", "tags": ["Technology","Blogging"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2006/10/16/how-many-of.html", "title": "How Many of Me?", "content_html": "

This site showed up in one of my RSS feeds recently, How Many of Me? It is a fun little site that takes census data to do rankings of people with the same name. For example, did you realize there are 49,535 people with the name John Smith. That is bigger than my home town. You could fill a medium sized city with John Smiths.

\n

According to the census data, there are no people in the US with the last name Thingelstad. There are however 328,466 people with the first name Jamie. Of those people, 69.86% of them are female. This is something that Tammy loves to tease me about all the time, even before she had the hard data to back it up. This usually presents itself as me paying at a restaurant and the waiter not knowing who to give the card back to.

\n

My name is the 182nd most popular first name. While Tammy’s name is compltely unambiguous – 100% of Tammy’s are women – her name is 144th most popular so not quite as creative. Of course her actual name, Tamara, is much less popular ranking 421st. However, we know from Name Voyager that neither Jamie or Tamara (Tammy) were creative for their time since they peaked in popularity when we were born.

\n

Mazie enjoys a very rare name. There are only 4,500 Mazie’s in the US (100% are female) and it’s the 2,762nd most popular name.

\n

Isn’t the Internet so much fun? 🙂

\n", "date_published": "2006-10-16T00:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2006/10/16/how-many-of.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2006/10/14/sore-thumbs.html", "title": "Sore Thumbs!", "content_html": "\"Anatomical\n

I am a frequent “CrackBerry” user. That’s the slang term for a BlackBerry for those that are not “in the know”. In recent months though I’ve started to look angrily at my CrackBerry. I’m starting to get pain in my thumbs on a pretty regular basis.

\n

Any of you that have seen my various computers know that I have an eye to ergonomics. I use a trackball instead of a mouse because it eases my wrists. I have a split keyboard so that I’m more comfortable. I had a mild bout with Carpal Tunnel Syndrome in the early 90’s that woke me up to these issues and I’ve taken them seriously ever since. I’ve not had any hand pain issues since then, until the BlackBerry entered the scene.

\n

A quick search on Google for blackberry thumb pain results in dozens of articles on the topic. It’s obvious that there is a problem here. The thumb wasn’t intended to type! I’ve found recently that even spinning the scroll wheel up and down is a problem. I’ve resorted to reading the shortcut tips to reduce my keystrokes and simplify things. However, I think the real solution is to just use the thing less.

\n

Thats the rub! The CrackBerry is named that for a reason – it’s addictive. On top of that, people at work have expectations that you have it with you. I’m going to manage it and pay close attention to the pain in my thumbs.

\n", "date_published": "2006-10-14T00:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2006/10/14/sore-thumbs.html", "tags": ["Technology","Home"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2006/09/10/great-adventure-in.html", "title": "Great Adventure in Google Earth", "content_html": "

So you have been following along with update from the Great Adventure but your confused about where all this stuff is? Well, now you can explore the Great Adventure in Google Earth. Make sure you have Google Earth installed and then you can open our Great Adventure map and explore!

\n

The original KMZ file that this was linked to has been lost and, so far, has not been found.

\n", "date_published": "2006-09-10T00:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2006/09/10/great-adventure-in.html", "tags": ["Travel","Technology","East Coast Adventure 2006"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2006/08/27/jump-into-n.html", "title": "Jump into 802.11n", "content_html": "

\"LinksysWhile\ngetting the Internet side of life setup while on the Great Adventure\nI made a trip to Best Buy to get a wireless\nrouter. The apartment has broadband (of course), but it terminated to a\nsingle ethernet cable and being tethered to a desk with only one laptop\nsimply wasn’t acceptable. I’ve got my two laptops here, plus the work\none, and sofa computing is a must.

\n

I really debated at the store. I grabbed a WRT54GS and was going to walk out but I already have a WRT54G at home and it seemed lame to get something with nothing new at all. So, I decided to jump into the world of 802.11n with the WRT300N. On top of it? It has a super cool antennae array on top. ;-)

\n

I also grabbed a 802.11n PCMCIA card for my laptop, WPC300N, and I’m all up and running. Of course, I have no local servers here that can actually test the speed that I now have, but it will come in handy at home since I’ve found even 802.11g to be too slow for mutlimedia content or even RAW digital photos.

\n

The setup was simple on the WRT300N, no complaints. The chassis is the same as the WRT54G with a nicer front facia. It also comes with a clip so that you can side mount it.

\n

I did miss the opportunity though to get a router that would support IPsec and allow me to build a VPN tunnel back to the home network in Minneapolis via the ZyWall. It would have been cool, but there wasn’t a clear option in the price range I was willing to jump into.

\n", "date_published": "2006-08-27T00:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2006/08/27/jump-into-n.html", "tags": ["Travel","Technology","East Coast Adventure 2006"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2006/08/27/speed-matters.html", "title": "Speed Matters", "content_html": "

I’ve got a bunch of little USB flash drives hanging around. It is almost as if they rain from the sky. In fact, if you go to a trade show, they sometimes in fact do! I had a new requirement of a flash drive recently though. I wanted to actually run an application off of it. Up to now I’ve used them like a “cool” floppy disk. But now I wanted to actually put a program on it and run it from an Windows machine I walked up to. The software worked in this mode, but, to my dismay the flash drives I had were horrible at this.

\n

Pathetic performance is documented below on one of my 1G flash cards.

\n\"ATTO\n

Of course this problem is easily solved with a credit card and a few clicks on Newegg. I ordered the OCZ Rally2 2G accelerated drive, and solved all of my problems.

\n\"ATTO\n

It is still no hard drive, but, the performance is very acceptable. And to boot, it’s nicely packaged with a metal enclosure and no wasted room.

\n", "date_published": "2006-08-27T00:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2006/08/27/speed-matters.html", "tags": ["Travel","Technology","East Coast Adventure 2006"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2006/07/30/nintendo-ds-lite.html", "title": "Nintendo DS Lite", "content_html": "

Yesterday we were at Best Buy on my occassional visit to wonder around the store and just check stuff out. Tammy finds these trips annoying since I rarely buy anything, and after 5 minutes decide to leave. Yesterday though I decided to check out the gaming aisles and stumbled on the Nintendo DS. I had read about these “brain games” for the DS in Scientific American Mind magazine and was intrigued. They had one of these on the demo unit so we played it, and it was pretty fun. 10 minutes later we walked out of the store with a DS Lite and three games.

\n\"White\n

I decided that my ban on ever buying a gaming console again (at least until Mazie is old enough to find it fun) was not applicable since this is a portable unit. So far, it’s a lot of fun and the portability makes a great for flights. The initial set of games we got were Brain Age, Big Brain Academy and Super Mario Bros. Now it’s time to start looking up information on hacking the DS! 🙂

\n", "date_published": "2006-07-30T00:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2006/07/30/nintendo-ds-lite.html", "tags": ["Technology","Games"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2006/06/25/macbook.html", "title": "MacBook", "content_html": "\"Black\nAmongst the celebratory gifts I got for father's day this year was a\npretty surprising toy. I had been commenting to Tammy for a while about\nhow cool I thought the new Apple MacBook was. She decided that it was\ninevitable that I was going to get one and surprised me on father's day\nwith a nice box containing a black MacBook.\n

The Path to Here

\n

I was born and raised on the Macintosh platform (after some very early\nyears on TRS-80, TI-99/4A and finally Apple //c). I fondly can remember\nthe release of the first color Mac, multifinder and the advent of System\n7. However, when I came to college I discovered Unix and “real”\noperating systems. I then wandered into the Windows NT world as I moved\ninto the professional or commercial world and never looked back to the\nMac. Until…

\n

About a year-and-a-half ago I got an iMac. The main reason I got the iMac was location. It was going in a very public place in our house and I wanted something that looked good. I was open to getting a Mac because of OS X. Apple had finally given up on the horrendous operating systems they had and moved to a Unix based environment. Stability and tools were greatly improved. I’ve been happy with the iMac, but then Apple got really serious.

\n

The announcement a year ago to switch to the Intel chip was huge. The promise of hackable machines that could run Mac OS X but also run Windows and other environments was a siren song. And it’s become real over the last year. This decision, combined with a good, stable OS and some very nice hardware got me to get back in with the Mac crowd in a bigger way with the MacBook.

\n

Initial Impressions

\n

The MacBook is an extremely well constructed and versatile machine. It isn’t as light as my business laptop (Dell D410), but the construction quality runs laps around my other home laptop (Sony VGN-S360. Everything is solid. The keyboard looks like it may be a “chiclet” keyboard, but it’s feel is great. One of my favorite laptop keyboards thus far.

\n

On the software side I’m enjoying Mac OS X. I’ve been using it on the iMac for a while, but mostly that computer just surfs the web and ’looks pretty’. This machine has been getting more industrial use and I’ve optimized it more for myself. I’ve purchased Parallels as well which allows me to run Windows XP (and really almost any x86 operating system) without rebooting. The product is great for a v1.0 and they will close the gaps in the coming updates. I look forward to having one machine with Mac OS X, Windows XP, Windows Vista and whatever else I want on it. Can you say Swiss Army Knife?

\n

Areas of Improvement

\n

There are some things that Apple didn’t get right yet. First, Apple’s insistance on a 1-button mouse is just infuriating. I may give them a break if they didn’t emulate a 2-button mouse themselves by holding down the control key. If your software uses a 2-button mouse concept, put one on the computer!

\n

The MacBook is also extremely hot. Much has been written about this and I’m hopeful that there will be a firmware update to lessen this. I’ve been using CoreDuoTemp to monitor and I’ve seen my CPU hit 90 °C. (Right now just typing it’s at 77 °C.)

\n

It’s a Wrap

\n

I have to take my hat off to Apple. To get me to buy a Mac laptop is a feat. I had all but given up on them and they’ve really risen from the ashes. This is a fun machine.

\n", "date_published": "2006-06-25T00:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2006/06/25/macbook.html", "tags": ["Technology","Apple"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2006/06/04/network-revamp.html", "title": "Network Revamp", "content_html": "

My home network has been pathetic for the last few months. While doing our solar project and other work in the utility room I had to make some quick cable moves. The unfortunate downside of this was that for over 3 months my gigabit network has been nada, since I’ve got a 100 mbit link in between it and everything that matters.

\n

I decided I’ve had enough of this and decided to redo the network – right this time. I’m not done, but this weekend I got most of the physical work hung.

\n\"Netgear\n

I put a 2’ rack on the right and have all the network switches where I want them. I still have to move the ethernet runs in the house from the other side of the utility room to this side and put them in the patch panel. This will be a pain as it involves rewiring. And once that is all done, I’m going to setup a proper secure home network with color zones for protection. I expect this project will be a month or more before I finish it completely. I’ll tell more when I do, and put a picture up of the pretty wiring.

\n", "date_published": "2006-06-04T00:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2006/06/04/network-revamp.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2006/03/16/noise-canceling-headphones-first-impression.html", "title": "Noise Canceling Headphones First Impression", "content_html": "

I got to try out my new Sony noise canceling headphones on my recent trip to New York. My impression is mixed, but overall I’m pleased with them. I haven’t tried other companies so I can’t comment on how they differ. Here are my key comments:

\n\n", "date_published": "2006-03-16T19:23:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2006/03/16/noise-canceling-headphones-first-impression.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2006/03/12/noise-canceling-headphones.html", "title": "Noise Canceling Headphones", "content_html": "\"Black\n

I stepped off of my last flight, from Dallas to Minneapolis, and wanted to immediately go and get a pair of noise canceling headphones. I made a rookie mistake. Hoping for an empty middle seat back in coach I had moved from a row in the middle of the plane to the last row in the plane. I lost my bet when they shoved one last person onto the plane to sit in between me and the other guy in our row.

