More sweet pickle than sour, I still am having a few issues in daily use of the Google Pixel laptop.
~
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.
~
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. :)
~
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
Tuesday, March 26, 2013
Sunday, November 27, 2011
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 )
I did also try the add-on to import my Firefox passwords into the database, but don't use that regularly.
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.
Sunday, July 17, 2011
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.
Monday, April 4, 2011
Monday, February 21, 2011
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
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?!
Wait. What am I thinking?!
Monday, February 14, 2011
ZOMG!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yziGiVua0Dg
When I was growing up, I had an awful overbite, that was from sucking my thumb when I was younger I suppose. Freddy Mercury was the first person I ever saw out in public that had a worse overbite and by seeing what he did and how he looked it was the first time I wasn't self-conscious about my own "buck teeth".
When I was growing up, I had an awful overbite, that was from sucking my thumb when I was younger I suppose. Freddy Mercury was the first person I ever saw out in public that had a worse overbite and by seeing what he did and how he looked it was the first time I wasn't self-conscious about my own "buck teeth".
Saturday, February 12, 2011
Thursday, February 10, 2011
EvE Offline
I was playing EvE Online and enjoying it somewhat - figuring out the game system - but as I was playing I realized there is a severe imbalance in the game play for new players, including the sales of in game currency by out of game purchasing using real world cash.
So I canceled my subscription.
I know many other games choose a micro payment model and have done even better than their initial monthly charge fees by going "free" + micro payments for in game items, but I think there are many times where this is destructive to the game play. Especially when it comes to play balance against other players.
The game suffers from other issues as well, including a bad attempt at trying to copy Blizzard and other "login portal news and hey-why-don't-you-buy-this!" issues, but I did really enjoy looking at the stars and space simulation.
So I canceled my subscription.
I know many other games choose a micro payment model and have done even better than their initial monthly charge fees by going "free" + micro payments for in game items, but I think there are many times where this is destructive to the game play. Especially when it comes to play balance against other players.
The game suffers from other issues as well, including a bad attempt at trying to copy Blizzard and other "login portal news and hey-why-don't-you-buy-this!" issues, but I did really enjoy looking at the stars and space simulation.
15 minutes later...
I'm off FaceBook. What a lousy messaging system they have seem to implemented. Not only that I think they lack any sense of decency in using phrases like "user xyz found you via friendfinder" and other statements, including when I was closing my account "user xyz (with your picture) will miss you! Are you sure...".
I'm pretty sure my friends won't miss me. I'm pretty sure representing the people they showed me as actively missing my account on facebook was a lie. I'm pretty sure I couldn't put up with that damn design another fifteen minutes...
I'm pretty sure my friends won't miss me. I'm pretty sure representing the people they showed me as actively missing my account on facebook was a lie. I'm pretty sure I couldn't put up with that damn design another fifteen minutes...
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Friday, February 4, 2011
Do I Hafta?
Do I have to go to work?
Do I? No. I'm reminded I probably don't have to get paid, either.
Do I? No. I'm reminded I probably don't have to get paid, either.
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Saturday, January 15, 2011
I'm hungry
Thank you, dear neighbors, for talking loud and slamming your door shut on the way home from the bars. As I'm told by the speed addict in the alleyway, sleep *is* a poor substitute for coffee.
Time for the Diner!
Time for the Diner!
Friday, January 14, 2011
Conversations With Myself
Where is my mind? *drools*
I'm taking a melatonin pill, Valerian root pill, and going to bed. No sunlight 'til Saturday!
I'm taking a melatonin pill, Valerian root pill, and going to bed. No sunlight 'til Saturday!
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Custom Customized Firewall OTW!
Just ordered a Jetway NC92-330-LF Dual Core Atom Mini-ITX Mainboard
with add on 3x 10/100/1000 Intel LAN Module,
that I'm going to put inside my 1920's Breakfaster
and install a firewall on for my home computers!
I still have to figure out the power supply but figured I'd wait to see how well it fits before ordering that and maybe a compact flash or fixed disk.
with add on 3x 10/100/1000 Intel LAN Module,
that I'm going to put inside my 1920's Breakfaster
and install a firewall on for my home computers!
I still have to figure out the power supply but figured I'd wait to see how well it fits before ordering that and maybe a compact flash or fixed disk.
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
My systems are so secure...
...not even *I* know how to get into them!
I was playing around with encrypted partitions on my Ubuntu server. I forgot the password. D'oh!
I needed to reformat and upgrade as part of my trying to automate my backup and recovery scheme. I could *swear* I put the password on a little piece of paper. A little piece of magic paper. Magic disappearing paper. Hmm.
Did I mention KeePass is a part of my overall backup schemes in general? D'oh! D'oh! D'oh!
I was playing around with encrypted partitions on my Ubuntu server. I forgot the password. D'oh!
I needed to reformat and upgrade as part of my trying to automate my backup and recovery scheme. I could *swear* I put the password on a little piece of paper. A little piece of magic paper. Magic disappearing paper. Hmm.
Did I mention KeePass is a part of my overall backup schemes in general? D'oh! D'oh! D'oh!
Idle Hands and Space Opera
I've been playing Eve Online. It is an interesting game but I don't know if it really is worth playing long term. I've been thinking of creating my own game, mainly because so many of the games I want to play because of the visuals - eve online being one of them - fail to engage me in an expressive way.
I don't mean just fun. I like 'twitch' gaming - being a first person mode where I control every move, similar to being a fighter pilot, but Eve is slow ship movement and learning skill points over a long period of time to allow you to perform certain functions. Since you accumulate skill points second by second, you have to choose what you want to learn and spend time waiting for those skills to finish.
Since I've unfortunately been sick the past few days, it has been somewhat relaxing to start mining and drift off to sleep (damn being tired from this nasal infection!) and wake and target a new asteroid to mine.
It takes quite a long time for my mining laser to pulverize the rock and pull it into the hold.
One of the other aspects of Eve Online - curiously it seems to be the primary purpose of the game yet I don't think it readily supports it being the primary focus in terms of game theory objectives and rewards - is ship to ship combat. I've been blown up while on a recent mission. So I'm working to get the skills to fly a space cruiser: a Gallente Vexor
So I do enjoy the visuals of space and the ships, but crave something more imaginative in terms of creating custom ships and building planet resources and fleets. I've played role-playing games that were very similar in the past - this one very much reminds me of Traveler, except instead of rolling a character you slowly build up the skills for your character - but there isn't much Eve Online does to help encourage role-playing.
I don't mean just fun. I like 'twitch' gaming - being a first person mode where I control every move, similar to being a fighter pilot, but Eve is slow ship movement and learning skill points over a long period of time to allow you to perform certain functions. Since you accumulate skill points second by second, you have to choose what you want to learn and spend time waiting for those skills to finish.
Since I've unfortunately been sick the past few days, it has been somewhat relaxing to start mining and drift off to sleep (damn being tired from this nasal infection!) and wake and target a new asteroid to mine.
It takes quite a long time for my mining laser to pulverize the rock and pull it into the hold.
One of the other aspects of Eve Online - curiously it seems to be the primary purpose of the game yet I don't think it readily supports it being the primary focus in terms of game theory objectives and rewards - is ship to ship combat. I've been blown up while on a recent mission. So I'm working to get the skills to fly a space cruiser: a Gallente Vexor
So I do enjoy the visuals of space and the ships, but crave something more imaginative in terms of creating custom ships and building planet resources and fleets. I've played role-playing games that were very similar in the past - this one very much reminds me of Traveler, except instead of rolling a character you slowly build up the skills for your character - but there isn't much Eve Online does to help encourage role-playing.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)