Pixel Pickle

More sweet pickle than sour, I still am having a few issues in daily use of the Google Pixel laptop.

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Reflection on the screen is still quite annoying for me. I've ordered a cover to see if it will help and will let you know my thoughts and perhaps a few pictures, when it arrives.

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I also find the task bar at the bottom of the screen annoyingly needy - it is very prominent an icons constantly "stab me in the eye" whilst I'm trying to read a web page or use the computer. Seems silly, I suppose, but it is an a continual distraction, and I'll go look to see if I can hide it. One right click and "Autohide launcher" and I'm happier. :)

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Many people have their own opinions on why they use or like or don't like the Google Pixel laptop, but for me, it was a vote with your feet moment. I haven't had a laptop with a screen I really wanted since my old Dell laptop with a WUXGA screen. I like to reward people who make things I want - technology, art, design - by purchasing them, with the thought that it makes their product successful and encourages more of the same.

My reasons for the Pixel laptop:
1. The screen resolution and size
2. The "free" Google drive 1TB of space
3. The fact that I could verify others had already load different operating systems on it
4. Reliability: I needed a system I could rely upon to be "always up".  Note this sometimes conflicts with my reason #3! ;)

The keyboard, touchpad, screen, hinge, audio; all of it is very nice. Worth the cost without hesitation? Nope! I would have to have discreet 3D graphics card AND an easy user-replaceable SSD drive for that to change. And note I would have paid more for the SSD swap or to be able to replace it with a hard drive. Cloud computing may be here and our future, but until bandwidth is perceptibly infinite, free, and network connectivity works on a level of hyperspace where it is always on with no interference, I'll want local storage. I have been "paperless" for years - I walk the walk at work and at home - and bring gigs of files with me for access and use both professionally and personally.

Good job Pixel Team! Good product!

~NBR

Cookie Jar for your Passwords

I don't know about you, but between work and play, I've got a lot of passwords. I've been using KeePass to keep my passwords for awhile now: http://keepass.info/index.html

By keeping the desktop database in dropbox, it allows me to keep up to date password with me at all times and open them for viewing on my android phone or ipod touch. I also like the fact that there are clients for every primary operating system I run (Linux, Windows, OS X )

KeePass

I did also try the add-on to import my Firefox passwords into the database, but don't use that regularly.

Just Finshed: Pandora's Star

Just finished reading Peter F. Hamilton's Pandora's Star it is a great book set in the same universe of the other books of his I've read since December: The Reality Dysfunction, The Neutronium Alchemist, The Naked God.

Not only is his universe well organized, consistent in character action, but his detailed description writing helped make this an enjoyable, can't-put-it-down read for me.

The books I also read are his Fallen Dragon and The Temporal Void and currently have started the last book, Judas Unchained.

It Is Monday

Beautiful and slow

Really like Dylan Street:

Frontline: Digital Nation

http://video.pbs.org/video/1402987791

Buying an emergency cell phone (Portlandia)

Should I buy another cell phone? Mine works ok but the google phone buttons are still backwards and awkwards.

Wait. What am I thinking?!