\n

Add to the misery of losing the “empty middle seat bet” the fact that the plane is narrower at the back (less room) and the engines were about 6 feet from my head (ridiculously loud). It was a miserable 2 hours and 28 minutes.

\n

This weekend I picked up the Sony MDR-NC50 headphones. Best Buy had a really good deal on them with a coupon I had. I fly on Tuesday and Wednesday so I’ll get a chance to give them a workout.

\n", "date_published": "2006-03-12T01:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2006/03/12/noise-canceling-headphones.html", "tags": ["Travel","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2006/02/14/ipod-nano.html", "title": "iPod Nano", "content_html": "

Happy Valentines day! My wonderful, beautiful wife and daughter decided to get me an iPod Nano for Valentine’s day. How fun! When the Nano was first released I convinced myself that I didn’t really care. Then a little after it was shipping I went to Best Buy and touched one. I shouldn’t have done that. The form factor is just so small, and the screen is nice (if small) and it just feels so nice in your hand.

\n

I updated the firmware on it, got it setup in iTunes and I’m downloading a ton of photos to it right now (the other reason I wanted a to upgrade from my iPod Mini). I like it so far, of course what is not to like.

\n

I was considering the idea of getting the “big” iPod at somepoint. No need to now, however I may reconsider if the rumors of this big screen, wide iPod turn out to be true.

\n", "date_published": "2006-02-14T09:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2006/02/14/ipod-nano.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2006/01/11/canon-x-is.html", "title": "Canon 12x36 IS II Binoculars", "content_html": "\"Canon\n

I recently got my after-Christmas Christmas present. What’s that? Well, if I had something on my list and I didn’t happen to get it, I thought I should clean up that list. We don’t want to have things sitting on their forever now right?!

\n

A few weeks ago I decided I wanted to get a pair of binoculars. The primary use is for looking at wildlife around our house, and checking out birds. I’m sure that every time I mention bird watching I lose 10% of the audience to this website. Anyway, it is fun. The last use is for astronomical viewing. When out with the telescope, it’s nice to have a pair of binoculars to do some viewing.

\n

The binoc’s you want for birding are completely different than those you want for astronomy, so I compromised with more emphasis on wildlife. I decided to get the Canon 12x36 IS II, mainly for the image stabilization. I got them a few days ago and it is very impressive.

\n

The image stabilization works wonders. I was testing them and I could easily read text on objects far away with the image stabilization engaged. Without it, it was just too jumpy. I also find that I don’t get queezy when looking through them as I often do with binoc’s.

\n

They are small, compact, lightweight, have a great grippy feel. I’m very pleased thus far. They run on a pair of AA batteries.

\n", "date_published": "2006-01-11T01:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2006/01/11/canon-x-is.html", "tags": ["Technology","Outdoors"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2005/12/29/photo-storage-article.html", "title": "Photo Storage Article Published", "content_html": "

I sent my Digital Photography Storage Explosion article to our editorial team at MarketWatch to see if they would be interested in an article\nversion of it for our site. They said it looked interesting so I wrote up a much smaller version and it was published today. I got a byline! 🙂

\n

\"MarketWatch

\n

This version is much abbreviated and less “research paper” like. If you find it interesting, check out the original, unabridged version.

\n", "date_published": "2005-12-29T01:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2005/12/29/photo-storage-article.html", "tags": ["MarketWatch","Photography","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2005/12/02/the-notsoopen-wrtg.html", "title": "The \"Not-So-Open\" WRT54G", "content_html": "

This past week I was in Radio Shack and saw they were running a great deal on the Linksys WRT54G wireless router (double rebates!). I’ve had a D-Link 624 for a long time and its worked without any issues. However, I’d read at length about the WRT54G and it’s open platform. Linksys built the WRT54G on a Linux platform and made the firmware available via open source. There is some debate wether that was intentional or not, but the GPL forced them to make it available. The result was awesome 3rd party firmware like Sveasoft and DD-WRT.

\n

So, I picked up one of these cheap units at Radio Shack and today I sat down to play with it.

\n

Then everything went south…

\n

About 20 days ago Linksys (now owned by Cisco) started selling the WRT54G v5. All the previous versions of this ran Linux, but now they are using VxWorks. Unfortunately, this means no 3rd party firmware. This seems like such a bad idea, particularly since this router became the success it is because of 3rd party firmware. Luckily there is a new model, WRT54GL that is the v4 box with Linux.

\n

Buyer beware if you are looking to get one of these.

\n", "date_published": "2005-12-02T01:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2005/12/02/the-notsoopen-wrtg.html", "tags": ["Software Development","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2005/11/18/digital-photography-storage.html", "title": "Digital Photography Storage Explosion", "content_html": "

This is also avaiable in PDF format.
\nYou can also download the data used for analysis.

\n

Abstract

\n

Digital cameras have spread at an amazing rate. There are almost no film cameras being developed anymore, having been relegated to antique status. In fact, at the most recent photographer’s expo, for the first time in the history of the event, no 35mm film cameras were introduced. Canon, Nikon and others are only focused in the digital realm. Even for high-end photography, digital has now become the “king of the hill”.

\n

While digital photography has huge benefits, it comes with a data management challenge that is an iceberg we are just now seeing the top of on the horizon. The average home computer user is ill-equipped to deal with these challenges, and even worse, most do not even realize the problem exists. This data problem ranges from photo organization, to storage and disaster recovery. These issues, particularly the last two, have the potential to be the Achilles heal of digital photography.

\n

This document looks deeper into the trends regarding the storage requirements of digital photos, and some of the ancillary challenges that need to be addressed.

\n

The Problem

\n

I got my very first digital camera, a Fuji MX-700, in June of 1999 and instantly fell in love with it. That camera awoke me to the wonders of digital photography. Instant gratification after taking the picture and the ability to easily share images over the Internet were just the beginning. I had for years owned the most popular film camera ever made, the Pentax K-1000. It collected dust for years, and I recently released it to a better owner through an eBay auction.

\n

With its very small sensor and file sizes that camera couldn’t compare to the quality of film. Many people scoffed at the idea that digital would be a real format for photography. The same fate fell on the first MP3 players. The failure in this logic is not accounting for the rapid pace that digital technology advances at. It was, and continues to be, only a matter of time before digital mediums eclipse their historical “analog” counterparts.

\n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n
ManufacturerModelSensor Size
Fuji FilmMX-7001.5 million
Fuji FilmMX-27002.3
ToshibaPDR-M703.37
CanonPowerShot G24.0
CanonPowerShot G34.0
CanonDigital Rebel6.3
CanonS5005.0
CanonEOS 20D8.2
\n

Every photo I’ve taken since that day in 1999 has been digital.

\n

While much about this transition has been wonderful, and I certainly would not return to film, there are challenges. In the period from June 9, 1999 to October 27, 2005, a span of 2,332 days, I’ve taken over 20,000 pictures. That represents over 8 pictures a day for several years, a frequency that is unfathomable in film photography. This collection now represents nearly 50 gigabytes of storage that is more precious than any collection of spreadsheets or word processing documents I can imagine. Vacation memories, the birth of a child, weddings are just some examples of this immensely important data. Figure 1 shows the storage requirement of these photos over time.

\n\"Line \nFigure 1\n

The explosion of storage required to accommodate increasing numbers of photos at higher resolutions is a genuine challenge. This data management problem was, until recently, inconceivable to the average person and was only an issue that organizations with specialized technical staff had to deal with. The idea of backing up 50 GB of data on anything other than a spare hard drive is preposterous; optical media is too small (including DVD) and tape is cost prohibitive, hard to use and prone to failure. Even the hard drive option has only recently become an option with the advent of USB2 and Firewire, before that there really was no option.

\n

The amazing thing about this storage issue is the rate at which it is growing. It took 299 days for me to collect my first gigabyte of photos. I didn’t reach the five gigabyte point until 1,144 days of photography. That is approximately half of the time I’ve had a digital camera. In the 1,188 days following that I’ve added another 41 gigabytes of photos, all while continuing to accelerate the storage needs. Figure 2 shows the storage size of photos taken by year (only showing years with complete data).

\n\"Bar \nFigure 2\n

This may sound huge, but luckily this technical problem has been helped by hard drive manufacturers. Figure 3 below compares the growth of my digital photos to Moore’s Law1 and Kryder’s Law2. Both of these laws relate to the growth rates of technology. Moore’s Law, reduced, states that computing power doubles every 18 months. Kryder’s Law is a similar law for storage, but doubling even faster at 13 months.

\n\"Line \nFigure 3 - Plotted on logarithmic scale.\n

It is interesting to note that both Moore’s and Kryder’s growth rates were well ahead of me for nearly the entire first year of photography. Since then, I’ve steadily outpaced Moore’s and am knocking aggressively on the top-end of Kryder’s growth rate.

\n

The casual observer could stop reading here and think there is no problem. The growth of storage (theoretically at least) is growing at the same pace as digital photography. However, that isn’t the entire story. If we make the assumption that the average person consumes technology at the average rate (dictated by Moore’s Law) what we find is that on average, people have to buy more technology than they would have historically purchased to deal with storing all this data. In the past the default hard drive options at Dell.com would be fine, but as digital photography explodes the average user will be buying more sophisticated systems that come with a variety of technical challenges. This is a hidden, and mandatory cost and still doesn’t resolve the issue of backing up this data.

\n

Digital Behavior

\n

Digital photography introduces people to an entirely new way of using photos, with one of the biggest implication being how many pictures you actually take.

\n

Take a moment to look at Figure 4 below showing the number of photos taken each month with a 6-month moving average.

\n\"Line \nFigure 4\n

You can see a clear growth in the tendency to simply take more and more photos. I have been taking 36% more pictures every year since starting with digital photography. Compounding that problem is the growth of megapixels, and with it file-sizes, in digital cameras. The storage space required for the increasingly growing collection of photos is growing geometrically.

\n

Figure 5 is interesting for other reasons as it identifies how events like vacation (July 2002, July 2004) affect these trends, as well as major life events like the birth of a child (June 2005). Going to Europe in July 2004 now carries with it a permanent issue of keeping 4.5 gigabytes of data around forever. That is notably more challenging than putting some prints in a photo album and placing it on the shelf. One is an active process of sophisticated data management, the other a passive matter of organizing physical documents. As we continue to use digital technology to capture events in our life we may begin to look at the digital cost of those events. Going on vacation will cost $2,000 and have a data load of 3GB, my childs school play will have a data load of 1.5GB, etc. All the while being additive of course, we are never removing old content.

\n\"Line \nFigure 5\n

Let’s take a moment to look at our digital photography behavior. This is somewhat tangential to the issue at hand, but is interesting nonetheless and provides some depth to the trend of taking more photos over time. Figure 6 below shows the number of digital photos taken each month during the sample period.

\n\"3D \nFigure 6\n

It is clear that the summer months represent big picture taking times. December also reflects a high volume of pictures, no doubt due to the Christmas holiday. Figures 7 and 8 show photographic activity by day and hour.

