jameswang.net

I give credit to the picture to I09 and google image search.

I know. This is old news. Everything gets old so fast when you are going by internet time, but this is still funny. Apple basically didn’t do much new, gussied up Itunes a little, added a camera to the nano but not the touch. Now people are self conscious in the gym because there are a bunch of loose cameras on the prowl. The appstore app management seems cool to those who have iphones. Regardless, I love how people eat up anything apple. My wife said she saw a student in a class she was in with a Mac Book Air. She asked me about it, and we looked up the cost. HA. STARTING at $1499. SERIOUSLY NOW. thin is cool, but really? I just need to learn to show things off like they do with “great” “wonderful” “really nice” “really easy” “better and better and better” “really cool” “really outstanding” “real easy” “its that easy” “so beautiful” “incredible” “remarkable” “great” “great” “great” . . . “thank you for coming, and we’ll see you soon”

• Unplug Your Laptop Regularly http://bit.ly/3MIFRw (via feedly) #
• "After two years in Washington, I often long for the realism and sincerity of Hollywood." – Fred Thompson – Ha. That made me chuckle. #
• Amazon.com offering AT&T phones for 1¢, today only http://bit.ly/4Xr9C (via feedly) #
• Eating hot pot in milpitas with my wife #
• Can't wait to eat! http://twitgoo.com/3r4te #
• RT @shiftb Good guidelines for group brainstorming http://bit.ly/uPHAi from @ZURB #
• Waiting for our massages. I love thursdays. #

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So, Windows 7 is going to be launching the 22nd of October. Cool. Microsoft is doing the whole, “windows 7 launch parties” thing. The video is TERRIBLE. Seriously, it hurts to watch. At first my thought was, no way, what is wrong with them. Why can’t they do anything right? Well, I was talking with Brandon (@shiftb on twitter) and we both agreed that a ton of people are talking about how bad the video is. I suppose infamy is definitely a way to fame. See for yourself.

But the thing is, they know how to make normal, if not good commercials like:

So why the terrible video for the launch party? Because they are stupid like foxes. I know they are. That’s my thought. I really think Microsoft is preparing for a very serious sneak attack. Can they pull it off? I have no idea. Here’s a couple reasons why I think Microsoft has a lot of very interesting things up their sleeves:

Microsoft Stores:
1st you may be thinking, well, how are they going to open a store for things they don’t even make themselves. Well, 1, I’m sure they’ll still figure that out, but 2nd, they are making a bunch of microsoft stuff. Details below. But more amusing is that they are just trying to hire away current apple store managers and any good employees that they can pull with them. Haa. Definitely disruptive. Even more so if Microsoft is successful with the stores. So now onto Microsoft making their own devices.

Project Pink:
For a while I’ve been saying that if you were microsoft, you wouldn’t just buy Danger and do nothing with it. My wife has a sidekick phone so it is top of mind every time I see her holding it. Well, take a look at these things:

Courier:

Check out the link to see a video of what they plan to have the experience be like:

Courier User Interface from Gizmodo on Vimeo.

Natal:
Games without controller? I know PS2 had the eyetoy but it just didn’t catch on and sure wasn’t as smooth as this looks. The Xbox 360 is already doing awesome and Project Natal makes Wii look very dated in comparison.

Wow, I would be so mad being someone having to fight America in a war. He has a good point though about some of the ramifications of robotic arms races. He talks about globalization and how that effects things. So an american soldier is using a robot to fight a war with hardware from China and software from India? Opensource warfare? Al Queda 2.0? Very interesting talk. He doesn’t talk about it but, frankly war has always had some commercialized aspects such as mercenaries in ancient times, but that’s at a whole new level these days with Black water, and the like. Some recent games and media highlighted the moral issues of mercenary life and loyalties or lack there of. Along that line, war is becoming more and more like a game. Makes me think of Ender’s Game. Great book. If you don’t have it and want it . . . feel free to buy it at the link below. It might actually give me a small kick back enough for 1/20th a coffee. hook me up.

I love playing with ideas. I’m definitely an idea guy. Unfortunately, though many of them do, many of them also don’t tend to ever see the light of day. I was reading Jason Curlee’s blog and saw this post recently talking about the book Genius Machine. Here’s quoting his analysis of it.

Ideas enter the process fuzzy, weak, and partially baked. Using the eleven steps–

Distinction (seeing something new),
Identity (knowing who you are and why you are driven to share your idea),
Implications (exploring every possible consequence of your idea),
Testing (find the breaking point),
Precedent (who else has done something like this),
Need (who will it be most valuable for / focus on your audience),
Foundation (discover the underlying principles or rules),
Completion (can your idea stand on its own),
Connecting (flattening the learning curve),
Impact (is the impact of your idea in alignment with your goals)
and Advocacy (you must champion your ideas)

You can check out his post here and while your at it, check out the rest of his site. I regularly find myself saving his stuff to think about and chew on for later.

