IT
Computers are great, except when they are the cause of frustration and despair, as they often are.
Kindles, iPods, and PADDs
With the release of the new Star Trek movie this Friday, and the announcement of the Kindle DX, it seemed appropriate to share an observation I’ve had for a couple of years now. Our level of technology in 2009 is approaching what Gene Roddenberry envisioned for the Star Trek universe of the 24th century. Maybe not in transporter technology (though Tenacious D has already asked that the...
Read MoreNew UW Registrar site launches
As the webmaster for the Office of the University Registrar at the University of Washington, it’s my duty to improve the Registrar’s web presence. Today marks a bit improvement: the launch of a new version of the site—and what a big project! I integrated two departmental sites manged by the Registrar into a third. There are two or three smaller departmental sites to incorporate...
Read MoreDesign Fail: Printer Drivers
Disclaimer: I don’t really like printers. Printing to me is the purvey of big machines with trained professionals who know about dot gain, ink spread, parent sheets, four-color process and other printer terms. I’m no fan of the little ink-jets that cost $99 to buy but $75 to replace the ink in every three months. But regular printers do have a place, especially in an office setting....
Read MoreHelp that's actually helpful
Software used to come shipped in boxes as big as cereal box. Why? Well, to hold that 400+ page manual of “help” that software users dutifully placed on their shelf where it ready to answer any question that may arise (read: gathered dust). Well, that was the 80s and 90s and online help has come a long way. Much software doesn’t have a printed component any longer because...
Read MorePPC Holy Grail: Direct-placement ads?
PPC, or “Pay Per Click” advertising is huge these days, and rightly so. Everyone searches when using the internet, whether it be Google or Yahoo or Microsoft’s Live Search. This integral feature of the Internet is provided free of charge because these companies get ad revenue from the simple text-based ads that appear along the side of the “organic” results,...
Read MoreWhy no flags, OWA?
First off: OWA is Outlook Web Access, the web-based version of Microsoft’s e-mail, calendar, and contact manager. Typically you use it when you’re away from your work computer but need to check your work e-mail (to learn the latest office gossip or which benefit the company is cutting next; that sort of thing). Today, I’m using as I work from home. Now, OWA is pretty cool,...
Read MoreNow Reading
Planned books:
None
Current books:
The Player of Games (Culture) by Iain M. Banks
Recent books:
- The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
- The Dragonriders of Pern by Anne McCaffrey
- House of Suns by Alastair Reynolds
- The Santaroga Barrier by Frank Herbert
- Stardust by Neil Gaiman