It’s interesting… 2 of the biggest things changing the online world are in ways, total opposite.

Advertising and Open Source

Advertising is about as commercial as you can get – Open source is for some, a backlash to commercialism.

But both give the end result – free products and services.

That cute dog you see on plasq.com, the Comic Life box and now, the Skitch icon is my Dog. He is a Harrier Hound named atari. They look like a bigger yet younger looking Beagle.

He turned 8 on March 1st – w00f.

Uploaded with Skitch!

He is cute.

Wish I could move like that guy in white.

Have watched this video so many times. Was one of the first viral videos that I got online.

Got an email from a mayt yesterday – quote:

A good friend of mine is involved in an amazing project that aims to help make essential, life-saving medicines available to the third-world at reasonable prices. They’re achieving this by putting pressure on universities to license medical research in a way that ensures large pharmaceutical companies can’t have a global monopoly on a medicine, and that generics can be manufactured cheaply.

They’ve already successfully lobbied to have Yale license important AIDS drugs in this way. Their work could save many, many lives around the world.

Right now, they’re collecting signatures for the Philadelphia Consensus, a policy document on medical research and its licensing that universities can adopt. I encourage you to add your signature, and pass this on to anyone you think might be interested, particularly in the research and medical communities.

You can find out more and sign the consensus here:

http://consensus.essentialmedicine.org/

I don’t normally send this sort of thing around, but I think this is a really amazing project, and has a better chance of making a real difference to long-term third-world health than anything else I’ve seen.

Indeed. Check out the site, and if you agree, give your eSignature.

Hot-tubbing

Interesting method (though harsh) way of keeping a community healthy. Reminds me of pruning a rose or the ‘cruel to be kind’ saying.

via

You know how weather is the universal ice breaker? In Australia, we have a new one… Bananas!

This is thanks to Larry, the Cyclone who ate wiped out many crops.

Small talk of the exorbitant prices and amazement when one is seen is common place. “Ohhh, you have a banana?!”

Reminds me a little of a bleak sci-fi story where ‘real food’ is rare and people survive on some form of cultured protein.

Then add the Banana theft and eBay auctions, perhaps it will be taken up by Hollywood

There has been no mention of an out-of-work banana bender crisis though. hmm

I was at WWDC! .... and still in Australia.

Keith too. Thumbs up from him.

Thanks Matthew Tonkin for hooking us up

Matt held up his Macbook Pro so we could see around.

We waved to people standing in line, and a couple people waved back!... ahhhh, technology!

Over the last week, I’ve had a Black MacBook on loan from Apple to run some app tests. It was nice to be able to live with one for a week as well, and get a feel for it. Here are my stream-of-thought points.

Good:

• Nice size and weight – feels bit less of a commitment to pick up, move around or chuck in a bag.
• Built in iSights rock.
• Price. Much cheaper than a Pro model, and similar or same speed.
• Fast!
• Quiet… it’s more quiet than my Powerbook just idleing. Fans are about the same, but sound different.
• Great WiFi/Airport Reception. (compared to a 1.67ghz Powerbook or 700mhz iBook – in an area of zero reception for the others, the Macbook could see 4 access points)
• It feels really solid and nicely balanced. I noticed this with the Macbook Pro also – much nicer to hold when compared to past Apple portables.
• addition: I forgot to mention, when the overhead light was bright, such as being outside, the Powerbook was much harder to read than the glossy screen. The matte finish on the Powerbook, in a way, holds the light where it hits, thus giving the whole panel a lightness that makes it hard to see the image below. Very clouded is a good way to put it. So in some cases, glossy can be better!

Not so good:

• Shiney Screen – See photo below. Livable, but annoying. I had to constantly adjust the screen or move my head to avoid the lights behind me reflecting off the screen and obscuring words. However, see my point above on how gloss can be better.
• Black shows up finger prints easily – See photo below. This may ‘settle in’ over time, as the whole case builds up a layer of natural skin oils and other stuff. Sounds yukky, but true.
• Low res and small screen compared to PowerBooks and MacBooks Pro’s. Not sure why the screen doesn’t go closer to the outer edge of the lid.
• Keyboard isn’t as nice to type on as the PowerBook/MacBook Pro keyboard.
• The edge of the hand rest area is too sharp. It aggravates my hand pretty quickly. You could learn to not rest on that area, but one shouldn’t have to… it’s an obvious place to put your hand.
• Another Black specific issue is they seem to scratch easier, or at least show them up more. This loan model already had a few scratches on the back.

The below point was a ‘Not so good’, but I realised it was due to having ‘Ignore accidental trackpad input’ Ticked in the system preferences. Will leave here as a google-juiced tip.

• Trackpad pauses intermittantly, often after a keystroke.

So… Macbook or Macbook Pro?

Well, it really depends on what you do with your computer and what other computers you already own. It mostly comes down to – Do you have a big screen at your home or office, or do you need a bigger screen. For instance, I have a 20” iMac which i end up doing most of the design work on. Or perhaps you have a nice LCD that you can plug in.

Addendum: A month later, I’ve ended up ordering a white MacBook with Superdrive. I’ll upgrade the RAM and HDD via 3rd party means. There is a wait time of 2 weeks. Seems they aren’t keeping up to demand of the middle range machine.
Addendum 2: A friend has both, and in some cases, the MacBook is faster than his MacBook Pro, simply because the Pro gets hotter and winds down the CPU to reduce the heat.

Today, Rachael, My girlfriend, looked up Couriers Please

“Australia Wide Delivery Network” stated their advertisement.

So She phones them to get a package sent from Melbourne to Tasmania and the lady on the phone says:

“Oh we don’t send to Tasmania”

Okaaaaayyyy. Nice one guys.

改善

“to take it apart and put back together in a better way.”

“Right sized equipment”

“Learn-by-doing”

“looking at the results, then adjusting.”

“strategy of disciplined cleanup.”

Good change—Change good

Never ending, consistent, step by step, vigorous, constant improvement.