All Posts By

Chris

Some Random Things For a Friday

Posted on June 21, 2013

It’s Friday and I’m tired. It’s been a long week mostly spent dealing with contractors, painters and more that will hopefully lead to our house being in order in time to move in next Saturday.

I feel pretty good about the whole process, but it’s exhausting. Fortunately, I’m used to negotiating, so that’s not the problem. The problem is I just want it all to go well and being the fan of control that I am, it’s sometimes hard to rely on other people to do their jobs.

But in the end, all I can do is my best and with a little luck, it will all work out fine. Heck, I’ve produced movies with that kind of philosophy before and those involved a heck of a lot more problems and more money than I’m dealing with now, so I’m really not all that worried about it.

Still, it is exhausting all the same. More than I thought it would be. However, all things considered, I feel very fortunate to be able to have these kinds of problems. It could be far worse. Far worse indeed. Nope, life is good.

Moving on, here’s a few random videos and whatnot for a Friday. Happy Weekend. Try to remember to enjoy yourself.

[vimeo 67871488 w=560 h=315]

A film title designer’s tribute to Alfred Hitchcock

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tto-eTLXEH4?rel=0&w=560&h=315]

If you can’t handle milk and cookies, I feel sorry for you.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GFdn2TGx5VE?rel=0&w=560&h=420]

A remix by EclecticMethod from The Sopranos in honor of the dear, departed Mr. James Gandolfini. RIP sir.

Finally, here’s a handy info graphic that tells you all you need to know about the military alphabet. You’re welcome.

‘009ノ1: The End of the Beginning’ Looks Pretty Crazy

Posted on June 20, 2013

I’m a fan of movies from around the world, and this trailer for 009ノ1: The End of the Beginning is one reason why. Sure, it doesn’t have the high dollar production value of a Michael Bay “epic”, but it does have one important thing going for it: heart.

I know, I know, but I can tell these actors, and the rest of the team, are really having a great time here. And that, to me, is pretty important.

I think it makes for better, more entertaining, movies. Plus, I firmly believe loving what you do, and having a great time doing it, applies to pretty much all parts of life, not just work.

We’re all here a relatively short time so let’s try and not get so caught up in the BS and have a little fun along the way, okay? Good.

Turing back to the trailer, no, I can’t tell you what they’re saying or really, what the movie is about. I can tell you it’s based on a classic Manga from the late ’60s, early ’70s and that the movie is hitting Japan in September. Oh, and it has cyborg girls and other interesting bits too.

But all that doesn’t really matter at this point, does it? It just looks cool. Check it out below.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j1zDPd10YIg?rel=0&w=560&h=315]

I’m Undecided About ‘The LEGO Movie’, Here’s A Trailer Anyway

Posted on June 18, 2013

I loved, loved, loved LEGO as a kid (That’s a lot of love, I know). I’m pretty sure I’ve spent thousands of hours building things with those little multi-colored plastic bricks over the years.

I still have all of my sets too. They are currently in boxes in storage until H and I move into the new house. Then, I will be able to fully unpack all of my sets of bricks and marvel, once again, at the vastness of my empire.

That brings us, somewhat indirectly, to the upcoming LEGO movie. Yes, a LEGO movie. I don’t know about this. What do you think?

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lPnY2NjSjrg?rel=0]

Jon Snow’s 80’s Style Training Montage

Posted on June 17, 2013

Game of Thrones is a very popular and extremely well done show on HBO. But, of course, you already know that. But did you know that the ’80’s were a time when the movie training montage came into its own?

There’s lot of examples of ’80’s movies with great training montages like Rocky III, The Karate Kid and Breakin. Heck, even Scarface had a montage. Although, that one wasn’t so much about actual training — unless you count training to be a drug dealer. I do.

But what if you could combine Game of Thrones with an 80’s style training montage? What would that look like? Fortunately, we don’t have to wonder becuase someone on YouTube has already gone ahead and done it. Did you expect anything less?

So, without further delay, here’s Magooch86‘s Game of Thrones ’80’s style training montage featuring everyone’s favorite man of the Night’s Watch, Jon Snow.

That’s right, we’re gonna need a montage.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=npdARG8ffms?rel=0]

(h/t to Star Foster for the link)

A First Father’s Day

Posted on June 16, 2013

My father passed away several years ago and since that time I haven’t given as much thought to Father’s Day. On the day I do think about my father more than I normally do, but as he isn’t with me, I honor him in ways that don’t involve brunch or unattractive neckwear. I don’t think he would mind.

However, things are a bit different on this particular Father’s Day. What’s different? Well, in a nutshell, this is my first Father’s Day as a father. Yep.

Okay, in truth, my child hasn’t actually been born yet, but I think that’s a technicality. He’s in there cooking away, doing great and is due to arrive in early September. That is, if he stays on schedule.

Since he is my son, I know his sense of timing will be impeccable and I expect he will arrive exactly when he means to and not a second too soon, or too late. Just like his father. He also has my good looks, of course.