\n\"3D \nFigure 7\n\"3D \nFigure 8\n

The results are not terribly surprising. The majority of photos are taken on the weekends and there are very few photos taken while sleeping. It is a little surprising that the afternoon is higher than the early evening hours.

\n

Terabytes of Disney World

\n

So clearly this is a growing mountain of data, and this is just one families archive of photos. The impact of this on a large scale, with hundreds of millions of photographers throughout the world is stunning. On a recent vacation to Disney World I was particularly taken with the pervasiveness of digital photography and digital video 3 equipment. I started to wonder what the storage requirement of the thousands of vacationers visiting Disney World everyday was.

\n

I contacted Disney to find out how many visitors on average attend Disney World each day but they do not disclose that number.

\n
\n

Date: Fri, 21 Oct 2005 09:16:30 -0700 To: Subject: Re: Request for\nGeneral Information about Walt Disney World Resort From: Walt Disney\nWorld Guest Mail Reply-To: Walt Disney World Guest Mail

\n

Dear Jamie,

\n

Thank you for contacting the Walt Disney World Resort.

\n

We appreciate your interest in obtaining information about guest\nattendance. Regrettably, this type of specific information is\nproprietary and cannot be released. We are sorry that we cannot be of\nmore assistance, and we appreciate your understanding.

\n

If you have questions or need further assistance, feel free to contact\nus.

\n

Sincerely,

\n

Ronda WDW Online Communications

\n
\n

Denied the true information, I did find some estimates of attendance on the web4. Using this estimate I concluded that Disney World averaged 38,462 visitors a day. According to at least one survey 54% of Americans are using digital cameras5. It seems straightforward to me that the average visitor to Disney World is also more likely to have a digital camera, but we’ll use the average anyway.

\n\"Line\n

The next challenge is determining the distribution of camera types. I used a standard bell curve distribution from 2 megapixel to 8 megapixel (shown on the right), and also assumed that everyone is taking a JPEG file. The last bit of information needed is an estimate of how many pictures each one of these digitally equipped visitors would take at Disney World. I estimated 100 pictures, which I would suggest is high, but realistic given that you are on vacation, at a special place and have a high desire to capture “life’s moments”. For comparison, I took 241 pictures in two days at Disney World, averaging 120 pictures a day.

\n

Given these assumptions, the attendees to Disney World generate 3,869 GB, or 3.78 terabytes, of data every single day. An equally interesting way to look at this is bandwidth. If you used the average cable modem available in the US today, and transmitted data at the maximum rate every minute that Disney World was open 6, you would have to have 420 cable modems running in parallel (839 Mbps) to handle the data.

\n

Challenges

\n

The challenges posed by dealing with such a large volume of data for both the individual, and the technology world as a whole, are significant. When you add to the equation that these are your memories, some of the most precious things you have, the criticality of the problem becomes clear.

\n

Backing up data of this size is not easy. My solution thus far has been a plan of massive redundancy. I have four computers in my house that have large hard drives and every night an automated task runs to replicate any new images onto all of the backup points. This provides great redundancy and protection, however it’s expensive using an additional 200 GB of storage for redundant copies, and growing every day. Realistically this solution will not be viable in a couple of years without further investment in high-end technology.

\n

An additional problem with this is that it is all in one physical location so I’m not protected from catastrophic failure (e.g., fire burns down my house). It would be great to leverage a broadband connection to backup to a service provider over the Internet, however the pricing models for this make it unreasonable, costing hundreds of dollars a month. Alternatively, some technically sophisticated families can adopt a buddy system mirroring their photos between each other using backup programs with FTP options. This is a nice option, with relatively low costs but is hard to setup and issues like encryption must be addressed to insure privacy.

\n

In the meantime, the best solution for offsite storage seems to be a removable USB or Firewire hard drive pair that you rotate to a safe deposit box. This is cumbersome and requires manual intervention which will only work for the most diligent of people.

\n

We may think that the storage requirement problem is easily solved by Kryder’s law and the hard drive manufacturers; there are further challenges that will make storage requirements grow even faster.

\n

The Raw Problem

\n

Almost all digital photography is done straight to a JPEG file. This is an easy format that is usable on nearly every computer that exists, but may be a bad decision for pictures that you really care about. Most cameras support a file format called RAW which captures the photo in a different way, allowing you much more flexibility in the future. To keep it simple, a RAW file can be considered analogous to a negative 7, with shooting to JPEG being similar to a Polaroid. You can then digitally develop that RAW file and improve the picture significantly. However, this comes at a cost - storage. It should be assumed that in the relatively near future camera manufacturers will migrate away from JPEG as consumers look for higher quality and more post-processing capability.

\n

Raw files are compressed, but not as much as JPEG files. The resulting file is approximately 300% larger than a comparable JPEG file. Figure 9 shows the theoretical effect of using RAW photography as opposed to JPEG.

\n\"Line\nFigure 9 - Plotted on logarithmic scale.\n

You can see the problem right away! We break above Kryder’s law immediately and stay well above it. At the end of our sample period our storage needs have tipled from 46 GB to 143 GB. Let’s look at this growth on a linear scale in Figure 10, as opposed to the logarithmic scale in Figure 9. The huge disparity in storage needs versus growth are profound.

\n\"Line\nFigure 10\n

While it is appealing to do photography only in RAW, the storage implications make it very challenging.

\n

Other People’s

\n

Another interesting phenomenon in digital photography is the impact of other people pictures. I have a couple thousand pictures that others have taken that I keep in my collection. Note, those pictures are excluded from all the analysis in this document. These photos further increase my growth rates.

\n

I call this trend “group photography”. This is very typical with extended family outings or holidays. Several people with digital cameras will take pictures throughout the day and then one person will collect the photos from everyone. They will then synchronize the timestamps of the photos and distribute the entire collection of photos to everyone. This is a wonderful thing, but amplifies even further the massive storage issues related to digital photography. Now that trip to Disney World results in several hundred photos instead of the smaller hundred that you took by yourself.

\n

Conclusions

\n

I believe that I am seeing the challenges of this problem sooner than the average person. I may take more pictures, and I’ve been doing digital photography for a long-time. However, it is clear that the industry needs to provide both software and services to help the average consumer with this problem, or run the risk of huge issues as people start losing more photos and precious memories and digital photography experiences a customer backlash. It is only a matter of time before large numbers of people start running out of hard drive space, or have a virus delete their entire summer vacation. Given the huge storage sizes it is unlikely that people will have backups around. After all, how many people can really honestly say they practice good data management processes even with small files?

\n

I already know several people that print all their digital pictures for this very reason. They simply do not trust their computer, or their own skills at managing the data, and print everything for archival. This seems cumbersome to me, but I understand the comfort that having those photos in storage would provide. Far too many people have been clobbered by an Internet virus and lost data. They never want to lose their memories.

\n

There is a rather simple suggestion to make this problem better and that is editing. Most people tend to keep every digital photo they ever take, never deleting anything. I do not like the idea of deleting photos unless they are plainly out-of-focus or otherwise bad. I suggest this problem should be solved by the technology that created it.

\n

There are several things that companies like Canon and Nikon should be doing to assure this problem is managed. Digital camera makers should be pushing the burgeoning online backup service market to lower it’s prices for large amounts of storage. There are hundreds of companies that will backup data for you to a managed service over a broadband connection. The problem is cost. These services still operate in terms of megabytes, not gigabytes. They all would charge several hundred dollars a month for this service.

\n

Once solving the backup problem with cheap, reliable service provider model we need to address the software problem. There are no photo management programs that do well managing 20,000 photos. Programs like iPhoto and Picasa became unusable with very large photo collections. Additionally, the metadata that you attach to photos for indexing and searching needs to be self-contained in the photo files themselves, like the EXIF data that the camera embeds. The industry cannot try to lock people in to specific software packages by storing metadata in proprietary formats.

\n

There are independent software developers working on the software problem, but it is not moving fast enough. The managed services market has held it’s prices unreasonably high even while storage costs continue to decline. The is an opportunity for services like Flickr to provide options to help these problems, but informed customers will be hesitant to turn over such important data to a service like that.

\n

In the meantime, the most cost-effective solution is to leverage a “buddy system” with others that have broadband connections. Swap hard drives and use software to backup encrypted copies of your digital photo collection to their network. As is too often the case though, this solution is only viable for the technically sophisticated user with their own infrastructure.

\n
\n

1: For more information on Moore’s Law see Wikipedia at\nhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moore%27s_Law.

\n

2: For more information\non Kryder’s Law see Wikipedia at\nhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kryder%27s_law.

\n

3: This document doesn’t attempt to address the storage issues\nrelated to digital video, however, it is worth noting that they are\norders of magnitude bigger than digital photography.

\n

4: Article at http://www.wdisneyw.co.uk/attend.html.

\n

5: Article at\nhttp://www.letsgodigital.org/en/news/articles/story_4267.html.

\n

6: Disney World Magic Kingdom is open from 9:00 am to 8:00 pm.

\n

7: For more information on the RAW format see\nhttp://www.luminous-landscape.com/tutorials/understanding-series/u-raw-files.shtml.

\n", "date_published": "2005-11-18T01:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2005/11/18/digital-photography-storage.html", "tags": ["Photography","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2005/11/18/terabytes-of-disneyworld.html", "title": "Terabytes of Disneyworld", "content_html": "

A couple of years ago when Tammy and I visited Disneyworld I was struck by the pervasive use of digital cameras and digital video equipment. I started to wonder, as I watched everyone around me merrily clicking away megabytes of storage, how much data is all this? This train of thought simply would not leave my head, and I ended up doing some analysis on my own digital photography behavior, and ultimately trying to answer the question: How much storage does Disneyworld use everyday?

\n

For this and a wonderful analysis of the storage issues with digital photography, read my article Digital Photograpy Storage Explosion.

\n", "date_published": "2005-11-18T01:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2005/11/18/terabytes-of-disneyworld.html", "tags": ["Photography","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2005/10/31/music-everywhere.html", "title": "Music Everywhere!", "content_html": "

A few months ago I bought the Roku M1000 MP3 player for Mazie’s room. I really liked it, even wrote on here about how great it was. Well, I liked it so much I decided to buy two more. Not the M1000, but the cheaper M500. Roku was running a sale, I think moving them out to make room for new models. I picked up two to put the whole music collection in the bedroom and a yet-to-be-determined location.

\n

Install was easy as can be. Hardest part was finding a power outlet for it. (Note to self, need to redo power in bedroom!) Still like these units, even though I’m ultimately left a little frustrated with UPnP servers.

\n", "date_published": "2005-10-31T01:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2005/10/31/music-everywhere.html", "tags": ["Technology","Home"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2005/09/11/ldap-coming-soon.html", "title": "LDAP Coming Soon", "content_html": "

I spent a few hours today playing around with LDAP (Lightweight Directory Address Protocol). Why? Well, it frustrates me that my webmail application and Thunderbird don’t share address books. To add insult to injury, if Tammy has an email address of someone I can’t just find it. And, while I’ve moved all email to the IMAP server so I can’t lose anything on a client machine, that proverbial address book still sits there, not backed up, on each computer in the house. It’s a mess.

