Bookworm

We can't register it, either. . .

"Small service stations are running into a problem as gasoline marches toward $4 a gallon in the United States: Thousands of old-fashioned pumps can't register more than $3.99 on their spinning mechanical dials. The pumps, throwbacks to a bygone era on the American road, are difficult and expensive to upgrade, and replacing them is often out of the question for station owners who are still just scraping by. Many of the same pumps can only count up to $99.99 for the total sale, preventing owners of some sport utility vehicles, vans, trucks and other gas-guzzlers to fill their tanks all the way." [AP story at CNN.com]

I'd buy a Kindle if. . .

• If it cost about $100.  (I do understand why they currently cost $399 -- Amazon pays for the wireless connectivity -- there is no monthly or annual fee -- you just connect.)
• If you could buy books from other vendors, not just Amazon.com (much as I love them)
• If it worked everywhere.  Right now, if you live in Montana or Alaska, you're completely out of luck, and there are wide swaths of other states where service isn't available. 

Overseas Call Centers as a symptom of globalization

I felt like I was inside a chapter of Thomas Friedman's book on globalization this morning.  I had to place a phone call to find out how much interest was paid on a loan last year, for tax purposes.  I was on hold for approximately ten minutes and then my call was answered by "Matt."  Matt appeared, from his accent, to be a native of India and I could barely understand what he was saying to me.  He had to put me on hold at least three times and finally after almost twenty-two minutes on the phone, I had what I needed. 

From Whence Accrues Value?

Keeping It Real
in The New York Times Magazine by James Gleick, 6 January 2008

Why would someone pay over $21 million for a 1297 copy of the Magna Carta? Once, the document's power accrued from King John's words. Now, James Gleick believes that the value of the document lies largely in the story behind it, a phenomenon that science fiction author Philip K. Dick called historicity. Without history, the ball Bobby Thomson hit would be just a sphere of cowhide, and Princess Diana's spare wedding dress would be simply a confection of taffeta. Gleick hypothesizes that the very ubiquity of computerized copies of information may intensify our awe of the scarce and magical originals.

Avoid the loony Zune

"The Zune is a complete, humiliating failure. Toshiba's Gigabeat player, for example, is far more versatile, it has none of the Zune's limitations, and Amazon sells the 30-gig model for 40 bucks less.

Throw in the Zune's tail-wagging relationship with music publishers, and it almost becomes important that you encourage people not to buy one.

The iPod owns 85 percent of the market because it deserves to. Apple consistently makes decisions that benefit the company, the users and the media publishers -- and they continue to innovatively expand the device's capabilities without sacrificing its simplicity." [Chicago Sun-Times]

For what it's worth, I have an iPod, which I've used pretty much daily since May and the only problem I've ever had with it was when I was prompted to upgrade the firmware (software on the iPod device itself) and then had a series of problems, which included having to reset the iPod and reload all the podcasts, audio books, and music which had resided on it.  Apple issued a new version of the iTunes  software (with little fanfare or acknowledgement of the apparently rampant user problems) and the issue was resolved.  Now, I check the user forums of the Apple site before installing any upgrades.  But I really do love my iPod.  The set-up was incredibly simple, the packaging was nice (no horrible plastic packages to cut up your hands on), and it's so user friendly my two year old figured out how to use it.  (Um, yeah, the door to my den was open and she made a beeline for it -- I found her with one earbud in, listening to a podcast.  *giggle*)  I was already using iTunes to purchase music, so it's been a good fit for me.

Cory Doctorow dissects Amazon Unbox User Agreement

     "Section 3c. Removal of Software. If you uninstall or otherwise remove the Software, your ability to view all Digital Content you have downloaded to the Authorized Device will immediately and automatically terminate and we reserve the right to delete all Digital Content from that Authorized Device without notice to you.  Surprise! If you delete our software, we delete your movies! Imagine if selling your old DVD player gave Jack Valenti permission to come over to your house and take away all your DVDs, too." [Boing Boing]

Goes to show that you really do need to read the fine print when you sign up for things.  It's easy to assume it's the same old legalese, but sometimes it's asking you to sign away too much.  Thanks for the public service announcement, Cory.

Behind the Scenes at Microsoft, 1991

"On June 17, 1991, I started working for Microsoft on the Excel team. My title was "Program Manager." I was supposed to come up with a solution to this problem. The implication was that the solution would have something to do with the Basic programming language." [Joel on Software]

I'm not a programmer, but I found this story interesting.

How I Used My Times Select 14 day trial

I really didn't much leisure time to evaluate Times Select -- and 14 days isn't very long -- but I primarily used it to look up articles on topics of interest -- favorite authors, the first mentions of Derek Jeter's name in the paper, the first time the word Internet was used, etc.  Makes me wish I had access to the very cool, but very expensive Lexis-Nexus service, actually; I could spend hours looking up stuff like that.  But, in the end, I can't justify the expense -- $50 a year -- for access to the archive and the columnists.  It would be slightly more tempting if you got the pictures, charts, graphs, etc. published as part of the original article, but you don't.  You just get the text. 

Are we more or less productive?

"Unlike a decade ago, U.S. workers are bombarded with e-mail, computer messages, cell phone calls, voice mails and the like, research showed. . . Sixty percent of workers say they always or frequently feel rushed. . . Expectations that technology would save time and money largely haven't been borne out in the workplace, said Ronald Downey, professor of psychology who specializes in industrial organization at Kansas State University.

"It just increases the expectations that people have for your production," Downey said.

Even if productivity increases, it's constantly outpaced by those expectations, said Don Grimme of GHR Training Solutions, a workplace training company based in Coral Springs, Florida.

"The irony is the very expectation of getting more done is getting in the way of getting more done. . . Businesses that have moved to 24-hour operations, bosses who micro-manage and longer commutes all add to the problem, they said, while downsizing leaves fewer workers doing the work of those who left." [Reuters/Yahoo]

Make it So

"Thou shalt not entomb thy product in indestructible plastic. Sure, we understand the temptation: you want your packaging to be sturdy yet see-through, so shoppers can see exactly what they're buying. Trouble is, you're caring only about whether people take your product home; you apparently don't care about what happens after that. You don't seem to mind that getting those hard plastic packages open is a dangerous ritual involving scissors, steak knives, band saws and, eventually, blow torches.

There are ways to have it all. Technology has marched on. You could design the front of your package with the rigid, clear plastic, but seal the back with easy-to-open cardboard. Or you could perforate the seams of your "clamshell" for easy separation without power tools. All it takes is a little imagination and, say, 0.015 cents per unit." [NY Times; registration required to read full article]

Having recently had to free a PDA from this kind of packaging, I agree wholeheartedly.  I was afraid the scissors would slip and damage the screen while I was hacking my way in.  We spend a fortune for these things and the packaging is so infernally noxious.  Don't even get me started on children's toys.  The packaging is cardboard, but there are about 10,000 twist ties to be untwisted after you free them from the ten miles of tape they're taped down with.