A couple of weeks ago, I got a “recommendation” from Netflix about a show called “The Story of Maths“, so I tossed it on my list to watch. Last night, I was playing bachelor, so I fired it up. It is a BBC created series, with 4 one hour episodes (57 – 58 minutes each), with an engaging host, Marcus du Sautoy, who provides a lively narration. I watched the first two...
We are doing some financial things, and needed to send some important documents. As many of my old friends at Open Text would not be surprised by, I needed to Fax these documents. Scan and email is not acceptable, it had to be a fax. Not a big deal, we have Comcast with a voice line, and an old but very serviceable Brother Fax machine. It has served us well for probably 15 years. I printed...
When you wake up in the morning and see that your iPhone is giving you a “No SIM detected” error, you know it is going to be a bad day. My iPhone 5s is well aged, but it has performed quite well for almost 2.5 years. I was hoping to get another year out of it, but alas, it decided to give up the ghost. It worked well, but the “No SIM” error was a harbinger of doom. It is...
As I am looking to create a more formal, shall we say “professional” web presence, I am learning a few things. First, while my personal sites (like here) are self hosted, and currently managed by myself on Digital Ocean, I want something where I know that if I screw up I don’t lose it all. There are plenty of options, but as I am familiar with WordPress, and even got my start on...
This last week, I “discovered” something that wasn’t really hidden. Somewhere in the evolution of Apple’s iCloud service, in particular the sharing of login information and passwords in the service, a really cool feature is lurking. On Tuesday, Barbara had a 2 hour procedure at her doctor’s office, and I waited in the lobby. So I took my iPad and logged into their...
A recent life change is forcing me to become more organized, and to remove chaos from some areas. One key area is my digital address book(s). Over the years, with my haphazard adoption of new technologies and platforms, it was inevitable that my growing list of contacts split among several services, would fester and be a moldering mess. There are definite epochs in my contacts. The first...
Who still uses their Yellow Pages local directory? Really, when was the last time you actually looked up a phone number or a service in there? Be honest. Or, are you like 99.3% of the population who just hits google on their smartphone, and off you go? Or checks out Yelp for reviews. For the last 10 years or so, we would get our new directory in the early spring, recycle the old one, and put it...
My latest Netflix binging is the ITV adaptations of the Agatha Christie stories “Poirot”. 12 season, beginning in 1989, and concluding in 2012 (not continuously of course), set in the pre-war England, they are intriguing tales of suspense, and the sleuthing of Hercule Poirot, the Belgian investigator. Ok, not really binging, but I have been watching them, and just broke into the 5th...
This morning, I had a meeting with someone who was interested in collaborating on a project. We picked a small boutique coffee shop near my office (that I selfishly could walk to) and a time that seemed to be between the morning rush, and their noontime bump. Fortunately, the person I was meeting got there plenty early to grab a table. Holy shit, that place was packed at 9:45. People talking...
As part of my Netflix binging, I have watched (most) of the original Hawaii 5-0 and the 2010 remake. An interesting amalgam of shows. The original series was a Jack Lord vehicle, a way to justify living in Hawaii, and to promote tourism in Hawaii. Beautifully filmed, the writing was crisp and fresh (for 1968 that is), and the stories were compelling. The Remake is refreshing. A lot more character...