\n

So, I got a binary distribution of OpenLDAP for Windows and went to town. The installation parts of this whole project went fairly well, but learning the in’s and out’s of LDAP will take some further work. I installed OpenLDAP and it seemed to be working, but how would I know? Turns out there aren’t very good tools for working with LDAP directories. phpLDAPAdmin came to the rescue! (Thank you SourceForge!) I installed this great toolkit and was able to see my LDAP server for all of it’s glory. As an aside, I had to have PHP:LDAP support which I didn’t, so I upgraded to PHP5 with LDAP and all sorts of other goodies and then broke my SquirrelMail 1.4.5 install. Luckily I was saved by the not-really released SquirrelMail 1.4.6cvs tree which works (at least so far) with PHP5.

\n

After all this, I added some LDAP schemas for things like inetOrgPerson and started creating an address book. First thing I tried to do was create a record in Thunderbird. Bzzt! Little known dirty secret, while Thunderbird can read from an LDAP store, it cannot write to one. I even installed the 1.5b1 release and it too cannot write to an LDAP directory. After cursing the people’s email client briefly I found this was also true of the Address Book application in Mac OS X “Tiger”. And while SquirrelMail works with LDAP, it also is read-only.

\n

I’m going to stay the course though and find a web-based address book manager that uses LDAP as the back-end. There are a couple. (Yes, I could use phpLDAPAdmin but it is more for administration than daily use.) Then I will just have my email programs query the LDAP store for information as needed.

\n

I started to think of all the stuff you can do with an LDAP server though – anyone up for a recipe book using LDAP?

\n", "date_published": "2005-09-11T00:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2005/09/11/ldap-coming-soon.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2005/08/28/weekend-geekfest.html", "title": "Weekend Geekfest", "content_html": "

I spent a bit of time this weekend on my home network. I had a “security incident” about 10 days ago that I had to both clean-up and prevent from happening again. No damage of any significance was done. I had setout on segmenting my network and replacing my ZyWall with a full-blown firewall. I did not end up there as it just turned out to be way too much work to get going. Instead I reinstated all my firewalls on every machine and pruned down the ports. I also put in place blocking rules on my LAN to WAN connection to block certain traffic that should never originate from my LAN, like IRC for example. This is a nice step-up, although not as robust as my plans were.

\n

I also reformatted and reinstalled my Linux boxes (victims of said “security incident”) with Fedora Core 4. This time I left SELinux enabled and clamped down the firewall more.

\n

I’ve also been working on reducing my electrical load in the house so I’ve made all the desktops go to sleep with inactivity. I was able to setup all of my backup scripts to use Wake-on LAN functionality to turn on in the middle of the night, do their housework, and then go back to sleep and stop spinning the electric dial so much. Of course my servers still have to stay on all the time, but this cuts in half the number of machines powered on at times.

\n", "date_published": "2005-08-28T00:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2005/08/28/weekend-geekfest.html", "tags": ["Technology","Home","Privacy \u0026 Security"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2005/08/27/four-hours-of.html", "title": "Four Hours of Frustration", "content_html": "

I just spent the last four hours trying to get my new network topology in place. The result of all that time is zilch. I installed pfSense 0.79.4 on the firewall box with four ethernet ports. I tried to setup a WAN, LAN, DMZ and WIRELESS networks but I couldn’t get anything working right. How frustrating. I’ll take another run at it some other time.

\n", "date_published": "2005-08-27T00:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2005/08/27/four-hours-of.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2005/08/04/delicious.html", "title": "del.icio.us", "content_html": "

I just discovered del.icio.us. Del.icio.us is a social bookmark manager. What’s that you say? Essentially a way for you to manage your bookmarks across any number of computers using a tagging metaphor like Flickr. And, even better, you can see what other people like that you like, etc.

\n

I’ve added the last ten things I’ve tagged on del.icio.us to the right hand navigation bar of my website for fun.

\n", "date_published": "2005-08-04T00:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2005/08/04/delicious.html", "tags": ["Technology","Social Media"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2005/08/04/now-ive-made.html", "title": "Now I've Made .Text Unhappy", "content_html": "

I’ve modified and specialized this website so much it’s rather ridiculous. I use .Text for the site, and it’s open source which is fun since you can change things, which I’ve done extensively. Now however I seem to have introduced a bug that keeps me from editing any post that is already published, the page throws an exception.

\n

Trying to dig through and find what’s causing this is going to be, well, interesting. One more incentive to move to a new code base that is still being supported. Ugh!

\n

Update

\n

Actually it seems I’ve only broken it so that any post I create in a browser other than Internet Explorer, like Firefox, cannot be opened for editing again. This sucks, as Firefox is the “Peoples Browser”, but I think I can live with it for a while.

\n", "date_published": "2005-08-04T00:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2005/08/04/now-ive-made.html", "tags": ["Technology","Blogging"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2005/06/11/hardcore-geeking.html", "title": "Hardcore Geeking!", "content_html": "

I’ve been having fun with what I expect will be my last weekend of hardcore geeking with my gear at home for a while. Once Baby Thingelstad arrives I’ll have more important things to do!

\n

This weekend I jammed on two tools. First is Snort, which I have setup in a network intrusion detection mode. I now have one of my Fedora boxes listening on an unnumbered interface to all traffic on my gateway. Snort, with the appropriate ruleset, watches all traffic over the wire and takes note of anything suspicious. Snort then logs this to a mysql database and I’m using BASE to review the information. BASE is nothing to get excited about, but it seems to be the best out there.

\n

I am getting some interesting information out of this rig. I’m pretty amazed at how many times SQL Slammer is still hitting me. It tries to get to me about every 20 minutes. Code Red is less active than it was before, but it’s still out there. Perhaps oddest of all is whoever is at hammurabi.acc.umu.se who is hitting Road Sign Math with a large ICMP packet on a seemingly random interval all day.

\n

The other tool I got going this weekend is Cacti. Cacti is a better (I think?) and easier to use (without a question) SNMP graphing tool than MRTG. I’m going to leave MRTG and Cacti running in parallel probably for ever. Some things I like better in MRTG than Cacti. Cacti uses RRDTool 1.2 (as opposed to 1.0) and generates these super nice images with anti-aliasing and robust font support (static image for example, as compared to.

\n\"Network\n

I’d share access to these tools with you like I do with MRTG and my web logs but they require logins and I also don’t know that I want people being able to see attack alerts my intrusion detection system is throwing. You can admire the login pages from the links at the bottom of the page. As a side benefit of this work I’ve now designated a Linux server as a first-class citizen in my server setup and can now deploy other packages on it in the future if I want.

\n", "date_published": "2005-06-11T00:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2005/06/11/hardcore-geeking.html", "tags": ["Technology","Privacy \u0026 Security"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2005/05/21/fun-with-mrtg.html", "title": "Fun with MRTG and SNMP", "content_html": "

I’ve been busy (obsessed) with getting SNMP monitoring of my home network working with MRTG for the last couple of weeks. It’s been much harder than I would have expected, but in the end I sure know a lot more about SNMP than I did before. This gives me a lot of information on my home network, like knowing how much traffic is going to through my gateway.

\n

I found really strange things that don’t make sense to me. For example, different CPUs end up in different OIDs from one installation to another of Windows Server 2003. That’s very confusing and doesn’t seem right, but I’ve got proof positive right here on my box.

\n", "date_published": "2005-05-21T00:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2005/05/21/fun-with-mrtg.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2005/05/11/thingelstadcom-data-center.html", "title": "thingelstad.com Data Center", "content_html": "\"Black\n

Over the last few months I’ve been on a steady march to increase my server capacity at home. Why? I’m not entirely sure why. How about it’s fun? 🙂

\n

I decided to take a plunge into the deep end and get a rack for home. Getting the rack took up more space for just one or two servers, but as I add infrastructure it is much more compact. I went with the APC NetShelter VX 25U rack. I wanted to get a rack that had good depth and solid build. It also has removable sides and doors to make it very easy to get into. Overall, I like it a lot but it’s very heavy. Hopefully I don’t have to move it anytime soon.

\n

We disposed of a bunch of servers at work and gave people an opportunity to get some in exchange for a charitable donation. I picked up four machines (they are the four Compaq 1U machines). This required the addition of another 1500 VA UPS which I just put in tonight.

\n

Everything is working very well. I’ve got enough cable off the back to move it about 10 feet out into the room for access. The cable management in the back is a mess, but I’ll deal with that later. I decided to keep everything on the top half and leave the bottom open for later additions.

\n

It’s all pretty loud but luckily I don’t care since it’s in the laundry room. It also generates plenty of heat. I’m done for a while now. The next thing I could see adding is an external disk enclosure to add a couple of terabytes of network storage.

\n", "date_published": "2005-05-11T00:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2005/05/11/thingelstadcom-data-center.html", "tags": ["Software Development","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2005/05/07/google-web-accelerator.html", "title": "Google Web Accelerator, Just say NO!", "content_html": "

I’ve got a ton of respect for Google. They do an amazing job with search. Products like Google Maps make my jaw drop. It’s innovative, works exceptionally well and does things that many wouldn’t think you could do in a web browser without client-side software. Their stock, GOOG, has certainly performed well thus far. I think they have a great approach to technology. They push the envelope!

\n

The Google Web Accelerator is one of the newer products from Google Labs and it frankly concerns me. The pitch for the product is to save you time on your web browsing, sounds great right? Well, to do this you assign Google as your proxy server and then funnel all of your web requests through them. They compress things, prefetch things and do a number of other tricks to make browsing faster. This sounds great right?

\n

Well, take note that everything you do in your web browser goes through Google. They say they are not using this information in any way, but I simply wouldn’t trust any company with that much information. The allure is just too much to resist. Google could track every thing you ever look at on any website. They can track how much time you look at each page. They could even take the opportunity to alter the content from the publisher before it gets to you.

\n

Actions like this on the part of Google make the Googlezon story sound more and more realistic. Add to this products like the My Search History from Google and you see a real cauldron of privacy issues starting to boil at Google.

\n", "date_published": "2005-05-07T00:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2005/05/07/google-web-accelerator.html", "tags": ["MarketWatch","Technology","Privacy \u0026 Security"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2005/05/07/http-compression.html", "title": "HTTP Compression", "content_html": "

I finally got HTTP compression working on content that matters – like ASPX pages. It looks like pages are compressing about 4:1 or more. This should mean much faster download times since my broadband connection is my most limiting issue. I found some excellent instructions for doing this. You need to edit the IIS6 metabase for compression to work as you would want and this article explains it will.

\n

I also moved Road Sign Math to it’s own web server now so it is isolated and I also enabled compression on it.

\n

Let me know if you notice faster responses when you are browsing our site.

\n", "date_published": "2005-05-07T00:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2005/05/07/http-compression.html", "tags": ["Road Sign Math","Software Development","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2005/05/01/mac-os-tiger.html", "title": "Mac OS 10.4, Tiger?", "content_html": "

If you have been reading my site for a while you know that I’ve been reconnecting with my Macintosh roots. I’ve had ups and downs with my iMac G5 but all-in-all it’s a very workable, fine computer with exceptional aesthetic and design. I had been reading more marketing than I care to see nearly ever about Tiger, the 10.4 version of the MacOS. A couple of comments on the approach.

\n

Clearly Apple is leading a test to see if people will just pay an annual license for their operating system. The upgrades to MacOS X have been mostly annual, and they have been around $100 for the upgrade. On one hand I like this if it brings faster innovation, on the other hand I don’t like the impact of higher costs. I’m sure Microsoft is watching this carefully and taking notes, it would be a huge revenue driver for them. Additionally, I think this will make it harder to bring big revolutionary changes in the system since those can easily take longer than a year to even create, much less test and roll-out.

