The addition of Twitter and Facebook streams looks beautiful – I can browse (in a newspaper-style layout) the tweets, links, photos, and messages from both services quickly.

While I do love the layout (I’m a print guy, after all), I did find one problem with two areas of worry: The content from your Twitter and Facebook stream is presented in Flipboard’s own choice of layout. Meaning, some photos or links from your friends might show up as small boxes, or nearly fullscreen.

In the section view, this means any NSFW content uploaded by your friends (and we all have friends that post non-work safe images, or is that just me?) could be nearly fullscreen.
In the photo-slideshow view (which is displayed on-launch), that same content could appear fullscreen.

I use the slideshow view while my iPad is docked in my homemade cardboard dock at work, that way I can quickly glance at any given photo as it comes across and tap to read more. It’s a nice feature 99% of the time. That is, until a friend’s photo of a night out drinking or another’s link to a punk show (displaying an angry panda) might take some explaining to a hovering boss (as just happened to me).

Flipboard in the dock - showing the angry panda

Flipboard in my hand - showing a photographer-friend on a night out

Twitter stream - yes, that says 'warm weather humping' with a nude photo

As much as I’m enjoying Flipboard, I can’t recommend one using it as a work-safe slideshow or browsing app if anyone could be hovering in your work area.

That said, totally worth the wait for my custom access. I’m looking forward to the ability to add in news feeds in the future (hint at a request there, guys and gals), video and more.

For the most part, you’d be right. With one minor exception: corrupt fonts.

Mind you, this might be unique to me, but I offer this tip just in case you’re presented with the same issues I’ve faced.

First, the screenshot of iTunes shortly after my migration:

The solution I used to fix this font issue was to open Font Book (remember that app? Probably gets used as much as once a year I’d imagine). Launch Font Book and look for any fonts that have a yellow triangle (alert) next to them. CMD+click on the fonts and choose “Resolve Duplicates.” Or, you can just select-all and run the same command.

Quick as a whip, the problem was solved.

The only other issue I had with my migration was iTunes failed to see my music, movies, etc (and crashed quite a bit). A Software Update check fixed this (turns out, I was running 10.6.3 on my new machine, with an older version of iTunes, etc). Once I updated the OS and the available apps, all was running at top-speed.

Watson, I.B.M’s latest creation in the field of question-answering machines, is blowing my mind with every article, study, and video I can find. Here’s a promo video from I.B.M:

I’ve been researching a Bayesian matching system for comparing and binding news stories from different sources, with the goal of being able to match using only two sources (totally breaking away from the base logic of a Bayesian match algorithm). A question-answering machine may be much better and figuring out small matches in strings and titles where a pure keyword-based match would fail.

Let’s hope the Jeopardy! tests go well as I.B.M has suggested that Watson could emerge in business uses in the next couple of years.

PS: Here’s a longer article by the NY Times (which I read last night and tweeted about)

This is getting crazy.

What chaps my ass is when a designer/developer takes credit for a design that was not theirs – one that they have made adjustments to, while leaving the core design in-place. Further, when the core code lives on, with some adjustments, I also get a rash.

The case here is Muumuu Heaven, a Web site that a buddy of mine were hired to develop by an employer of ours. It was a rough time in our development lives – with difficulties in communication, slipping deadlines, design changes, underbidding, etc. A lot of the hardships were my fault, but in the end I was happy with the result. Not the best development in the world, but I applaud the designer I worked with for his color choices, images, etc.

It’s been a few years, the Web site has gone through some updates and changes – both in design elements and code, but much of my designer’s look/feel remain (meaning: the exact images he designed are still in-play; the scaffolding is the same); the code for navigating the site is the same.

On the footer of the Web site is a link for “Site Credits.” I had no supposition that Muumuu Heaven would credit the designer or myself, but I was surprised when the new designer and developer took credit for work that was (at best) half theirs.
This continued on the developer’s own Web site (which is where the following screenshot came from).

I’m not asking Muumuu Heaven to give us credit now, I’m just ranting about the ass-rash that things like this give me. I’ve contributed on many projects and do my best not to boast about being “the man.” If you’re going to claim ownership of a design or development, then make sure it really is YOUR design/development.

(end rant)

1. Searchy for iPad has been released.
2. Opinions on social networking
3. Some tips and code for fellow iPhone/iPad programmers
4. Thoughts on friends and family
5. What’s been going on with the CB400

If you regularly checkup on my Web site I ask that you have a little more patience.

I’ve got some stuff to sell from my garage. Nothing earth-shattering, but you might be interested all the same:

1. A mini-fridge (dorm-sized, with the freezer) $25
Good shape – was used for about a month, then put aside for two years. Also, it has a couple dings in the face due to a motorcycle leaning on it. Otherwise, perfect shape (even has the original manual still in the plastic).

2. A TV – Best Offer
I’ll measure it, but I think it’s about 32″ – nothing wrong with it, just don’t need it. Comes with a remote.

