GeekLikeMe on your iPhone.
I've updated GeekLikeMe to display better on an iPhone for my fellow Mac nerdites out there. This version removes all content of the normal site and just shows the weekdaily links (this seems to be what everybody wants these days anyways).
Want to make an iPhone version of your own website? Here are some quick tips. First and most importantly, you need to check if your visitor/user happens to be on an iPhone to begin with. This requires that you check the user agent string accordingly. Being that I code in a Windows world I am going to show how to do this check in two lines of code via ASP:
httpagent = request.servervariables
("http_user_agent")
if instr(httpagent,"iPhone") > 0 then iPhone= "Yes"
See? Not hard at all. Then just modify your code accordingly to fit that condition. Yes, I'm sure there are much more efficient ways of checking the http user agent string but for a quick five minute update / verbose post - who really cares.
Special thanks to Tom of Optical Poptitude (which is an awesome blog that everyone should read daily) for giving me a heads up that this site was displaying not all that well on an iPhone.
Annoying Corporate Email Issue of the Day.
So I get an email that goes like this:
Dear Vincent,
I phoned you and left a voicemail regarding this issue. Please listen to it and email me back.
Thanks so much
Let's analyze this for a second; this is an email alerting me that a message has been left on an entirely different medium of communication. Doesn't this negate using the original mode of communication entirely? Why not bother to just take a second and type the issue in that very same email that that was used incorrectly to begin with?
For a list of other things about corporate email that bug me refer back to this now ancient verbose post:
The seven deadly sins of corporate email.
Drumming Around Craigslist.
Recently found on Craigslist: White Lobster Needs a Drummer For Rock Band - The Game, Bitchez!
I do not meet some of these requirements, particularly the one about doing lines while drumming.
A new verbose post? Really?
A semi-quick little update as to why I haven't posted much of anything to this section in recent weeks months. It can all be summed up pretty quickly actually. I moved, and I'm still on the hunt for a new place call my own. Combine that with other factors like work projects, adjusting to our new temporary residence, holidays, interest rates, the position of Venus in the third house (ok that was really dumb), etc etc. Basically, there a host of other reasons that would just bore you. But never fear dear readers, things are looking up.
I just recently purchased a brand new MacBook (daily grind readers already know this). But what's so special about this purchase? The fact that I can now run Windows on a Mac, that's what! I previously owned a PowerBook G4 (still do, it's just not getting much use anymore). Trouble was (and still is), by day I work in a Windows world as an ASP, ASP.net programmer / web developer. Having a PowerPC Mac just doesn't allow to run the kind of software I need to do any kind of work in my free time while say, commuting home from work or watching television (I like to multitask). And yes, I've heard of Mono, and no it couldn't work for what I need to do for job related tasks.
My new sweet little MacBook, which is both lighter and smaller than ye old fifteen inch PowerBook G4 of yore, is a great little machine. Plus, now I can get back to coding my nerdy ASP and SQL stuff whenever I want to. So basically, things should start happening around here soon. I'm cooking up some potential new features and designs as well as working on other projects that have been sorely neglected.
One project of mine that recently got some much needed development time in is reinformed.com. Basically this is a news aggregator for new york city real estate news. It pulls in a plethora of feeds from publications and blogs that are related to new developments, the market, agents, etc. As someone who actually works in the backend of this industry - it's a useful tool personally and professionally. Anyway, I just added some new sources and streamlined the code behind the scenes. Reinformed really requires only minimal upkeep and the site can basically run itself - and for that I am proud. Have a look, open to suggestions on how to improve it.
What's in the pipeline? Well, I really should get back to making some new comics for this site- another sorely neglected section of this site. There is also a project that was supposed to be included in this last iteration of GeekLikeMe that didn't make the final cut. It's going to be spun into it's own little project to see how it fares in the big wide world of web. More on that later when I have something more, uh, well coded to show.
One last note, going on a much needed vacation next week so links will be sparse. My superfluous linking skills will be back on schedule when I return.
McDonald's customers are a dedicated people.
"I'm sorry sir, we're not selling four piece packs of Chicken McNuggets at this location anymore."
The man then became irate, demanding why this particular Manhattan McDonald's location did not sell his particularly favorite item. He was so mad that he began cursing out the woman behind the counter who had a distinct 'what the fuck' look in her eyes.
"But it's still up on your menu up there," he pointed to the large legible line where the four piece item he wanted was clearly labeled. "I want four piece McNuggets!"
"I understand, but as of today we're not selling them anymore." replied the cashier.
More obscenities flew, people started to stare. "This is bullshit, I want my four piece. Why can I not have my four piece. I see you making them right there. Just give me a box of four and charge them to me." Followed by obscenity, obscenity, something I couldn't quite make out and another obscenity.
Right then the cashier decided to alert the irate customer of an astonishing fact.
"We still have the six piece McNuggets sir."
"Are they fried the same way? Do they taste the same?" the man questioned.
"Yes sir, there's just two more nuggets than the four piece."
"Alright then, I take one of them." he replied calmly.
I love people.