\n

Secondly it frustrates me that these incremental releases of the MacOS (10.3 to 10.4) are given such fanfare. Ultimately, it’s not that big of an upgrade! Yet Apple makes all kinds of hay about how this is amazing. Add this to the huge pile of propaganda that Apple shoves out (like they have an open platform, right?) and it’s almost enough to make me chaffe in my Steve Jobs inspired black turtle-neck. Anyway, how about the technology.

\n

In general? Yawn. The upgrade was amazingly easy, put in the DVD, watched a movie and came back to a rebooted already installed and happy iMac with Tiger (10.4). The webclips were the first thing I checked out (hit F12), they are neat, but this is really something you would expect out of a piece of shareware, not some major OS innovation. The search is nice, but not nicer than X1 on Windows. Other than that, you have a hard time even finding the changes. Upgraded versions of all the base software like Mail 2.0 are good, but where is the $100 in value?

\n

I’m sure I’ll upgrade to 10.5 and 10.6 whenever or if they come out because I just have to have the latest bits, but I sure hope that the product innovation catches up with the marketing.

\n", "date_published": "2005-05-01T00:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2005/05/01/mac-os-tiger.html", "tags": ["Technology","Apple"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2005/04/05/new-laptop-sony.html", "title": "New Laptop, Sony VGN-S360", "content_html": "\"Silver\n

While we were on our trip we swung into a Ballio’s electronics store. We don’t have these in Minnesota. While there we checked out there laptops. They had great rebate deals on all of the Sony laptops. I’m not an immediate fan of the Sony laptop, entirely because of their use of software to control things that I think should be done in firmware (screen brightness, speaker volume, etc.) Anyway, the price was great so I picked up a Sony VAIO VGN-S360.

\n

This unit will replace my extremely venerable Fujitsu S-4542 that is now over four years old (read: ancient!). I’m liking the new unit a lot. I’m excited since it’s 80G hard drive will give me plenty of space to load a ton of astronomy software to use in the field. Plus it has enough horsepower to deal with digital photo manipulation in Photoshop on the road, another great feature.

\n", "date_published": "2005-04-05T00:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2005/04/05/new-laptop-sony.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2005/03/24/dead-imac-g.html", "title": "Dead iMac G5", "content_html": "

On Monday of this week I woke up and as I usually do after getting ready for the day went to sit down at the iMac that is off of our kitchen to check on email, visit some websites for news, etc. When I sat down I noticed that the iMac was off which seemed very strange. We don’t turn our computers off and on top of that I had just two days prior put a UPS on this computer so a power blip shouldn’t have had any affect.

\n

Not sure what was going on I hit the power button and the power indicator would light up for a fraction of a second and then turn off. Tried again, same thing. I wondered if this UPS was a problem so I plugged it straight into the wall, no go. This is not good but luckily it’s still on warranty.

\n

I did some searches and it seems like a failed power supply in a iMac G5 isn’t terribly rare. At least it’s common enough that Apple has posted instructions for diagnosing this on your own. I followed the instructions and verified that I needed to take it to an Apple shop and get fixed.

\n

I dropped it off at FirstTech that afternoon over lunch and they called back that very afternoon to verify the power supply was dead. Here is the classic part. Apple doesn’t have any of these. Oh, and they don’t know when they will get any in. So, I called just yesterday and the status is still the same. My wonderful, fancy and expensive G5 sits on a shelf awaiting a new power supply from Apple. They have no ETA.

\n

Why is it that Apple cannot figure out supply chains? They never have parts or enough of anything it seems. This has been a problem for them for years and years. Oh well, someday I will get my Mac back.

\n", "date_published": "2005-03-24T01:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2005/03/24/dead-imac-g.html", "tags": ["Technology","Apple"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2005/03/19/customer-service.html", "title": "Customer Service", "content_html": "

I just had one of those amazingly rare situations of having great customer service, with a bank no less! The second part of this sounds funny since I live, eat and breath technology but this whole experience was great.

\n

I reconcile my bank accounts essentially daily in Quicken. I’ve done this forever (or at least over 6 years which is mostly forever). I saw on Friday that a check cleared for our plumber (see related story) for $158.95 but I had entered $138.95 in the register. Something was amiss!

\n

So, first I logged into USBank.com and used the nifty feature where I can see an image of each check processed. I looked at this check and right away saw the issue, I had written the 3 somewhat sloppy and you could mistake it for a 5, but the long-hand version clearly said “thirty”. I called up USBank and entered my information to get to a customer service person. After getting the person on the line she brought up the check on her system. We both agreed on the error and she applied a credit.

\n

Here is the part that just shocked me. She told me to refresh my screen and I would see the correction. I was taken aback. Surely the USBank.com site runs on some daily dump of data. There’s no way this is all tied right into the main transaction system for the bank! No way. I hit refresh and right there was my credit.

\n

I wish all my transactions were this simple. I left with an immediate solution, I was empowered to verify the situation without even calling them and I and the customer service person were looking at the same information. Kudos USBank!

\n", "date_published": "2005-03-19T01:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2005/03/19/customer-service.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2005/03/15/netgear-gst.html", "title": "NetGear GS716T", "content_html": "\"Dark\n

I’ve written on our site about some of the trials and tribulations I had with my previous gigabit switch. I had purchased a cheap SMC 8508T switch a while back, it died, I had to RMA it and I’ve been having very, very odd problems lately. I finally decided enough is enough and I decided to get a switch that I could manage at some level. I looked at a number of switches and the NetGear GS716T seemed to be a good compromise between price and performance.

\n

I plugged the switch in tonight, just unplugged everything from the current switch to the new one. Everything came up no problem. The 716T is a smart switch but it doesn’t require any configuration, out of the box it will just operate as a dumb switch. After plugging in and verifying everything was working fine I installed the administrative software and it immediately found the switch and I was able to configure it for the network.

\n

Physically the box is stable. Power supply is internal so no annoying power brick. Good compliment of lights – however I find the use of green v. yellow LED for different speeds impossible to detect on the device. Luckily I don’t really care since the web interface gives all this information and more. The two fans built into the unit are loud though. I wouldn’t want this thing where you would care about ambient noise. Rack mount ears included and it will be very stable in a rack.

\n

The administrative interface is basic, but covers all the bases. I haven’t figured out the details of the VLAN support, trunking, QoS, etc. Not sure I even need it but will be fun to play with. I’m eagerly looking forward to the next firmware upgrade so I can get jumbo frames and basic SNMP support (need to have MRTG graphs on all the ports of course!).

\n", "date_published": "2005-03-15T01:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2005/03/15/netgear-gst.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2005/02/23/turn-off-annoying.html", "title": "Turn Off Annoying TVs!", "content_html": "

Ran across this product today and am tempted to order it just to have fun in sports bars! Some ingenious person made a keychain remote that broadcasts over 200 different shutoff codes for several hundred TV manufacturers. Annoying TV? TV-B-Gone! Only $14.99, well worth the value. :-)

\n", "date_published": "2005-02-23T01:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2005/02/23/turn-off-annoying.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2005/02/12/marketing-security-updates.html", "title": "Marketing Security Updates", "content_html": "

It was patch week from Microsoft this week. This month brought 9 or 10 security updates depending on your version of Windows. I find it really funny how differently Microsoft and Apple release their security patches.

\n

Microsoft

\n

We get a monthly release of all the security updates. They are packaged individually, which is a good thing since it gives the administrator the ability to not have to apply all of them. They generally have scary sounding names and cryptic looking descriptions. Security Patch for WonderBall.dll (KB123456) for example. And it will usually include words like malicious and takeover. Scary stuff! And wow, there sure are a lot of them. The average person would conclude that this software is horrible.

\n

Apple

\n

MacOS X is a totally different experience. Today, while updating my Windows boxes, I also got to update my Mac. Apple takes a different approach. I just got this nice dialog saying MacOS X 10.3.8 was available and did I want to upgrade my software. The funny thing is there was no mention of security, no words like malicious code. In fact it was completely opaque. If you look into the details though there are dozens of security updates. The whole thing is really a security patch to deal with bugs.

\n

I’m not trying to say that Microsoft doesn’t have security problems. They do. But people that say the MacOS X is so extremely secure need to check reality. And I would suggest Microsoft change their wording but if they did they would be skewered for hiding security problems.

\n", "date_published": "2005-02-12T01:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2005/02/12/marketing-security-updates.html", "tags": ["Technology","Privacy \u0026 Security"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2005/02/12/transferring-thingelstadcom.html", "title": "Transferring thingelstad.com", "content_html": "

I just initiated a domain transfer of thingelstad.com from Register.com. I finally got fed up with their lackluster service and outrageous prices and am moving away. I’m just posting this because if something goes wrong my site might go off the air temporarily. It shouldn’t, but I always feel a little nervous moving registrars (that’s the main reason I hadn’t done it to this point!).

\n

Top reasons to leave register.com…

\n
    \n
  1. WAY too expensive!
    2. \n
  2. Interface for managing your domain is SLOW and clunky.
    3. \n
  3. You cannot create an SPF record using their system! Oi!
    4. \n
\n

Where am I going? GoDaddy! If you watched the Super Bowl you probably saw their ad. 🙂 They are cheap, fast and technically robust.

\n

Now I gotta get out of the house and enjoy this wonderful weather. Taking the camera out to play for the afternoon.

\n", "date_published": "2005-02-12T01:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2005/02/12/transferring-thingelstadcom.html", "tags": ["Software Development","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2005/02/06/yesterday-hmail-today.html", "title": "Yesterday hMail, today SquirrelMail", "content_html": "

Had last morning with hMailServer. This morning it was SquirrelMail’s turn. Decided to use this contrary to my firmly held belief that PHP and Windows just don’t belong together. It actually installed really easily, I even got a fair number of plugins to go with it. SquirrelMail is a very nice webmail client, gotta admit.

\n", "date_published": "2005-02-06T01:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2005/02/06/yesterday-hmail-today.html", "tags": ["Productivity","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2005/02/05/switch-to-hmail.html", "title": "Switch to hMail", "content_html": "

I’ve been a longtime user of Xmail for my home email services. Xmail has been stable, reliable, etc. But it lacks IMAP support and configuration is entirely driven on text files. I decided to take the plunge and change over to hMail this morning. So far everything is working great. Configuration was a lot easier. I was able to get all my mail transferred into the IMAP store. If you are looking for an easy to setup windows mail server I would recommend it.

\n", "date_published": "2005-02-05T01:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2005/02/05/switch-to-hmail.html", "tags": ["Productivity","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2005/01/30/thingelstadcom-server-rebuilt.html", "title": "thingelstad.com Server Rebuilt", "content_html": "

My frequent visitors (all two of you! :-P) likely noticed that my site has been down since Saturday morning. I took some extra time this weekend to rebuild my terabyte server. When I put the server up the first time I filled the RAID with 6 200G SATA drives and created one RAID5 set with 5 drives and left the last for a hot spare. I put a couple of logical partitions on it and left a spare 200G ATA drive in for generic downloads and other expendable items.

\n

The problem with this is my entire system was on one drive and that led to performance problems and eventually would create maintenance challenges. For example, I couldn’t unmount the big volume to do a chkdsk without causing all sorts of problems. So, I decided to redo it all and suffer the pain involved.

