FSJ on iPhone vs Android

Posted on by georgefattell

Dan Lyons (aka Fake Steve Jobs) provides some interesting thoughts on the smartphone battle taking between Apple and Google in his most recent post on the FSJ Blog here….We Do Not Care About Android

Money quote:

It cracks me up when people say we’re doing the same thing in mobile that we did in personal computers and how this is some colossal mistake and somehow, apparently, everybody at Apple is just so stupid or blind that we can’t see that we’re doing this all over again even though everyone else in the world can see it and how can this be happening and oh my goodness isn’t it awful?

But what would you suggest we do? License iOS to HTC and Samsung and Motorola and everyone else, and then hire a zillion support engineers to mop up every mess they make with all their Frankenstein monster hardware designs?

Friends, listen up. We know what we’re doing. We’re doing it on purpose. We don’t need to be the biggest. Is Porsche the biggest? Or Mercedes? Or BMW? No, and they don’t want to be. Neither do we.

In three years, maybe less, Android will be way bigger than us. And we’ll have the better business.

Software – Camtasia

Posted on by georgefattell

I recently purchased Camtasia for Mac in order to make videos which capture what I am looking at on my computer screen(s). My initial opinion of this software is very positive and I think it is well worth the $99.00 TechSmith charges for the Mac version. I’m still learning how to use it, but seems to be fairly user-friendly. I hope to be posting videos made with Camtasia on this blog in the near future.

I recommend this product.

UFC 117

Posted on by georgefattell

The UFC event tonight looks like it will have a great card from top to bottom. Kudos to UFC President Dana White and his organization for providing some excitement in the sports world at what is normally a very slow time of year for sports fans in America (I’m sorry, mid season baseball isn’t exactly riveting).

Tonights fights are tough to pick too because of the competitive nature of the fighters and the style contrasts in some cases. I’m going to pick three of televised fights:

Silva vs Sonnen: I think Anderson Silva will win by KO or TKO by the third round.

Fitch vs Alves: Fitch by unanimous decision.

Dos Santos vs Nelson: I think Dos Santos wins by KO/TKO in second round.

Just for the record I am rooting for Chael Sonnen and Big Country Nelson to win, but my picks above reflect who I think will prevail and not who I want to win. That said, I do think that both Sonnen and Nelson have legitimate outside shots to win their fights. Both are very skilled and are capable of upsetting in my opinion.

UFC on Versus 2

Posted on by georgefattell

The UFC comes to San Diego!! I attended the weigh in event at the San Diego Sports Arena, which is where the fights will take place tomorrow, August 1st. It was fun to see the weigh in in person, with the show that the UFC puts on for these things. The blaring music, the dramatic introductions and the tense stare downs. Dana White was in attendance of course and he seemed to really enjoy all the attention he got from the fans who lined up for pictures and autographs with him after the weigh in’s concluded.

The Main Event features a fight between two very tough light heavy weights, Jon “Bones” Jones vs Vladimir “The Janitor” Matyushenko. This is a classic battle which pits a rising young star in Jones (10-1) against the wily veteran in Matyushenko (29-4). Jones is favored, but I expect him to be challenged in this fight. I’m picking Jones to win, but I think he could lose this fight. Matyushenko did not seem intimidated at all by Jones at the weight in. The guy was a former wrestling champ in Russia, and has been involved in mma since the mid 90’s. At 39, he has seen it all. We’ll have to see if Jones’s superior athletic ability just enables him to dominate in the same manner that he has against most of his previous opponents.

Jones by decision.

Comic-Con 2010

Posted on by georgefattell

Comic Con 2010 is winding up and the event seems to get more popular every year. I did not attend convention this year because I waited too long to purchase a pass online. I attempted to buy my pass 3 or 4 months ago and CC was sold out even then. So, lesson learned, I’m going to have buy a pass for next year soon. However, since I live about 12 blocks from the convention center I went down to the Gas Lamp Quarter to see what was going on outside the convention center and found that the entire area was overrun with Comic-Con attendees. The people watching alone was fun because of all the colorful costumes that Comic-Con people were parading around in.

In it’s forty years of existence Comic-Con has morphed into something much, much bigger than just an event about comics. It now encompasses all forms art and entertainment related to sci fi, fantasy and adventure. It also attracts an ever increasing number of A list Hollywood stars and directors out to promote their latest projects.

This year three of the major hotels surrounding the convention center were converted into giant billboards, such as sign above for Skyline, which was placed on the exterior of the Marriott.

iPhone 4

Posted on by georgefattell

Well, in view of the problems that have developed with the iPhone I’m glad I didn’t go out and pick up an iPhone 4 as soon as it went on sale. I’m an early technology adopter and I’ve been a huge fan of Apple products going back to the 80’s , but I usually wait a few weeks, if not a few months to see how new products perform before I go out and buy one. I’ve played with the iPhone 4 at my local Apple Store on a few occasions and was very impressed. It is very cool and definitely superior to my iPhone GS in a variety of ways, but I like my GS and it will due until Apple works out the bugs on the 4. I’m also inclined to wait until a Verizon iPhone is available before I make next iPhone choice. I haven’t had any serious problems with AT&T, but I want to see what Verizon will have to offer.