Blair’s Blog

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.

Scoble has a good post up at Fast Company outlining some netbook buying tips. I liked his three picks for the road warrior, business minded, and the bargain hunter. Hit the read link for the full write-up.

1. Best for road warriors

Samsung NC10 ($469). Solid battery life (about seven hours), a good keyboard, clear and bright screen, great performance, and, yes, it’s available in other colors.

2. Best for business

HP 2140 ($449). Thanks to its integrated graphics chip, the 2140 handles video better than most in its class. If you work for a large enterprise, you may have a support contract with HP, which offers some peace of mind if you have trouble with the machine.

3. Best for deal hunters

Acer Aspire One ($350). Acer continues to redefine what a lower-priced netbook can be. The latest Aspire One, released in February, has a 160-GB hard drive, a fast processor, Windows XP Home (rather than Linux, which can’t run Office), and a 10.1-inch screen.

READ

One thing I cannot stand is a huge mess of keys. So I ordered this single key off eBay. I was pretty skeptical if it would actually arrive, and then work as advertised.

Tonight I was pleasantly surprised when not only did it show up, but I was able to program both the lock/unlock functions as well as the SecuriLock. Then a quick test key and cutting of my new single key.

Easy auto projects are sometimes the most satisfying.

This is the humble beginnings of my next automotive project. I am trying to determine what would look, and work, better for my install. These are size mock-ups of two different models of Hella lights, the lights were chosen for a very specific reason which I am keeping under wraps until I am all done.