Jacques' blog

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2009-10-07T12:23:00.002-04:00

2009-08-17T11:04:00.001-04:00

Pocket tanks app is incredible. I just love the simplicity of artillery based games.

2009-08-11T22:37:00.001-04:00

Loving iPhone apps: doodle jump, idig it, and spin art. Check em out!

Ingenious speech to text tool or cyborg nation?

2009-03-19T11:15:00.010-04:00

The web has and continues to transform the way we interact with the world. One area that is of increasing interest to me is how digital media is augmenting and some cases replacing biological media. For example, you may have no clue what computer vision is but you can quickly find out by visiting wikipedia or a local library. Is your memory of the topic computer vision stored in your brain or the web? This example is clearly at one end of the spectrum. At the other end you can find brain-computer interfaces which allow some blind people to regain vision through direct links between computers and the brain. In any case this area of inquiry is fascinating to say the least, but I digress.

Reqall

Reqall is a service that allows you to record a voicemail which is then transcribed to text and emailed directly to you. It is totally free. The messages are stored on Reqall's server if you would rather retreive it there. Additionally, you can have a group receive your messages, which is handy for shopping lists etc. It is a simple tool that works wonders.

Reqall is especially good if you are driving. Normally, you would have to write down a note on your PDA or piece of paper, which is sketchy the way I drive. With Reqall on speed dial you can quickly call in a message to be emailed to you.

Reqall is also great if you have memory problems. I seem to always forget little things because they pop in and out of your mind at random times like when I am driving or right before I go to sleep at night.

There are several other services that do the same thing. Jott, dial2do, Spinvox, PhoneTag and more. I haven't evaluated these although I know most of them are paid services.

What if everytime you think of a task you use Reqall instead of your brain? Over time I think it is bad for your memory. How many of you can actually tell me the phone numbers behind your cell phone contacts? Does it matter? How long until we have a little hard drive implanted. You could argue that laptops are the begining of this anyway.

Top Mac Productivity Applications

2009-03-05T14:32:00.020-05:00

If you're into getting things done efficiently on your Mac then you found the right post. A number of small and large applications can streamline your work, projects, and informal life.

Quicksilver
Quicksilver is like spotlight on steroids. The application scans and catalogue's your computers applications, devices, documents, folders etc and makes lighting quick access to those items possible. Unlike spotlight, Quicksilver also allows you to manipulate your computer without opening items. For example, you can quickly send an email to a contact without opening mail:

You can also create new documents, search the web, tag items, move items, and accomplish other repetitive tasks without opening your applications. This is the ultimate app for desktop productivity.

OmniFocus
If you are serious about getting things done (GTD), then OmniFocus should not be left out of your repertoire of tools. The Omni Group's task management software is awesome. Create and manage simple and complex projects all within the (GTD) framework.

My favorite part of OmniFocus is the ability to add context to any given task. For example, one project could be cleaning your garage. One of your tasks for the project is to buy a broom and you can assign it the context, Home Depot. Then you have another project, fix the kitchen cabinet. Then you have the task, buy new kitchen hardware again with the context, Home Depot. When it is time to go to Home Depot, OmniFocus allows you to sort by context, so all of your tasks can be tackled in the right context. Add in a WiFi sync for the iphone application and your are ready to take over the world.

Growl
Growl quite simply identifies your applications that produce notifications and harmonizes them all into one user interface of your choosing. Growl integrates with mail, ical, FTP, Facebook, OmniFocus, and on and on. No more varying pop-up notifications, just one. Additionally, Growl identifies your applications automatically so you don't have to tell it which applications you want to tie into the notifications. Simple and elegant just the way you like your Mac.

Caffeine
Alright, this one is a small application that nonetheless I love. Sick of your Mac going to sleep or dimming when you are concentrating on work? Can't be bothered to reset your energy saver settings all the time? No problem. Caffeine puts a little coffee cup logo on your task bar. Enable Caffeine and the cup is full, no dimming, no sleep. Click it off, the cup is empty and normal settings take place. Great no fuss app.

Transmit
Any self-respecting Mac user is probably going to need to FTP things up to the server on a regular basis to keep his/her online assets on point. Transmit, in my opinion is the easiest drag and drop FTP program out there. It has a super easy interface, good integration with other programs and is very low priced for all that it provides.