3. A dresser – $25
Five drawers. Nothing wrong with it – might have a couple scratches on the top (from the TV sitting on it). Sorry, the Abraham Lincoln bust does not come with the dresser.

4. 1971-1973 CB500 Carb Kits (4x) – $30 total
I’m selling these carb rebuild kits for $30 – I paid more for them, but Z-1 Enterprises sent me the wrong damn thing, so I don’t have use for them.

Here’s the deal:

After a really enjoyable (and uneventful) ride on Saturday with members of The Cretins MC and Los Gordos Gatos clubs, I ended my night with a trip to The Cretins MC’s clubhouse (under the W. Seattle bridge, on Spokane).

The party at the clubhouse was fun: lots of familiar faces, a surprise visit by my wife, and lots of silly movies and activities.

Around midnight, the wife, my friends, and I decided to call it a night and started to head home.

One block from the clubhouse, I hit a detour that was covered in gravel and I went down. Hard.

Here’s the injury list:

1. The bike lost the front left turn signal (I hated the amber turn signals anyway)
2. The bike’s left mirror is in rough shape (it operates, but I think I stripped the threading)
3. My left knee took a banging, which resulted in a dislodged patella, a good sized hematoma (I’m under medication to shrink/dissolve it), and a fair amount of blood.
4. I’m barely walking right now, mostly due to the pressure on the patella and the swelling.
5. I’ll be seeing an orthopedic surgeon in the next week to discuss whether or not I need further attention (read: surgery).

– Image below is a little gory –

From the illustration I’ve horribly hacked together below, you can see how the patella is really ejected, with the hematoma developing below the kneecap. Excuse my :30 photoshop job, please.

At this point, I just need rest, crutches, and some compassion. I wasn’t the only rider to dump at that detour on Saturday, so while my pride is hurt, it’s not the end of the world. I’ve been told by plenty of much more seasoned riders that this “is just part of the bike world; it happens to everyone.”

Thank you to everyone that’s shown interest in my bashup; I’m sorry if early notes were vague or worrisome – that wasn’t mine (nor my wife’s) intentions. I’ll be fine, the bike will be fine (rode it home actually), and all will be well in a few weeks.

In the meantime, if you wanna meet up or hang out, just know I’ll be slower than normal :)

The Los Angeles Latebirds – Flock Yeah II from Brian Sowell on Vimeo.

Good lord this is just rad as shit, my friends.

While I don’t mind watching the film on DVD, I do like to watch movies while using my iPhone, and therefore the movies need to be seriously compressed.

I usually use VisualHub (now defunct, unfortunately), but sometimes dip into Compressor for the final encoding.

Today, I started to use Evom and I’m quite happy with the results.
While Evom did take much longer to re-compress my 1.6GB file (about 2 hours, compared to about 60-70 minutes with VisualHub), the resulting file size is a shocking 250MB less than what VisualHub gave me.

Here are the two compressed files, side-by-side. Can you tell which is VisualHub’s reduction and which is Evom’s?

Final note: if you CAN tell which is more compressed, do you really think it matters on the iPhone screen? I don’t.

I was surprised to see some Seattle landmarks (most notably the Guild Theater), and it turned out to be a pretty good film.

True, the son is a total douchebag (as quoted from Robin Williams who plays the father), but that’s on purpose to the level of ridiculousness.

From time to time I get to watch movies at work while I’m coding away, and I’ve found that my productivity doesn’t get interrupted with a movie on my second screen – if anything, it helps me keep “in the moment” of my programming.

I’ve got to say, Bobcat did a dynamite job directing (great soundtrack, too), even getting a cameo in, but the “ghost” scene wasn’t my favorite. Can’t win ‘em all, right?

I need assistance with my life. Obviously the choices I’ve made over the years have not had positive results.

Yes, I’m married, but things could be better. Yes I have a fantastic job, but my work/life balance is non-existent.

Are you in your mid-thirties? Have you had success with you romance, employment, finances – enough so that you feel comfortable guiding me through my headaches?

Come join me as a personal puppetmaster; make my decisions for me, in love, finances, employment, time, hobbies.

Coordinate with my darling wife as to what’s best for me, using your experience as a base.

Salary to be discussed based on my ability to put my life in your hands, and how responsible you perform.

This is an ongoing project, hopefully self-terminating (meaning: I’d love to get to a point where I can manage my life on my own, without your help).

searchy: a one-day iPhone app from chadedge on Vimeo.

Yeah, there’s LOT’s that should be done to an app like this (#1 being “hire a professional”), but this was a one-day project, completed in an afternoon, folks!

Just finished a rough mix of Billy Hollman singing “Bohemian Rhapsody” (Queen) in the voice of Peter Griffin (Family Guy).

As funny as the song sound, you should have been at the party where he recorded this with Tom – drop-down hilarious!