Discovery Launch

Discovery Launch
Originally uploaded by scottlawrence

Shrinking Shuffle

Check out Apple's new iPod Shuffle. Just when you think it couldn't get any smaller, it does. Apple dropped the display with the first and second shuffle and with this version they dropped the controls. All the music controls are on the earbud cord. And it talks to you! The Shuffle uses "VoiceOver" to speak the song title, album and playlist.

Yes, this allows multiple playlists and navigation with a screen-less iPod. That was my only complaint with the first generation Shuffle. I always like to have some podcasts on hand. But combining podcasts and music was never fun. Jumping from music to podcast just didn't work.

Pretty impressive. What better product to innovate in this abysmal economy than the most affordable iPod?

Photo Book

Today FedEx dropped off my 2008 Photo book.   I designed it in Apple's Aperture software, my preferred photo management program.   The results are stunning!  It's a hard bound book complete with a dust jacket.   This year, I'm making a conscious attempt to get more of my work on paper.   The books are a perfect way to do it.   I'm also trying some large 13x19 prints, but as I'm finding, they're pricey to frame.  

The intent of the book was to capture my best work from 2008.   Towards the end of the year it drifts to more of a family theme for obvious reasons.  But I tried to keep the standards high.  Some of the family shots are very appropriate for the theme as I set up them up (lights, timer, etc).  

At nearly $70 with shipping, it wasn't cheap.  But I'm very happy with the results.  At minimum, I'll plan to do one a year.  The next obvious book would be Shelby's first year in photos.

Free Shipping!

That's right, free 2 day shipping with Amazon Prime. It's only $79 a year. As Jon Stewart pointed out in an interview with Jeff Bezos, "then it's not free." Marketing fluff aside, I love the service. It makes impulse buying on Amazon so easy.

On Thursday, I decided to order the tripod I had been eyeing for months. For only $4, they send it with next day shipping. That's still cheaper than sales tax.

My Favorite Things

Legos and photography - why didn't I think of this? These shots are amazing both from a technical and creative standpoint. Some are inspired by famous photos with the others mostly of a Star Wars theme.

Technically, they are all carefully lit. Some even include a setup shot. I just might have to dig out my old bricks.

Boat Payment

As long as I can remember, the few dentists I've had over the years have never given me a hard time.   Perhaps it's a change in mindset to being hyper-preventive, but I can't seem to catch a pat on the back these days.  First I'm told to use the electric toothbrush - supposedly, it's the only way to go.  But then I'm told I don't use it enough.   Sometimes I do prefer the manual brush.  So for the last 6 months I've done my best to use the electric brush.

And what do I get?  A recommendation that I should come back in 4 months, not 6, for another cleaning.  Apparently, my technique is off.   I can't win.

I'm beginning to think I'm really there just to pay for the tv's mounted on the ceiling, the new flat screen in the waiting room, the fancy digital x-rays with more resolution that my DSLR, or the new oral cancer screening UV light.   Oh, I almost forgot the new paperless chart software. 

Who Am I? Where Am I? Just Ask iPhoto.

Apple's new iPhoto will tell you.   iPhoto 09 incorporates face detection and geo tagging technology.  Yes, it actually recognizes faces in your images and allows you to assign names to the faces.   The software then searches for cases of the same face throughout your library.  It's not perfect, but by confirming the face, I'm sure the program learns over time.  

Geo tagging has been heavily integrated into iPhoto 09.   Photos can be organized by place and even plotted on a Google Maps interface.   And what about all those old photos?  You can go back and assign the locations to old images and iPhoto appears to update them on the maps.   Apple also was touting the ability to integrate maps within photo books - pretty neat.  I'm not sure I'd want to spend the pages on a map, but you never know.

Geo tagging technology is very cool.  Unfortunately, few cameras have the hardware.   Only one Nikon point and shoot camera has an integrated GPS.  The new Nikon DSLRs require an add on device for a few hundred bucks.   Of course the iPhone has geo tagging as well.   But the iPhone camera is probably the weakest function on the entire phone.   Probably the best option would be to take some snapshots with the iPhone and then transfer the GPS tag to the DSLR photos.  

I'm sure the hardware will catch up soon enough.  In the meantime, this should give Apple time to include some variation of these features in Aperture.  Currently, you can only add the GPS tag itself - no maps.