\n

I added two more drives so I now have the Escalade 8506-8 card fully populated. My hot swap carrier only holds 7 drives so I put the 8th hard mounted in the case and designated it as the hot spare (figuring you usually don’t have to change that since it’s only used if your system is degraded). I did a more traditional RAID1 mirror on the first two drives and divided that into boot, app and data volumes. Then I just did one big export volume on the RAID5 set around 800G. Aside from the hours it took to re-initialize the RAID5 set it went smoothly.

\n

I ran into one big problem though. It seems the ASUS PU-DL 1007 BIOS potentially has some problems booting off of the Escalade 8506-8 that only exhibit themselves when there are multiple volumes. The system would lock on boot and had to be hard reset. You could occasionally get it to boot by loaded the Windows rescue shell and accessing the disk then restarting, but not always. I updated the PU-DL BIOS to 1009 (current) which mentions some “zero config boot” issues and haven’t had this problem since. (Knock on wood!)

\n

I’m still cleaning up, need to deal with permissions and security stuff. But the end is clearly in view. Getting ready to put the server back in the laundry room. Man is this thing loud!

\n", "date_published": "2005-01-30T01:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2005/01/30/thingelstadcom-server-rebuilt.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2005/01/09/macmice-not-so.html", "title": "MacMice Not So Great", "content_html": "

I have to withdraw my endorsement of the MacMice 2-button wheel mouse for the Mac. There are two main issues with it. First, it takes it far too long to come out of sleep mode and to wake up the iMac. The Apple mouse does this instantly and the MacMice takes as little as 5 to as long as 20 seconds. Very annoying.

\n

Worse is that occassionally it just operates very poorly. It’s movements become choppy and unpredictable. Too bad, this one button mouse is a drag. I realize I could plug a Microsoft BlueTooth mouse in but it would just be wrong. In the meantime, I’ve got them both on the desk so I can wheel from time to time but use the Apple mouse most of the time.

\n", "date_published": "2005-01-09T01:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2005/01/09/macmice-not-so.html", "tags": ["Technology","Apple"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2004/12/26/dell-coupons-ebay.html", "title": "Dell Coupons \u0026 eBay", "content_html": "

I’ve been trying to order this Dell 2005FPW monitor for a bit now and there is this (amazingly stupid) Dellf game that Dell has where you can win coupons. One of the coupons is a 25% discount on the monitor I’ve wanted so I’ve been banging on it over and over. I’ve won $50 off a $100 printer more times than I can count but never got the one I wanted.

\n

Then eBay came to the rescue. I’m continually amazed at what people sell on eBay. Turns out there are a plethora of Dell coupon codes for sale on eBay. I punched it up and $2 later I had purchased a coupon code from some guy in California. Placed my order a couple minutes later. $2 to save $200+. Sounds good to me!

\n

Monitor is on the way…

\n", "date_published": "2004-12-26T01:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2004/12/26/dell-coupons-ebay.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2004/12/26/panasonic-pvgs.html", "title": "Panasonic PV-GS400", "content_html": "\"Silver\n

I’ve now entered the world of digital video in addition to the digital photography one I’ve been in for some time. My wife was cool enough to get me the Panasonic PV-GS400 digital camcorder. This is a very slick 3CCD unit with more bells and whistles than I know what to do with at this time. It even takes 4 megapixel stills! I’ve been playing with it over Christmas, taking some really dumb video and realizing that it’s hard to fake your way through video production. 🙂

\n

Now this will of course spark a fury of other things I need to learn and play with including a better disk subsystem for my PC since moving those big video files around will be oh so slow. This is how it always works – fun!

\n

This present signifies my first “Dad Gift”. I am now fully equiped to stand with all the other geeky Dads spinning hours of video of their kids that nobody will ever want to watch other than them. I’m also very okay with this.

\n

Other Christmas gifts this year included a couple of Logitech wireless Xbox controllers (and they are great!), an awesome clay poker chip set, Six Feet Under Season 2, great books and numerous other fun things. Not to mention a lot of great time with friends and family. Can’t really ask for much more!

\n", "date_published": "2004-12-26T01:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2004/12/26/panasonic-pvgs.html", "tags": ["Technology","Holidays"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2004/12/21/mac-mouse-done.html", "title": "Mac Mouse Done Right", "content_html": "

A little piece of heaven was waiting for me in my mailbox tonight. A few weeks ago I purchased an iMac G5 and it’s been a lot of fun. Apple has made an amazing machine, and finally the OS is good enough to stand on the same stage as the hardware. However, Apple’s stubborn attitude with it’s single button mouse is one of the few serious shortcomings of an otherwise great package.Thankfully a 3rd party has provided a solution, MacMice.

\n

My new two button Mac mouse with scroll wheel and blue tooth capability showed up tonight. I whipped some batteries in it, the Mac instantly detected it and I was off to the races. The mouse feels just like the OEM Apple mouse. It has good heft and tracks well. It matches the style of the iMac however not as perfectly as the Apple one but very close. The mechanism is exactly the same under the covers pointing to Apple sending this to a 3rd party for their own mouse. The wheel is wonderful and the right-click works perfectly.

\n

Apple should throw out their mouse and just start shipping with this thing. Go buy one.

\n", "date_published": "2004-12-21T01:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2004/12/21/mac-mouse-done.html", "tags": ["Technology","Apple"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2004/12/19/special-numbers.html", "title": "Special Numbers", "content_html": "

Do you know what a googol is? A googol is a very, very large number. 1.0 * 10100. Or, in long-hand…

\n

10,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000

\n

I remember googol from some trivial bit of knowledge in my “math geek” high school days. I just stumbled across it again in my reading and it’s fascinating me. I’m reading all about natural numbers which are normal numbers like 0, 1, 2, 3 and so on. Not the supposedly unnatural numbers like 3.14159265. Decimals and fractions are straight out. The most natural are the prime numbers. Once you are a prime you are in a class of your own, however, there is even a pecking order in there with a variety of special types of primes. While it’s not a prime hunt, Sierpinski numbers are\none example of this that I’m currently helping hunt for.

\n\"Small\n

After stumbling on googol I had to try my favorite Google function ever, the Google Calculator. There is no connection between Google and googol other than sharing the same letters and both sounding like something a 8 month old baby may emit during feeding. I was not disappointed, Google Calculator let me know exactly what a googol is. The calculator even defies the 32-bit (or even 64-bit) world and at least pretends to tell me things like googol mod 154351. However, it has yet to give me a number that doesn’t evenly divide into a googol so I’m tempted to test it to see if it’s really doing it right. Maybe a prime number generator built off of Google? Would probably be really slow but could make a great article for Wired magazine. 🙂

\n

I now have a new favorite Google Calculator query (replacing the answer to life the universe and everything):

\n

mass of the earth * (googol * speed of light) / pi

\n

which it effortlessly tells me is

\n

(mass of Earth * (googol * the speed of light)) / pi = 5.70099405 × 10132 m kg / s

\n

which is completely meaningless and entirely useless, but very fun.

\n", "date_published": "2004-12-19T01:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2004/12/19/special-numbers.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2004/12/19/trouble-in-gig.html", "title": "Trouble in Gig E Land", "content_html": "

In February I upgraded my home network to Gig E. The speed is great. However, a couple of days ago I woke up to find a bunch of my machines unreachable on the local network. I went downstairs and my SMC 8508-T had croaked. It looks like at 10:30pm on Thursday evening it just stopped functioning for all gigabit devices. No link, nothing.

\n

After flirting with the idea of upgrading to a layer 2 or layer 3 managed switch I decided that a simple RMA really was the best thing to do. In the process I found out there are two 8508-T versions out there. I have 751.0154 but there is also a 751.7513 version. Interestingly, I was never able to get jumbo frames to work as advertised on my switch. It’ll be interesting to see if the one I get back works for jumbo frames. Of course I will let you all know.

\n

By the way, if your looking to have a real switch (but not so real you need a maintenance agreement) at home I would recommend the Netgear GSM7224 and GSM7324 models. Very slick! 🙂 Go with the 7324 and you get layer 3 with fiber so you can get a neighborhood backbone setup.

\n", "date_published": "2004-12-19T01:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2004/12/19/trouble-in-gig.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2004/11/26/imac-g.html", "title": "iMac G5", "content_html": "\"White\nThose of you that have had to endure me rambling on and on about\ncomputers at some time probably know that I cut my teeth in the world of\nApple. Actually, my computer lineage is like this:\n
    \n
  1. TI-99/4A
    2. \n
  2. Apple //c
    3. \n
  3. Fat Mac
    4. \n
  4. Macintosh IIc
    5. \n
  5. “the wonderful world of Unix”
    6. \n
  6. Windows NT
    7. \n
  7. on and on…
    8. \n
\n

I was a huge Mac fan (err, zealot?) when that wondrous thing called multi-finder was released. I was eager to see the first color Mac. I really like these machines, but I got so frustrated with the sad excuse for an operating system that I had to bail. Additionally, they just don’t carry any weight in the business world.

\n

I’ve been excited about Mac OS X for a while now and I finally took the plunge. They had a one day sale and I decided it was time to get an iMac. I got the 20" iMac G5. It’s the most visible computer in our house so I appreciate the aesthetics. Plus, it’s just a lot of fun.

\n

I just got it set up tonight. It’ll take a while to stop fumbling around in this thing. I’ll share my re-acquaintance experiences as it goes.

\n", "date_published": "2004-11-26T01:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2004/11/26/imac-g.html", "tags": ["Technology","Apple"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2004/11/23/xbox-mod-night.html", "title": "Xbox Mod Night", "content_html": "

Circuit boards, chinese takeout and ultrageek action. What can be more fun!? Sometimes a picture is worth a thousand words. 🙂

\n\"Green\n

Operation was successful on the first try. Now it’s time to play with the software side of things. Big thanks to Chris and Chad! That nice soldering work is all Chris, can’t take any of the credit for that.

\n", "date_published": "2004-11-23T01:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2004/11/23/xbox-mod-night.html", "tags": ["Technology","Games"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2004/11/07/ira-glass-at.html", "title": "Ira Glass at the Pabst Theater", "content_html": "\"Logo\n

On Saturday we found ourselves doing something that we both recalled we hadn’t done probably in a decade. We were hopping into the car to drive hundreds of miles just to see a performance. Now, a decade ago I may have been found doing a road trip like this for a punk rock concert, today we found ourselves driving 360 miles to see Ira Glass of This American Life.

\n

We headed out on I-94 and went straight from home to Milwaukee. As we were driving I noted again that either Wisconsin has tremendously more road kill or they do not do a good job of cleaning up the roads. We saw more than twenty deer in various states of decay on the side of the road. Driving I-94 West instead of East for a dozen hours as I’ve done many times you will see a deer on the side of the road dead, but it’s rare. For some reason Wisconsin peppers the side of the road to a disturbing amount.

\n

We arrived in Milwaukee and checked into the Wyndham hotel downtown. The hotel was perfect as it was in the same building as the Pabst Theater. We had dinner with a friend of Tammy’s family, Jennifer McDaniel. Tammy was friends with Jennifer when she was like 9 months old. We had dinner at the Water Street Brewery and then walked back to the theater for the evening with Ira Glass.

