At Zilker Gardens

At Zilker Gardens

I found that my iPod was too difficult to use because I couldn’t distinguish where the center button was without having to look at it. I added a soft Afroken sticker to it, and it works great. Plus it looks silly!

This past weekend I was working in the yard planting a small tree, a blackberry plant, and some jasmine. It was pretty hot and I was getting really thirsty. I looked down at the garden hose I was using to water the jasmine, and that water coming out looked so cold, clear and inviting that I had to partake. It was like I was eight years old again, sneaking a drink from the hose while playing in the front yard. The taste was not good, but not bad either. Just tasted the same as it did ~25 years ago, and it was just as satisfying as I remembered it to be.

So, we are keeping a landline at the house since our security system requires it, but that thing has been ringing off the hook like crazy! No one should be using that # except the security company. But they will only call if the alarm is tripped. I just signed up at the Do Not Call Registry, so hopefully the ringing will stop… BTW, I hate SBC.

A couple of us downloaded Silk Road Online for the PC and tried it out, and it is surprisingly good! It’s a typical RPG, but it is set in Asia (Silk Road, get it?) and the model sets are all Chinese. You can choose from about 25 different character models, and then in the game there are different combat skills and magic skills you can learn. Of course, you gain XP by killing monsters and collecting their loot. One of the best things about the game is that it is totally free!!! The ~500MB client is downloadable from their website, or fileplanet, and there is no subscription fee. I don’t know what their business model is, but I’m not gonna spend too much time worrying about it.

The graphics are very well done, the overall atmosphere is immersive and the animation is for the most part smooth. I chose to use the “Zombie” character model above. She’s pretty cool because she floats around instead of running. She reminds me of my favorite HK actress [url=%%dir[1″>%%20060302_joeywong.jpg>Joey Wong in “A Chinese Ghost Story”. The game does get a bit laggy at times, especially at the start point, which is where the game begins and where your character is resurrected after he dies. Naturally, there are tons of people at that location, and many player vendors have set up shop there. The sound effects are pretty repetitive, and the volume controls are buggy, so I turned off the bg music. Overall, I am pretty impressed with this game. Oh, did I mention that it is free? 🙂

I’ve been enjoying listening to podcasts while on my work commute, and also viewing the video podcasts at home, usually in bed right before I nod off. Here’s a short list of my favorite Video podcasts I subscribe to. I’ll list some of the audio podcasts in a later post. Oh, if you know of any other good podcasts, let me know!

Channel Frederator – Lots of really cool animation.

TikiBar TV – Very funny podcast with a nice drink recipe after every episode.

GeekBrief – Cali Lewis hosts this show about the latest tech gadgets. I much prefer her to Amanda Cogdon from Rocketboom.

Hawaiian Tropic Models – Ok, I’m a guy. Sue me!

Movie Trailers – Keep on top of all the movies that are on the horizon.

Yamato Damacy – These two gaijin guys are great. Lots of interesting interviews from the streets of Japan. Funny stuff!

PodDiver – Scuba diving footage is always fun to watch.

TerraTV – Ok this is a podcast where you can really learn something about the world. From abalone to Native American issues, this is really interesting.

French Maid TV – Last, but certainly not least, it’s the French Maids. Only a couple episodes, but… wowza!!

I’ve been enjoying my new iPod for a couple weeks now, and figured I would write a little review… so on to the show!

Comparing the 5th Gen. iPod (2006) to the Creative Nomad Jukebox 3 (2002)

The iPod wins on these counts:

Display: The iPod display is great, with anti-aliased text for titles, and bright colors for the album covers. The videos look excellent as well. The Jukebox’s screen is tiny, and it’s just b&w lcd. Not really nice to look at.
Podcasts: iTunes makes it really easy to subscribe to and manage podcasts. If I wanted to listen to a podcast on the Jukebox, it would have to be an mp3, and I’d have to copy it over like any other song. Kind of a hassle. In fact, too much of a hassle to even get me to try to listen to any. Maybe there are apps that will make it easier, but I haven’t found them. With the iPod/iTunes, it’s right there in front of you.
Physical size: The iPod is tiny! It takes up hardly any space in my bag or jacket pocket. The Jukebox was big. Like a CD player, only thicker.
Storage size: 30GB for the iPod and 20GB for the Jukebox
Visual design: The iPod looks so cool. Slim, shiny and glassy. The Jukebox looks so “dasai”. (uncool) Bulky, dull and plasticky. No one would think to steal my Jukebox, though.
Video: the iPod’s got it, the Jukebox doesn’t. I love watching podcasts and videos while falling asleep in bed.

The Jukebox wins on these counts:

Controls: This is where the Jukebox scores big. Clunky old buttons with good feeback are a real good thing to have. The iPod’s slick wheelie thing is simply hard to use for precise control, like when you have to select something that is one “click” away, the wheel is a pain. For instance, changing a rating from 3 stars to 4 is harder than changing 3 stars to 5. The scroll wheel on the Jukebox is more precise and easier to control, since it is “stepped” scrolling. Plus, the Jukebox’s old-school buttons make it easy to operate without needing to look at it. And you know how much volume you are changing by the number of time you press the button. On the iPod, you need to look at the screen to know how much you had changed the volume. The iPod’s smooth wheel and button may look cool, but it makes it really hard to use without looking at it. Plus, it’s too sensitive. If I am reaching for it, it’s too easy to mistakenly change the volume by brushing the wheel with my finger. And if I don’t hit the button squarely, I will change the menu item right before the button gets pressed down, resulting in the iPod playing the podcast just below the one I wanted to hear. And I wish the big center button was a bit more distinct than the wheel.
Sound Quality: I never realized how good the Creative Nomad’s line-out 98dB signal-to-noise ratio quality was until I compared it to the iPod’s headphone out. The iPod sounds good, but it can’t touch the crystal-clear audio of the Jukebox’s dual line-out ports.

A toss-up:

Durability: The iPod feels very fragile. I guess that’s the tradeoff, though, and one that I will definitely go for. Smaller and lighter is better as far as a portable music player is concerned. However, the iPod scratches *way* too easily. Just brushing my thumb across it made a bunch of hairline scratches within the first few minutes of use.
Syncing/File Transfer: The iPod is more automated and user-friendly. The Jukebox software is more manual. Just depends on what kind of user/mood you are in. With 3rd party software, though, you can have a range of solutions for either one.

Whenever I drive past a Hooters, I always try to look in the window to see the waitresses. I can’t be the only one? Hmmm…