So, this Father’s Day is quite a bit more special than it normally would be. That’s not to take anything away from my own father. He was a complex guy who taught me a lot of things, not the least of which was to question everything and always strive to better myself. He was also one of the first people to believe in me, much like my mother, and for that I will always be grateful.

I wish my father and my son could meet, but they never will. All I can do is make sure he knows about his Grandfather and how much his hard work and wisdom meant to me over the years. My son will know. I’ll make sure of it.

But this particular post isn’t about the past. It’s about the future.

It’s about a future where I will, after long last, be a father. A future where I will experience the world through the eyes of someone to whom it’s all brand new.

I know it won’t be easy and I know it’s a huge responsibility. I also know it’s going to be one hell of a ride.

And I can’t wait for it to start.

Trouble Sleeping? It Could Be Your Gadgets

Posted on June 15, 2013

How are you sleeping? Do you have trouble? It could be your gadgets.

In truth, I don’t know if anything from the handy infographic below applies to me or not. I do know I frequently use my iPhone, or one of my other gadgets, in bed right before I try to fall asleep.

I also know that I used to be able to sleep very well and make it all the way through the night with no problem. Now, not so much. In fact, these days, I occasionally suffer from insomnia and can’t sleep much at all.

So I have to wonder, is it my gadgets? Maybe so. To find out, I’m going to try a little experiment.

For the next few weeks I’m going to make a conscious effort not to look at my iPhone, laptop or other backlit gadget in the hour or so before I try to fall asleep. That also means I’m going to have to switch back to the older Kindle, without the backlight, if I want to read any books. Or, I guess I could just read an actual book. That would probably work too.

It may be difficult at first, but I think I’m up to the challenge. I’ll let you know how it goes. Now, where did I put my glasses?

The History of the Superman ‘S’ Logo

Posted on June 13, 2013

In honor of Man of Steel, Zach Snyder’s take on Superman (which opens tonight at midnight), I thought it would be fun to take a look at the evolution of Superman’s “S” logo over the years. Fortunately, someone has already thought of the idea and created a handy infographic showing all of the logos since the character was first introduced in Action Comics #1 in 1938.

Yes, there’s a lot of them. And yes, I think they’ve gotten better over the years. Of course, I do have a special place for the one from 1978. That’s the one worn by Christopher Reeve in Richard Donner’s classic Superman, which I saw in the theater with my parents on opening weekend.

That’s the logo, and the movie, that made a young boy truly believe a man could fly. As cliche’ as that may sound today, after a heavy dose of Star Wars the year before and a whole host of other sci-fi, fantasy and comic book influences and input on a daily basis, I was ready to believe . . . And I did.

Let’s hope Snyder’s Man of Steel can work that same magic again on the much older and somewhat cynical (yet still a kid at heart) adult I’ve become. I don’t think it’s too late for me. I think there’s still a chance.

Because, dammit, I want to believe again.

Is ‘RWBY’ the Future of Animation?

Posted on June 12, 2013

Taking a break from all the iOS 7 hubbub, I came across this trailer for an upcoming animated series from the Rooster Teeth Network called RWBY. I think it looks pretty amazing, and it should.

The man behind it is none other than Monty Oum, whose work on Red vs. Blue: Revelation and Dead Fantasy pretty much defined what this kind of animation can be.

But don’t take my word for it, check out the RWBY trailer called “Black” right here. Is this the future of animation? It just may be.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ImKCt7BD4U4?rel=0]

The First 24 Hours With iOS 7

Posted on June 11, 2013

As promised, I’m back with more on Apple’s latest iOS offering, a “little” update known as iOS 7. Things started off a bit rough yesterday as I tried to get iOS 7 to install and activate on my test iPhone 5 (CDMA) in order to get to know it better. I was able to install the beta but then could not activate the phone. The result was, effectively, a bricked device.

Fortunately, I was able to boot the iPhone into DFU mode and revert to iOS 6. I actually ended up doing this twice due to trying alternative install methods using iTunes. One, the usual wipe and restore and the other an upgrade to iOS 7 over an existing install of iOS 6. Neither of these resulted in the iPhone going all the way through the activation process.

What finally ended up working was a wipe and restore using Apple’s development tool for iOS (and OS X) called Xcode. Using Xcode I was able to wipe and restore iOS 7 to the device and then, this time, the activation completed and I had a working iPhone. This was after several hours and went on into the night.

Consequently, I haven’t had a lot of time to get into the intricacies of the new OS. However, I did have a chance to play with it a little bit and following are my thoughts so far.

First (and this is a big one), I’m not sure I like the new look. Sure, the skeuomorphic aspects of iOS 6 are pretty dated and probably needed to go. I won’t miss the leather-bound elegance of the Calendar app or the simulated wood grain of iBooks. I’m just not sure iOS 7 is going in the right direction either.

In its present form, I find the font and lines around elements too thin and the colors too similar to be very distinct. In my several hours of use I’ve found myself clicking on the wrong thing or trying to slide something to the left or right that can’t actually be slid. Plus, the contrast between UI elements seems much more muted as well. When everything is flat and looks similar with similar colors and little contrast, it’s difficult to tell which elements can be interacted with and which can’t.

