going mobile

Since our phone service was shut off during my last extended trip West (see relevant bitching), I’ve been using my cell as my only non-work phone number. And, frankly, I’ve been thrilled. It saves money, makes it easier for people to track me down (given my frequent-flier lifestyle) and keeps me from chasing multiple voicemail boxes. The only downside? My Tivo can’t dial in for programming updates. So I’m having a line reinstalled with a single Tivo-adjacent jack. Other than that, I’m completely unstrung.

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March 26, 2003

news junkie power tool

If, like an increasing number of Americans, your primary source of information about the war in Iraq is internet news sites, and if, like most of those people, you find yourself constantly cycling between CNN, MSNBC, The New York Times and the like, consider instead simply heading regularly to news.google.com. The page automatically aggregates the most relevant stories from 4,500 or so world news outlets, refreshing every ten or fifteen minutes. Make it your home page, and you’ll be up to the minute on world news every time you launch your browser.

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March 22, 2003

wi-fry II

Despite the large signs plastered all over the windows of the McDonalds on 51st and Broadway, none of the four cashiers I spoke with had a clue about the internet access pilot. Seems the idea may not be quite ready for a national roll-out.

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March 16, 2003

blogger buyout

For those who missed it: in yet another brilliant move, Google has bought up Blogger, the web’s largest weblogging tool.

While some are questioning the wisdom of that move, I believe it makes perfect sense. Google is focused on, broadly, providing access to information. As the blogging trend grows, increasing percentages of the information on the web will appear in weblogs. Being tied more closely into blogs, then, means being tied more closely into information, exactly Google’s goal.

While I’m afraid I’m too entrepreneurial (which is to say, too bossy and too anti-authoritarian) to successfully work for anyone but myself, news like this just strengthens that small voice in the back of my head saying I should drop everything and apply for a Google job.

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February 16, 2003

narcissism now easier than ever!

Old: autoGoogle, v. intr. to search for oneself on Google.

New: Googlert, n., a web-bot that autoGoogles for you on a daily basis, then emails any changes in the top listings.

Ah, the power of technology, making ever easier such life-critical pursuits as obsessively monitoring what other people are saying about you.

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February 5, 2003

coming soon

For as long as I can remember, I’ve been fascinated by futurism – examining the state of the world and the trajectory of today’s emerging trends and technologies in an effort to map out a range of possible futures. So I have been particularly enjoying two books I recently picked up, The Next Fifty Years and What’s Next?

The first is a collection of essays from 25 of the world’s leading scientists, with each of whom looking ahead at the progress and impact of their respective field in the next fifty years. (I am particularly proud to say that two of my favorite Yale professors, Paul Bloom and David Gelernter, are included in the book; more importantly, they live up in their writing to the exceedingly high standard they set in their classroom lectures and discussions.)

The second is a slightly shorter-gazing attempt, looking ahead just ten years, but compiling the thoughts of 50 more broad-ranging thought leaders (economists, historians, inventors, scientists, artists) on a truly comprehensive array of topics (economics, geopolitics, culture and societies, belief systems, technology, science, environment and civilization).

While there’s plenty to disagree with in both books, either one certainly provides quite a bit of bang for the buck in terms of thought-provoking mental stimulation. If you feel as though it’s been a while since you thought as hard as you could, pick up both, and give your brain a jog. I’m certainly enjoying it myself.

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January 24, 2003

when in roam

By and large, I love my cell phone. For the past six months, the T-Mobile Pocket PC Phone Edition (aka the Dork-o-matic 8000) has done everything I could want from it – fielding calls, intermeshing seamlessly with my over-stuffed contact database, calendar and to-do list, checking email, and even letting me modify complex film budgets on the fly in Excel, allowing me to determine the fiscal impact of changes to production plans while still on set.

Since coming to LA, however (ah, yes, did I mention I’m back in our nation’s smog capital, this time through mid-February?), I’ve been frequently seized by the urge to drop kick the thing against the nearest brick wall. Because, though the breadth of T-Mobile’s LA coverage is indeed impressive, the depth leaves a bit to be desired; so far as I can tell, though I get strong reception in all but the deepest concrete parking dungeons, I cannot actually place a call anywhere if any other user in greater LA County has even considered turning on their phone within the last twenty-four hour period. As a result, I spend quite a lot of my time listening to apologies by soothing automated voices – they’re sorry, but all circuits are perpetually busy.

Like any problem, however, my inability to initiate or receive calls, or even check messages, has a bit of a silver lining: this being LA, people assume I’m purposefully not answering their calls or returning their messages to demonstrate my greater relative power level. Yesterday, for example, David Hillary, the other producer on I Love Your Work, was ribbing me for being “harder to get on the phone than Ovitz at his prime.” And when I called to apologize to an agent earlier today who’s call I hadn’t returned for nearly a week, I found myself instead receiving profuse thanks for taking time from my obviously busy schedule to talk through the relatively minor matter at hand.

So, while I had initially planned on picking up a second cell for the duration of my LA stay, I suspect I’ll instead be sticking with my trusted T-Mobile. If I could work up the nerve to do it, I’d actually switch instead to an exceedingly elaborate and ineffective system of smoke signal and carrier pigeon, as I can only imagine the career gains I could realize by effecting such an approach. Once I work out the details, Harvey Weinstein is toast.

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December 30, 2002

vroooom

Want to up your dork-cool quotient immensely? Be the first kid on your block to pick up a Segway Human Transporter, apparently now pre-orderable from Amazon for a mere $5k.

Of course, should you wish to get around the city with fewer people pointing and laughing, you might instead consider becoming the first kid on your block to own one of the new Vespa’s, available for about $4k a pop.

Either way, you’d better do it soon; owning a BMW is so 1999.

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November 18, 2002

monopoly much?

While last week’s rather toothless consent decree against Microsoft’s anticompetitive practices left many industry observers more than a bit disappointed, the furor has been compounded by a recent Microsoft SEC filing which adds real credence to charges that the company has unfairly leveraged their monopolistic dominance in one area (namely, OS software) to compete in other areas. According to the filing, Microsoft actually loses money in every single business in which they participate, except for the Windows and Office business areas, which show ridiculously high 86% and 79% profit margins respectively. In other words, allegations that Microsoft has artificially increased pricing in areas of monopoly to underwrite non-competitive entrance into other areas are apparently true. While Microsoft clearly disclosed this unusually detailed profit breakdown in an attempt to inoculate the company against Enron/WorldCom accounting practices problems, I’ll be curious to see whether their admission of this type of information will eventually prompt a reopening of the antitrust investigation.

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