\n

We saw Ira Glass perform about a year-and-a-half ago in Minneapolis and were amazed by how great it was. The show is about how they make This American Life. We both love the show – we listened to five episodes of it on our drive. The show that we saw was the same structure as the one that we saw last time, however it was still great. The content inside the structure was updated. I can’t encourage you enough to go see one of his performances.

\n

By the way, the Pabst Theater we found out while there is the 4th oldest operating theater in the country. It was a very nice place with the exception of pretty tight seating as is common in old theaters.

\n", "date_published": "2004-11-07T01:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2004/11/07/ira-glass-at.html", "tags": ["Travel","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2004/10/31/the-man-with.html", "title": "The Man with 22 Clocks Hates DST", "content_html": "

I really don’t care for daylight savings time. There are a couple of things I appreciate. The balance of getting more light earlier and later is a give and take. Mostly I really dislike how it disrupts my sleep pattern. It always seems to take a full week for me to get used to it. It’s like mini-jet lag without moving anywhere.

\n

My method for dealing with it is very specific. I like to make sure I change every clock before I go to sleep, and then I wake up somewhat unaware that anything changed. I forgot to do that last night so I had to run around first thing this morning before I became cognizant of the time. As I was changing the 15th clock it dawned on me that we have household clock proliferation.

\n

Let’s take a look, shall we?

\n\n

Only devices to deal with this on their own are the computers and our TiVo. There has to be a better way.

\n", "date_published": "2004-10-31T00:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2004/10/31/the-man-with.html", "tags": ["Technology","Current Events"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2004/10/27/got-the-xbox.html", "title": "Got The Xbox", "content_html": "

After vowing to never buy another video game system ever again after dumping more money than I care to even think about into the Dreamcast a few years ago and before that into the cutting edge 3DO I finally broke down and bought an Xbox.

\n\"Original\nWhy did I buy an Xbox then?\n

Mod Chips. The Xbox has proven to be one of the most modifiable consoles out there. For not a lot of money I can get a mod chip that snaps onto the board and replace the hard drive with a whopper 200G drive and instantly I’ve got a really fun, media center type PC.

\n

You can FTP files to it, it can play music, photos, videos off of your network. You can copy entire movies to it, even entire Xbox games. How cool!

\n

I just got the unit last night and am getting myself a mod chip now so I can rig it up with everything that I want. Out of the box it’s not all that exciting. Homebrew apps on your Xbox – very fun!

\n", "date_published": "2004-10-27T00:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2004/10/27/got-the-xbox.html", "tags": ["Technology","Games"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2004/10/13/way-to-go.html", "content_html": "

I wouldn’t say that I’m a Francophile, but blocking cell phone signals\nin theatres sounds like a great idea to me!

\n", "date_published": "2004-10-13T00:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2004/10/13/way-to-go.html", "tags": ["Movies","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2004/09/22/thunderbird.html", "title": "Thunderbird 0.8", "content_html": "

I mentioned before that I’ve ditched Microsoft Outlook in favor of Thunderbird. I’ve been using Thunderbird for a while now and I’m really liking it. Also, they just released 0.8 of it which has notably added RSS support! Finally I have a worthwhile RSS reader for home use that is integrated. If you haven’t checked out Thunderbird, it’s worth looking into.

\n", "date_published": "2004-09-22T00:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2004/09/22/thunderbird.html", "tags": ["Productivity","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2004/09/22/what-is-wrong.html", "title": "What is wrong with MSN Search?", "content_html": "

I’ve been having some “fun” (that’s in the geekiest sense of the word in this case) playing with some log analysis tools on thingelstad.com. What the heck, I’m curious to see who is hitting what and how often. It’s been some time since I’ve played with any of this and spiders are an interesting challenge. (Spiders for those that aren’t aware are the robots that sites like Google and Yahoo use to mine web sites).

\n

Anyway, I was looking at spider activity and this just stunned me.

\n\"Bar\n

What is wrong with MSN!? They have hit our site four times more than any other spider out there. That seems a bit excessive! Gotta wonder if that is the norm for them.

\n

Anyway, just struck me as odd and rather stupid.

\n", "date_published": "2004-09-22T00:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2004/09/22/what-is-wrong.html", "tags": ["Software Development","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2004/09/14/ipod-mini.html", "title": "iPod Mini", "content_html": "

I’ve been belaboring the idea of getting an iPod for months. Really, this is probably one of the hardest consumer electronics decisions I’ve tried to make recently. Well, the decision making process was shortcut today when I found myself to be the winner of an iPod Mini! Yeah!

\n

Some know that I got my start on computers on the Apple //c and then the Macintosh. Deep down in this jaded IT professionals heart is a soft spot for all things Apple. I’ve got a similar soft spot for all things Unix as well which makes one wonder why I spend my entire day looking at Microsoft dominated systems. Anyway, that’s another blog entry.

\n

Opening up the iPod Mini was a reminder of how Apple “gets it”. They realize the user experience starts with opening the box. The packaging is even cool! Everything was made to be really simple. In fact, I found that when I was having a hard time I was essentially thinking too much about what I was trying to do.

\n

Anyway, I’m only about an hour into using it but I love the iPod Mini. I’m worried that love may turn to infatuation and I’ll be getting a 40G “big” iPod to go with it. iTunes is a great player package. Unfortunately it is so much more intuitive than any of the Windows players.

\n

More to come as I use it, but the immediate reaction is “sweet!”

\n", "date_published": "2004-09-14T00:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2004/09/14/ipod-mini.html", "tags": ["Technology","Apple"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2004/08/28/satellite-radio.html", "title": "Satellite Radio", "content_html": "

We’ve decided that before we go on our next big road trip we are going to take the jump to satellite radio. I’ve spent some time this evening doing searches on the two providers in this market – XM and Sirius. This is so similar to the Dish Network v. DirecTV. Aargh!

\n

It seems like XM is better if you want premium content and more repeaters, but concerns about commercials and Clear Channel has an ownership interest. Sirius is supposed to have much better music quality (both in programming and quality of encoding), fewer commercials and importantly they have an exclusive with NPR.

\n

Oh the horrors of making these consumer electronics decisions. Any suggestions?

\n", "date_published": "2004-08-28T00:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2004/08/28/satellite-radio.html", "tags": ["Music","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2004/08/14/thunderbird.html", "title": "Thunderbird", "content_html": "

I’ve really not cared for Outlook Express for quite a while now so I’m giving Mozilla Thunderbird a shot. So far, it’s pretty good. Have to change some of my habits around keyboard shortcuts and the like. The news reader is much better than the Outlook one, but that isn’t saying much. We’ll see how this goes.

\n", "date_published": "2004-08-14T00:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2004/08/14/thunderbird.html", "tags": ["Productivity","Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2004/06/29/more-bandwidth-same.html", "title": "More Bandwidth, Same Price", "content_html": "

I called up TimeWarner today about my cable modem service. I’ve had it for a couple of years now and wanted to see if there was a better deal I should be on to save a few dollars. Turns out I was able to upgrade my service at no cost and get a 4x increase in download bandwidth. Yeah! So now I’ve got 3 mbps down and 768 kbps up.

\n

I was doubly impressed that they had this done and in place in about an hour. I was able to do some speed tests to verify it, plus it actually feels a lot more zippy.

\n", "date_published": "2004-06-29T00:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2004/06/29/more-bandwidth-same.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2004/04/02/project-terabyte.html", "title": "Project Terabyte!", "content_html": "

A couple of months ago, not that long after I decided I needed gigabit networking at home, I decided that I also needed a terabyte of storage at home. My reasons for this were:

\n\n

When we remove limitations from systems it is amazing to me what we discover we are able to do. Given more processor, we find ways to use it. Given more bandwidth, it gets used. Applications march onward. And I’m curious to consider the applications possible if we can assume that every household has a terabyte of disk just sitting there. I actually believe strongly that an industry will form around this concept, but that is another posting for another day. Back to my Geek Fest.

\n

I started this Geek Fest as many are started with too little information and a bliss that it would just be easy (as a friend of mine joked, “just like every other IT project eh?”). I wanted a terabyte of storage and it needed to be RAID. I also decided that PATA would not be acceptable, I wanted SATA. After looking around I decided there was a clear winning combination for me in the 3ware Escalade 8506-8 card combined with 6 Western Digital 200GB SATA drives.

\n\"Six\n\"Green\n

I ordered this up and waited for it to arrive thinking how easy this will be and why doesn’t everyone have this stuff!? This is when my hubris was revealed.

\n

I got the equipment and I knew that mounting it in the case was going to be a challenge. But when I grabbed the Escalade card I saw an immediate problem, the slots didn’t match up. Yes, I had purchased a PCI 64-bit 66 Mhz card and my reasonable motherboard only had PCI 32-bit 33 Mhz. This was minor hiccup number one.

\n

I started to look high and low for a solution but there are very few motherboards with PCI 64-bit 66 Mhz interfaces that are not server boards (there are a handful of 33 Mhz ones). All of a sudden I found myself facing a new motherboard, err, server board and to add some joy to the situation none of these boards took a P4 CPU, they were all Xeon, in fact, even better, they were all dual Xeon (yes, I realize you can just put one in, but it’s not as cool!).

\n

I sat on this for a couple hours as I debated and tried to decide how to convince my wife that in addition to the Escalade and the drives I now needed a new motherboard and a CPU, or two!

\n

I decided to go all the way with this project and for the first time I was going to build a real server for home. None of this leftover desktop server, this was going to be a machine I could use for the next 3 years (or so I told my wife!). I decided that I would go with the Asus PU-DL motherboard and trick it out with 1GB of ECC RAM and two (what the heck!) Xeons at 2.4 Ghz. One of the selling points was the dual Gb ethernet on-board, including one of the ports which has a PCI-X 133 Mhz connection so I could actually transmit a full Gbps. Not to mention hyper-threading support so Windows would see 4 CPUs. This thing was going to scream. I was wary of one issue, the case. So I assured myself this was going to be fine since this was an EATX motherboard and my Antec case supports EATX form factors. Or so I thought…

\n

This introduced minor hiccup number two. I eyed out the motherboard and it seemed like it would fit and indeed (however it sure had acreage!), it seemed to be okay. However, the dual Xeons which stand almost 5 inches off the board were in the way of the drive bays! To add further insult, it turns out my new server board requires a 24 pin ATX power supply connection and that great new 12V connector that came with the P4? Well, I need an 8pin version of that for the dual CPUs. I went to literally every mom and pop techie shop in town looking for cases and came up totally dry.

\n

I did some searching online and I realized that I was going to need to make yet another investment in my Geek Fest, a new case. Now, cases are supposed to be simple, but not for this project. I ended up going with a SuperMicro SC742T-550 Chassis. While I wasn’t anticipating this, I have to admit I’m pleased that I went with this chassis. It was more money than I would have liked, but the integrated SATA hot-swap bays and the rack-mount capability is a nice thing to have in the future.

\n\"Large\n\"Open\n\"Open\n

Just when you think my story is going to come to an end, along comes minor hiccup number three. I got the new case, sniffed it and took it to my waiting motherboard and drives. Now, I’ve built my share of machines and I have to admit this is the first time I’ve ever really felt over my head. Dealing with the cabling, all the cooling, the crazy jumpers on the server board was all a bit much. This wasn’t your standard gamer box being put together. It gave me some renewed appreciation for the internal design that goes into those crazy 1U servers we buy.