• RT @eduinnovation "Science is organized knowledge. Wisdom is organized life." Immanuel Kant #knowledge #wisdom #
• @Wompy woah that's ridiculous. I watched a clip of the taylor swift thing and just shook my head. Sad. in reply to Wompy #
• @wompy OH MAN, the TWIT last week was hilarious. I was crying when they talked about the onion story. The Indian and Russian. hilarious. #
• @pudgehuckaby Interesting. I partially agree. I love "getting it done", but could see becoming an automaton from just task blasting. in reply to pudgehuckaby #
• @pudgehuckaby but some 'journey' people do nothing but wander and never actually go anywhere or do anything with their observations. in reply to pudgehuckaby #
• @Wompy I haven't watched them yet. Any favorites? in reply to Wompy #
• RT @jonathansutton Bloom where you are planted. Audrey Assad #
• Get Windows 7 Home Premium for $30 With a College Email Address http://bit.ly/hCYtY (via feedly) #
• 45+ Cool Google Android Apps – The Perfect iPhone Replacement http://bit.ly/kv6a4 (via feedly) #

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So I was reading Tony Morgan’s blog and got inspired to try out the personality pattern test as well. My pattern said that I am mostly passionate, innovative and creative. What do you guys think?

Here’s the test if you want to take it too:
Personality Patterns Test

Here’s a picture of my graph.

Passionate

You are in touch with your emotions, and sometimes you react before you think. The good news: you don’t tamp down your feelings. The bad news: you sometimes say or do things that you later wish you could take back.

You do not live your life on an even keel; you do not go for long periods without experiencing some mood swings.
Innovative

You come up with a lot of ideas; if one doesn’t work out, there’s always another waiting in the wings. You often have interesting solutions to difficult problems. You’re practically a one-person brainstorming session.

You are less interested changing the world than in dealing with things as they are. Unlike those who spend all their time trying to solve problems, you prefer to zero in on things that work and stick with them.
Creative

You are good at solving problems, coming up with original ideas, and seeing connections between things, connections that most other people miss. People with a high score on the “creative” trait often are employed in such fields as finance and scientific research, and enjoy avant garde and classical music as well as literary fiction and scholarly non-fiction.

You do not shun abstractions and concepts in favor of the concrete and tangible.
Intellectual

You are thoughtful, rational, and comfortable in the world of ideas. People find you interesting to talk to. You’re the living embodiment of the saying “You learn something new every day.” In general, those with a high score on the “intellectual” trait are employed in such fields as teaching and research, and are enthusiastic about reading, foreign films, and classical music.

You do not avoid abstract conversation, experimenting with new ideas, or studying new things. It bores you to stick to the straight and narrow of what you already know.
Accessible

You’re comfortable expressing yourself in words and actions, with no self-censorship. You believe that if someone doesn’t like what they see it’s not your problem, but theirs. A high score on the “accessible” trait suggests that you have a lot of friends, socialize often, and enjoy rap/hip-hop music.

You don’t see the need to keep your thoughts to yourself, or to have a zone of privacy that encompasses only yourself and a small circle of friends and relatives.
Warm

You have a genuine interest in other people. You’re a natural host, and are always thinking about how you can increase the happiness of those around you. When friends have problems or are in trouble, you’re usually the first person they turn to for aid and comfort. Scoring high on the “warm” trait suggests that you are among those who enjoy domestic activities — doing things around the house — and are enthusiastic about charitable work, helping others, and making the world a better place.

You don’t always say exactly what you’re thinking; you don’t like the idea of causing anyone pain because of your criticism.
Understanding

You are willing to take the time to find out what’s going on with other people, especially if they’re in distress. You’re a good listener, you don’t criticize, and you offer unbiased, respectful, honest advice when it’s requested. With a high score on the “understanding” trait, it is likely that you are enthusiastic about charitable work, helping others, and making the world a better place.

You don’t feel the need to impose your standards on others or say things that, even though true, cause pain.
Competent

You strive to master everything you undertake. You tend to learn quickly and do not shy away from challenges.

You are not a “que sera sera” type of person, nor do you go easy on yourself when attempting to master a new skill or get a job done.
Astute

You are a quick study. You generally don’t need to have things explained to you more than once. When presented with a problem, you will often have an instant understanding of where to look for the solution.

You do not take your sweet time when presented with a new task to complete or problem to solve. You don’t avoid assignments that require you to learn new skills.
Original

You are constantly coming up with new ideas. For you, the world as it exists is just a jumping-off place; what’s going on inside your mind is often more interesting than what’s going on outside.

You don’t feel that the road to success is to be a realist and stick to the program; you never stop yourself from coming up with new ideas or telling the world what you’re thinking about.

Did you take it? What were your results? Any other interesting tests you’ve found worth taking? Let me know.

Remember the day sof Teddy Ruxpin? Yeah, that’s right, that wierd bear that had tapes in his back and talked to you.

I actually personally got a Corky doll one Christmas. It was . . . an experience. I used to have fun scaring my sister with it. I’m sure the makers of “chucky were quite aware that chucky was corky with straight hair. I know I was. I would have Corky in bed with my, all the while praying that demon possession of my precious, expensive toy would not occur. But elaborating on that experience is another post for another time.

Hop into the wayback machine and Go to 2:45 in this video below and remember with me the beauty and the terror of the toy that was Corky, along with all the heinously awesome 80’s marketing magic.

Onward to the wonders of ToyBots. I haven’t really gotten to see too much from the Tech Crunch 50 presentations yet, but this company is pretty fascinating. Toybots showed some incredible things at TC50. Here’s some stuff for you to sink your teeth into.

Tech Crunch article and recap of them

Here’s the video that blew my mind. You’d think the yorkie was real. See for yourself. Looking forward to your comments.

I really liked this video. Basically, she asks the question of what biologically helps us with judging other people’s actions. It is really amusing the experiment she runs with the pirate finger puppets and the children to show how child development of moral judgements of others develops over time. I think you’ll really like this, even if neuroscience is not your thing: