In the 1980s I worked for a division of Knight Ridder Newspapers in Akron, Ohio call Portage Newspaper Supply Co. (now McClatchy Company). Portage handled central purchasing for the chain’s 58+ newspapers with nearly everything that was needed to produce the printed paper, as well as a few independent products (I believe all that is left from the company is the reporter’s notebook business???)
Being one of the few employees with a computer background in those years, I was drafted into helping set up and experiment with the electronic delivery of “graphical” artwork (very new concept) using the personal computers, modems and the phone lines (we were zipping along at 300 baud). The idea that a graphic artist could create a computer generated images and could share this with all 58 papers in minutes (hmm, I recall longer) was revolutionary. Eventually this “electronic media” would launch a think tank division that in a few years envisioned handheld tablets … while the rest of us were thinking re-writable/recyclable electronic paper was the future.
In 1994 media company Knight Ridder made a concept video of a tablet device with a color display and a focus on media consumption. The company didn’t create it as a commercial product because of deficiencies of weight and energy consumption in display technology.
A few days ago, I saw this 1994 news clip and was shocked at how closely the company had envisioned today’s Apple and similar tablet computers – 15 years or so before they became reality.
I took advantage of a nice Saturday afternoon to open the pool before the snow started on Sunday. I’m adding water at the moment and am watching the snow at the moment … maybe I should take a swim? I’ve finally got the hang of closing with the right chemistry which makes turning things on and cleaning up the dirty and 1000s of worms a little bit easier. There have been years that it is not possible to see the bottom. So far it looks like “at least the pool” will look “ok” for Katelyn and Drew’s wedding next month – April 13th is getting close! Speaking of the wedding, Drew and Katelyn were home for some early wedding photos and another meeting with Beth and Ryan. (Pastor)
Taylor’s ceramic artwork “given to me” from 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th grade
One would think that I would look forward to replacing a couple old computers, the pile of wires and CRT monitors with a new 27” iMac 3.4ghz i7 computer … well yes and no. It certainly is well past time to retire my wimpy Mac Mini, my Mac G4 (still running OS 9) and an old Dell Dimension (still running Windows 2000 and rarely used). Still, these old faithful’s are as comfortable as a pair of well loved shoes — but perhaps the surprise loss is where to put all of the prized art that adorned the tops of my CRTs. These masterpieces have been given through the years by my children and I’m struggling with moving them anywhere else as that new thin screened iMac isn’t going hold my art collection anymore!
Posting a video test of Glympse tracking Katelyn and Drew heading home from Columbus in real time. Impressive detail as to where they are and the speed they are traveling.
Sailing friends Ben Eriksen and Teresa Carey, a couple I’ve posted on previously (1, 2) continue to edit and upload video tidbits that I assume will eventually be used in their upcoming sailing movie One Simple Question. The segment below highlights what life is like on a small sailboat on bluewater passages … particularly “watch keeping or watch standing.” Great stuff.
The Swedish automaker Volvo will be showing their new plug-in V60 diesel hybrid at the New York auto show later this month according to reports in the automotive press. This new information may hint that Volvo is considering bringing their pricey new hybrid to the U.S. after all; initially reports suggested it would only be available in Europe.
The V60 Plug-In features a 2.4L D5 turbodiesel engine driving the front wheels and an electric motor powering the rear axle, giving the hybrid all-wheel drive. The diesel engine is rated at 215 horsepower and 320 lb-ft of torque, with the electric motor adding 70 horsepower and 147 lb-ft of torque, netting a total system output of 285 horsepower and 467 lb-ft of torque. Volvo says the hybrid wagon can accelerate from 0-62 in just 6.1 seconds. The V60 Plug-In can cover 31 miles in electric-only mode and is capable of 130mpg in hybrid mode.
The addition of a new bluetooth Jambox speaker has certainly improved the audio quality of my iPad … AND the new Postie plug-in for WordPress looks to be a great replacement for Posterous (shutting down next month).
Here’s a 2 minute snippet from the iPhone of a post to our EAA284 site. Let’s see if the video shows up via Postie.
EDIT: Still had to tweak the code … but I’m learning to post via email.
Occasionally I make one of those spur-of-the-moment impulse purchases that doesn’t give me buyer’s remorse. I have been wanting a bluetooth speaker to improve the sound coming from my iPhone or iPad without resorting to plugging in the 3.5mm cable or using earbuds. I thought, “hmm, this will work great on the desk and even better when traveling or on the boat.”
So I purchase a small Jawbone Jambox was listed on Ebay for half the normal listed price not really expecting much more than portable speakers, but was instead very impressed … AND it even came in the more subdued black color as opposed to the bright colors (below). Yes, it was still expensive considering its an electronic gadget that will most likely collect more dust that get used, but boy was I surprise by the sound quality when it arrived. Very impressive to this “one eared” guy. Even better, it doubles as a decent speakerphone.
Biggest Sound, Smallest Package
JAMBOX delivers stunning hi-fi audio in a portable wireless speaker so compact you won’t believe it when you hear it. Unlike other portable speakers, JAMBOX is powered by a pair of proprietary, highly sophisticated acoustic drivers, unmatched in their ability to produce extreme high (tweeter) and low (woofer) frequencies from a single, ultra-small dome speaker. They work in concert with an innovative moving-wall passive bass radiator and airtight enclosure to deliver shimmering highs and thumping lows that you can literally feel – the richest sound all in the palm of your hand.
handled central purchasing for the chain’s 58+ newspapers with nearly everything that was needed to produce the printed paper, as well as a few independent products (I believe all that is left from the company is the reporter’s notebook business???)
