Typing up this very short post to test out the mobile WordPress app and the iPad keyboard. I must say both are very usable. This will be a fantastic way to photo blog from the road.

I have a new blog post over at my company blog. It addresses my hate, then love, with the iPad.

Read it here.

A little photo slide show I put together using Aperture 3 and pictures from Hannover, Germany.

The new Twitter homepage, originally uploaded by blaircook.

I just logged onto Twitter from my home computer and to my surprise I was greeted by an entirely new homepage when not logged in.

Here is the update from Twitter:

Today we’re trying a redesigned front page for folks who are new to Twitter.com. If you’re a regular around these parts, then you won’t notice the new look unless you sign out of your account. Helping people access Twitter in more relevant and useful ways upon first introduction lowers the barrier to accessing the value Twitter has to offer and presents the service more consistently with how it has evolved.

Blackberry 7920, originally uploaded by blaircook.

This is the old school Blackberry 7920 I am using for a day or so. While I am using it I am noting the things I like and do not like, to see how far RIM has come in the last few years. The experience, even in the first day of use, has been enlightening to say the least. One thing is for sure, they don’t build them like they used to, this is going to be a great back-up phone no matter what.

Fourth of July, originally uploaded by blaircook.

I have posted some of my Fourth of July photos to Flickr. I continue to be amazed at the quality of images I can get from my little Canon G10.

Float plane, originally uploaded by blaircook.

My photos from my last business trip, to Vancouver, Canada, are up on Flickr.

Vancouver is an amazingly beautiful city, and its proximity to world-class skiing and snowmobiling make it one of the only cities I would realistically consider moving to.

So now that the dust has fully settled on the new, larger, Kindle DX I wanted to weigh-in. Having just received my Kindle 2 this morning I thought it appropriate to comment on why I elected to stick with the Kindle 2 and not upgrade to the DX.

While the larger DX could prove to be a great format, or even the ebook format, it is untested. The Kindle 2 has been in the market for a few months now and people genuinely enjoy the form factor.  The DX really adds no new functionality. Sure it can rotate and display PDFs, those are really not features I need in an ereader. I bought my Kindle to be compact, easy to use and give me the ability to take a lot of books on the road. For those reasons I am sticking with the Kindle 2 and not forking over the additional $140 dollars for the Kindle DX.

A bigger screen, more features, but at what price? Having just ordered a Kindle 2 on Friday I must say I have mixed emotions about this device. I hope Amazon will work with me if I choose to get the new device.

What will the decision to switch depend on? Price. The Kindle 2 is quite expensive at $360, unless Amazon is prepared to reset the price point on the Kindle I predict the new larger screen version will come in at least $100 more expensive than the Kindle 2. Will the screen be worth the price, whatever it may be? Well we can only hope Amazon has review units out to bloggers so we will all know soon.

Amazon Kindle DX to feature 9.7-inch display? Update: Pictures!: ”

(Via Engadget.)

While I still love to get out and take pictures, I just hadn’t been doing it much lately. Between work, other hobbies and a waning passion for shooting professional level photos I made the decision that it was time for all the Nikon gear to go.

Getting back to a simpler camera that I could still dial-in for great shots yet travel comfortably with, and be able to use with off camera speedlights was the goal. The Canon G10 fit the bill and with most of my Nikon gear on the way out I picked up a Canon G10 from BestBuy today.

I am so impressed with the image quality, fit and finish, menus, and overall design and user experience. Tomorrow night I am going to take my new G10 out to my nieces softball game to see how it performs in an area that typically makes a DSLR shine.

Getting back to what made me fall in love with making pictures is already feeling refreshing, I cannot wait to start pushing more content to Flickr and just having fun with a camera again.

Below is one of the first images out of my G10. A photo of a Nikon lens I just put up for sale.