Disk Inventory X
Even with a 1TB external hard drive I always seem to be running out of space on my Mac. The problem is that I know that half the stuff on my computer is junk, but I can't find out where it is. Disk inventory visually lets you quickly see what is taking up the most space, where to find it, and delete it all in one fell swoop. All those example files for apps you don't care about, old mp3's and video files hidden away in some obscure folder don't stand a chance against this useful app.

SuperDuper
If you're like me you don't need Time Machine to back up every iota of information every day from your Mac. You would just assume have a really nice backup every week, month, or quarter. If that sounds nice go with SuperDuper. It quickly creates a backup of your hard drive and stores it as a disk image on your external drive. Restoring is as simple as opening the disk image.

Status Update on Your Mind. Do it better.

2009-02-12T10:53:00.004-05:00

The advent of Twitter micro-blogging, Facebook status updates, and even Seesmic for video blogging has lead to interesting situations. Many people are more prolific in there posting out on to the web and are able to communicate to friends, family, colleagues, partners, clients and others at the drop of the hat. If you are like me you do this a lot. Not only is it very common these days in informal networks, but it is also a vital business strategy for marketing and corporate life.

I've recently taken to using www.hellotxt.com to update Facebook and Twitter at the same time. There is no need to login to either service and links are even converted to tinyurls. You can also add a number of other networks to your updates including Youtube, Digg and Myspace.

Check it out.

The Bike Jump Dream: Plan the Design

2008-11-12T19:41:00.007-05:00

Once you have the ramp site scoped out you can begin your design process. There are many great designs out there but before you start ask yourself one question. Why I am building this jump? Are you looking to pull a backflip? Want to land way far away from the shore? Want to load up 5 people on the bike and pull some kind of clown show maneuver? Maybe you just want to impress some friends?

The answer to these questions will clearly impact your jump design. I wanted to get big air and pull off some tricks. To that end shopped around a bit before deciding to go with a modified skateboard ramp. A quick google search will help you find dozens of videos, blogs, and even detailed plans.

Here is a nice rapid fire video.

Bottom line. You need to figure out how much wood to buy. Do the math. Get a bunch of 2 x 4's for builiding your crossbeams. Get enough thin layers of plywood to ben onto your jump curve. It is better to have more layers than a piece that is too thick. In my case I also had to build a small dock to get the jump far enough out to clear some rocks. That definitely ads to your budget and can be a bit tricky to setup.

In the next post I'll tackle tools and supplies.

The Bike Jump Dream

2008-11-05T11:49:00.015-05:00

About a year ago I had a dream. A dream that anyone who grew up in the country, swimming in lakes, waterskiing, tubing, jumping off rope swings and lighting off fireworks would certainly relate to in their heart of hearts. It was really quite simple. Build a jump capable of launching a bmx bike high into the air and land in a lake.

Action Plan

Scope out the launch site.
Plan your design
Get the tools and supplies
Building
Jumping and other considerations

Scope Out the Site

The perfect site will have a clear runway approaching the water with a sharp drop off and 10 ft of water. Ideally the bottom composition will be sandy without any major obstructions. Have no fear, if you don't have a perfect location you can just build a small dock to clear any obstructions. Using a canoe and a tape measure I was able to determine: how far out the dock should go, how high off the water the dock will be, and the water depth where the dock footings will be. Using some pen and paper you can record the measurements, or some quick graphing software.

With design in hand you are all set to buy your supplies. Catch that in our next post.

Oops I spilled the milk

2008-10-29T21:00:00.001-04:00

Quite a few ideas have surfaced as I explored ideas to launch this blog. First, it was going to be a digital marketing blog focusing on my professional background and future. Then I thought it would be ranting and raving about my life. As I am in the midst of a job search, I thought it might cover the many aspects of networking, interviewing and applications. Lastly, I thought I would devote it to my love for movies.

The bottom line is that I'm covering it all. I'm not saying it is going to be in depth on any one of these particular, but some mix that will emerge as I move along.

Hope to hear all your thoughts as I move forward on this endeavor.