\n

Let me take a moment to talk about the processors. Mounting Xeons is an interesting chore. The chip requires you to bolt it’s cooling assembly all the way through to the case because it is too heavy for just the motherboard. The heatsink is gigantic, and it comes with a plastic enclosure that makes the air more efficient as it goes over it. Pretty impressive. Asus also gave their own cooling assemblies that would have been easier to work with the motherboard, but they were noticeably smaller than the Intel ones so I opted for the OEM parts.

\n\"Two\n\"Hand\n

After a few hours (really!) of getting everything right. I was ready to experience the magic. However, my wonderful 24pin ATX power connectors and 8pin CPU connector was 6 inches too short! I couldn’t plug them in! Aargh!

\n

So now starts minor hiccup number four. I needed to find extension cables to get these things to the server board. I searched and found a ton of 24pin to 20pin adapters. But found very few 24pin extenders. I finally found some online and was confused to find “orange cables” and “green cables”. I figured this was up there with the glow-in-the-dark cables and fans with LEDs on them and just ordered the orange ones and thought nothing of it. To my great discontent I found out that orange and green indicate different power standards (link courtesy Chris Tersteeg)! The machine wouldn’t power up when I connected it and when I inspected the cables I found the 24pin extension wasn’t a straight-through. Wires were going every which way and some didn’t go through at all!

\n

I called the company and did some more research and found I just needed a straight through. They sent me that instead while I worried that I had fried my server board with the wrong power connector. Our story however ends with a happy ending as I plugged in the extender and the server roared (literally! 4 fans and 7 hard drives!) to life.

\n\"Open\n

It’s been running now for a couple of weeks. I’ve got 1.4 terabyte of disk in it formatted out in different ways to around 1 terabyte of usable storage. Everything has been working awesome and the RAID is performing great. The verdict of my project though is that a terabyte isn’t reasonable yet for the average home user. However, I still think it will be there in say, 2 years.

\n", "date_published": "2004-04-02T01:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2004/04/02/project-terabyte.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2004/02/13/got-gig.html", "title": "Got Gig?", "content_html": "

A couple weeks ago I made the big jump to GigE at home. Why have gigabit ethernet at home? Why not!

\n

The first step to this Geek Fest was to figure out what was needed. Chris Tersteeg gave me a quick download on the marketplace (what is it with him and this type of information?!) and I did some research on my own as well. To be elite you really need to have jumbo frame support on your gigabit gear.

\n

What is jumbo frame support you ask? Well, in a normal or fast ethernet network your frame size is pretty small, 1,500 bytes. So everything you send is chunked down into frames of 1,500 bytes. To send 1MB of data requires 700 frames. Well, with gigabit you are going to break things down into a lot of frames. To make life more manageable you can enable jumbo frames. This allows you to increase your frame size to values like 9,000 bytes. This makes that 1MB of data only require 117 frames! You can do the math, 1/6th the number of frames and hence fewer interrupts and the like on the network. Theoretically, faster throughput (hmmm, or not, see iperf results below).

\n

I settled on the SMC 8508T which brings 8 ports of full gigabit and support for jumbo frames. This is the only switch in the sub-$150 range with jumbo frames. I then opted for the high-end and went with the Intel Pro/1000MT gigabit cards. These also support jumbo frames (need that on both the server and the workstation) and have good drivers.

\n

One of the fun things about gigabit is that you don’t have to worry about duplex. It’s just handled automagically. Other than that, everything is pretty much the same.

\n

So, how does it perform? The following tests were all done using iperf.

\n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n
ConfigurationTest 1Test 2
No Jumbo FramesUp 515 Mbps / Down 611 MbpsUp 510 Mbps / Down 612 Mbps
4,088 bytes Jumbo FramesUp 499 Mbps / Down 650 MbpsUp 525 Mbps / Down 704 Mbps
9,014 bytes Jumbo FramesUp 596 Mbps / Down 540 MbpsUp 599 Mbps / Down 506 Mbps
\n

Note, the Intel Pro/1000MT supports frame sizes up to 16,000 bytes! However, when I used these iperf kept on crashing on me when I did the test. Note, the SMC 8508T only supports up to 9000 bytes frames so not sure what happens when you try to send frames larger than the switch supports.

\n

The performance is a little puzzling. Hard to identify any real patterns, and the asymmetry makes no sense. To add even more confusion to it, the performance advantage flip-flops between 4,088 byte frames and 9,014 byte frames. I’ve left my system using 4,088 byte frames for now, but haven’t had the time to really dig into what is going on on the wire here.

\n

The end result is a blazing fast home network backbone. The realistic application of this is that network disk performance is almost as fast as local disk performance. So doing image manipulaton of MP3 management over the network is much more realistic.

\n

All of this performance, and the total cost to do this Geek Fest was around $220. It’s amazing to me how far your dollar goes when buying gear these days!

\n

The next Geek Fest will be the installation of over a terabyte of disk in the home server. Stay tuned!

\n", "date_published": "2004-02-13T01:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2004/02/13/got-gig.html", "tags": ["Technology"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2001/03/11/hellweek-day-the.html", "title": "Hellweek, Day 2 - The Harper Image", "content_html": "

Today was a long ride. 😀 Little over a thousand more vertical feet of climbing than we had yesterday, add onto that wet morning with a hot afternoon (read as your clothing is always not right) and a headwind that seemed to follow us wherever we went, no matter what! However, the “roller coaster hills” were a lot of fun, hitting some pretty good speeds. New GPS method worked excellent, just put it in a zip-loc and throw it in the mesh part of the CamelBack.

\n

\"Two
\nThis is Don and Foster. Don is from Texas and Foster is a fellow Minnesotan. We road together most of Day 2.

\n

Anyway, here’s today’s ride…

\n\"Road\n

This ride had a lot (let me emphasize that!) of up and down, rolling hills. Tack onto that a couple of serious climbs and you have the reason my quads still are yelling at me. (Notice the new chart, basic altitude and then I’ve added a second line for total vertical feet, sweet!)

\n\"Altitude\n

Speed was average. You can see today had 3 breaks. This ride looped through the city of Harper three times (hence the name). (Note the new chart here as well, basic speed is in light and an average of the speed is in the thicker line, gives a better representation.)

\n\"Speed\n

Heart rate was actually lower than yesterday, averaging 123 (yesterday was 125). Other than that this chart really looks about the same.

\n\"Heart\n

Tomorrow is another brand new ride, Southern “Dis”-Comfort. Another 100 miler. Whew…

\n

Part of the Texas Hellweek 2001 collection.

\n", "date_published": "2001-03-11T01:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2001/03/11/hellweek-day-the.html", "tags": ["Travel","Technology","Cycling","Texas Hellweek 2001"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2001/03/10/hellweek-day-lbj.html", "title": "Hellweek, Day 1 - LBJ Ramble", "content_html": "

Let’s actually start with yesterday, Friday. Got into San Antonia, got the bike from luggage, all went very easy, to my surprise. Got the gate upgrade on the car rental to a Ford Explorer, much better for putting stuff into. Made my way to Fredericksburg and put the bike together, with one big gotcha. One of my spokes on my rear wheel had been damaged. There is a single bike shop in Fredericksburg, but they were closed. Luckily, another rider Tom had extra spokes and one actually fit. Got the spoke fixed and all was better. YES!

\n

The next day came early when I woke up at 5:30 am and couldn’t fall asleep! Got over to the ride start area about an hour early and just chatted with people. Cyclists are almost universally pretty good people.

\n\"Large \n_Group getting ready to go..._\n

LBJ Ramble was the ride of the day. 99 miles total distance, I clocked it off in 6 hours and 15 minutes of riding. There are breaks in this track from an unforeseen GPS issue. On fast descents on the road bike, there is a lot of vibration on the handlebars and the eMap kept on turning off! I finally just took it off and put it in my pocket. A little later, I figured I would try just turning it on and putting it in my Camelback. This proved to be very effective, except I lose the ability to navigate with it, oh well. (The nice thing about this approach is it will definitely work off-road on a mountain bike as well.) This map just doesn’t do justice to how long these rides are. Note that all those names are actually different cities! (You can also see where I missed a turn here.)

\n\"Road\n\"Two \n_This is Bill and Leonard, I rode with them for a long time on Saturday. Bill is an ex-cycling coach and he and Leonard have logged thousands of miles together._\n\"Weathered \n_Leonard knew about this place called Rabge's Meats. Yes, this is the \"sales room\". Got a bunch of turkey and beef jerky here, best damn jerky I've ever had. Gotta have some of this shipped up to Minneapolis._\n

There was only one serious climb on this ride (although the entire thing was riddled with “Minnesota Hills”). The Gypsum Mine Road was a good climb, pushing hard. All the veterans here keep talking about the hills on the Leakey-Death route, apparently we haven’t seen anything yet.

\n\"Altitude\n

Some nice fast descents. Texas seems to have a habit however of putting cattle gates at the bottom of hills, usually on a turn. So, you need to keep your speed in check or you will have a mishap on those things. Luckily no rain, so they weren’t very slippery. Most of them you can just “float” over, but some rattle you pretty big!

\n\"Line\n

Heart rate strategy was straightforward, stay around 130. Came in at an average HR of 125. This is well below my anaerobic threshold so I was limiting lactate buildup. Stayed aerobic through the majority of the ride. Consumed a little over 1,200 calories during the 6 hour ride, while burning around 3,600 calories. Ate like a horse when I got back to the hotel.

\n\"Heart\n

Tomorrow is a brand new ride, Harpers Bazaar. Another 100 miler. Stay tuned…

\n

Part of the Texas Hellweek 2001 collection.

\n", "date_published": "2001-03-10T01:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2001/03/10/hellweek-day-lbj.html", "tags": ["Travel","Technology","Cycling","Texas Hellweek 2001"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2001/03/03/hellweek-gear-test.html", "title": "Hellweek Gear Test 2", "content_html": "

Second gear test, got everything working the way I want this time.

\n

Below you can see the ride that I took, total distance of 15.9 miles:

\n\"GPS\n

Here is an elevation profile of the ride. I was also able to put speed on here as well, the GPS tracks the distance from each sampling point and the time difference, from that you can derive you speed at any point of your ride.

\n\"Line\n

Last but not least is the all important heart rate graph. I may experiment with exporting this and putting it on the same ride profile chart above, it would correlate more directly with climbing and speed anyway.

\n\"Heart\n

Part of the Texas Hellweek 2001 collection.

\n", "date_published": "2001-03-03T01:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2001/03/03/hellweek-gear-test.html", "tags": ["Travel","Technology","Cycling","Texas Hellweek 2001"] }, { "id": "http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2001/03/02/hellweek-gear-test.html", "title": "Hellweek Gear Test 1", "content_html": "

Took my GPS on my ride with me to do a gear test before heading to Texas. Had the heart rate monitor on as well, but for some reason I got no signal, not sure what the problem was with that.

\n

Below you can see the ride that I took today, total distance of 29.8 miles:

\n\"GPS\n

Here is an elevation profile of the ride. This was good as the vertical climbing per mile is similar to what I’m expecting in Texas:

\n\"Altitude\n

Part of the Texas Hellweek 2001 collection.

\n", "date_published": "2001-03-02T01:00:00-05:00", "url": "https://www.thingelstad.com/2001/03/02/hellweek-gear-test.html", "tags": ["Travel","Technology","Cycling","Texas Hellweek 2001"] } ] }