I find this especially true when using the new keyboard. A key with a thin black line around it over a light grey background is harder to hit, at least for me, than a key with a heavier line against a darker background. Contrast is good and not something to be scared of. Of course, more contrast makes things look less flat. I get that.

I also get that I’m not a designer, but I have participated in the design of many projects and supervised designers of various kinds over the years. I also know what I like and what I think looks good. And I’m not sure this color scheme and lack of contrast is it. Although, maybe it’s because I’ve haven’t spent much time with the Yahoo Weather app.

Yes, I know, Jony Ive is a genius and I can clearly see what he was going for with iOS 7. You only need to look at the man himself and see what his wardrobe looks like to know he’s not a fan of contrast. He prefers uniformity and order. And there’s nothing wrong with that. But that doesn’t mean his taste is the right taste for everyone. Some people might prefer things to be different. I might be one of those people.

As this is a beta, and an early one, many things also don’t work as expected or seem unfinished. This is especially true with a few apps I use regularly, like Gmail, that haven’t gotten the memo about using the new keyboard. Consequently, when you need a keyboard in the Gmail app, the old one pops up.

This is actually one of the ways I know I don’t like the new keyboard very much. I still have occasion to use the old one and find it much easier to type on than the new one. I’m also not a fan of the seemingly arbitrary change from lines to dots to show cell network signal strength. I didn’t mind lines. What’s wrong with lines? They were used quite a few other places in the new UI, why not for signal strength?

I’m also not sure why I now can’t double click on the home button to get a list of running apps, press and hold on one of the icons to get it to vibrate and then press the “X” to quit it. I’ve had more than a few apps crash on me so far and the old way to get them to work again was to make them stop running and then launch them again. Now, it’s all different.

The way you do it now is to double click on the home button to get thumbnails of the running apps. Then, you swipe the thumbnail upwards to close an app you want to quit. I was able to do it but I also found myself bringing up the control center from the bottom of the screen several times too. Maybe it’s just me, but it seems like a rather convoluted “new” way to accomplish a previously simple task.

On a positive note, I do like the new static wallpapers and that cool 3D-looking effect when you move the iPhone around. Plus, the motion wallpapers are kinda nice too. I’m using one right now, in fact. I don’t know what effect they will have on battery life but so far, somewhat surprisingly, I’m getting pretty much the same battery life as when the iPhone had iOS 6 installed on it. Let’s hope that continues.

With any massive change, there’s bound to be bumps and rough edges. None of my issues with iOS 7, at least so far, are hugely annoying, would prevent me from continuing to use it or make me switch to Android. Although, I’m entertaining that thought for other reasons. But that’s a subject for a future article (or two).

I’m sure as iOS 7 matures, many of the things that bother me about it will be addressed and corrected. At least I hope so.

Once I’ve had more time with iOS 7 I’ll bring you another exciting round of observations. I’m also going to be installing the new version of OS X, code named Mavericks. More on that later too.

Initial Thoughts on iOS 7 and Apple In General

Posted on June 10, 2013

Like many of you, I watched Apple’s WWDC keynote this morning with a great deal of interest. I was very curious what the next version of iOS, called iOS 7, would look like.

Well, now we know.

My first reaction on seeing iOS 7 was less dramatic than I thought it was going to be. I like the way it looks but I wasn’t “totally blown away” as I thought I might be.

That’s not to say iOS 7 isn’t nice to look at, it is. And in truth, I’m not exactly sure what I was expecting and/or hoping for. It’s just that I don’t think the look of iOS was really the big problem that needed solving. Flat icons and a thinner font don’t make things work better, it just makes things better looking (and that’s a matter of opinion too).

Of course, it’s hard to judge something I haven’t really had time to play with, so I’ll reserve any deeper analysis until I’ve had a chance to install and use iOS 7, which I’m going to do a bit later today.

One other thing I did want to mention about the WWDC keynote that bothered me was the bashing of other companies (especially Google) and the almost apologetic self-promotion by Apple. Let me put it another way: You don’t have to keep talking about how great you are, to be great you just make great products. People will figure it out.

Over the years I’ve managed companies and teams large and small and one thing I’ve always tried to remember is if you have to keep insisting you’re in charge, you really aren’t. The person in charge doesn’t have to say they’re in charge or prove anything, he or she just is.

It’s the same for Apple. The more Apple insist that they’re amazing innovators, the more they try to refute critics and the more they bash other companies, the less they look like a market leader and one of the most successful companies of all time. They just look desperate.

The more Apple tries to be like everyone else, the less special they become. There’s no reason to publicly acknowledge critics or paint rival companies in a bad light and there’s certainly no reason to make it more difficult/impossible for iOS users to choose which default search engine they want or what Maps app they want. That’s just dumb and, frankly, beneath a company like Apple.

Apple got where they are today by not doing things like everyone else. They should win by having the best ideas and the best products. Period. The rest just isn’t important.

Okay, enough of that. More on iOS 7 after I’ve had a chance to work with it a bit.

Older Posts

Newer Posts