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Monday, October 31, 2005

Apartment living
Apparently "we will be shutting off the heat and hot water for repairs" is some sort of code for "We will be cutting off your water completely. Ha ha ha." Our apartment's water supply is down to about half of a Brita container, so I'm getting out of here and going to class. Ugh.

If this were a space station, they'd cut off our air
Why was I not surprised when I left this morning that the elevator was out of service as well?

As of a few minutes ago, the elevator is running, but still no water.

Sunday, October 30, 2005

Huge Apple News
The RSS feed for the QuickTime trailers has been moved to http://images.apple.com/trailers/rss/newtrailers.rss

Just a friendly reminder
Blake has a blog too. Comments are encouraged.

Also, Blake seems to be obsessed with CARS.

Ughh
Bill: Did you see the blog entry downstairs?

(Referring to the sign informing us that the hot water and heat will be shut off tomorrow morning)

Super-possessive
Blake Mattern: have you seen my blog?
Michael Wyszomierski: yeah it is all halloweeny and taken over by kate
1:45 AM
Blake Mattern: well it's supposed to be all ONUy
Blake Mattern: lol
Michael Wyszomierski: whatever
Blake Mattern: i forgot about the whole halloween thing
Blake Mattern: that holiday feels like it's not here at all
Michael Wyszomierski: did you mean load of wash
Michael Wyszomierski: cause load of was doesn't make any sense
Blake Mattern: ah ****
Blake Mattern: don't comment on that
Blake Mattern: please
Blake Mattern: i mean, you can put this into the blog
Blake Mattern: your's I mean
Blake Mattern: but
Blake Mattern: bleep out the epxlitive
Michael Wyszomierski: i dont feel like blogging right now
Blake Mattern: you scuk
Michael Wyszomierski: even though you did use the super-possessive "your's"
Blake Mattern: suck
Blake Mattern: I haven't been in your blog in any shape or form much lately at all
Blake Mattern: well
Blake Mattern: I am super possessive

Friday, October 28, 2005

What it's like to work with Steve
Former Apple employee Mike Evangelist (anyone else find his name appropriate for such a company?) is writing a book called "Jobs I've Known" about his experiences at Apple. He has created a website called WritersBlockLive, on which he posts the book as it is written. When it is finished, he will be offering a printed version.

Since he worked on marketing video products such as Final Cut Pro and DVD Studio Pro, I am especially interested in what he has to say. Of course, I also want to know what it's like to work for Apple. And I'm looking for a job. And I'm getting really interested in marketing.

The title entry, Jobs I've Known, is about Steve, and worth a read. According Mike's FAQ, while Steve would rather not have the book written, he understands that "it's a free country."

Quote quote quote before I home home home
11:42:17 AM shkenblke2: i have to to to the store store store
11:42:33 AM shkenblke2: so i somehow typed to 3x w/o realizing it, so i just went with it
11:51:21 AM skierwysz: lol, and you missed a word, ted

Thursday, October 27, 2005

Stanford gets own iTunes Music Store
Stanford has its own iTunes Music Store. Very interesting. I wonder which, if any, schools will follow. This could be a good venue for music conservatories such as JHU's Peabody to distribute their music. It looks like everything is free right now, and I'm assuming that the lack of paid content is part of the deal.

With HTTPS and the phrase "StanfordPublic" in the URLs, it looks like it is set up to allow only Stanford affiliates to access some content.

One of the initial offerings is Steve Jobs' 2005 Stanford commencement speech.

I don't get it.
What's with girls and wearing snow boots before it's even Halloween?

Just so you know
My store is much easier to navigate now, although some of the products remain unsorted. More to come, so keep checking back.

Now, I'm gonna go study for my marketing class. This store seems like an application of what I've learned. I'm even going to try some buzz marketing with the Café B mug. It's almost like I'm doing... homework. Wow.

A call to action
It's not often that I want to watch a video clip on NBC.com or MSNBC.com, but when I do, I am infuriated by the fact that both of these sites require the viewer to use Microsoft Windows. There is no legitimate technical reason to restrict content this way, so I believe it's purely due to Microsoft's influence on NBC.

Every time I find myself wanting to view a clip on either of these sites, I send feedback to the offending site and tell them that I am unable to view the video with my Mac, which has all of the major multimedia players installed, including Windows Media Player, Flash, RealPlayer, and QuickTime. Sometimes I remind them that there is no reason for such a limitation, and that the obviously Microsoft-imposed restriction hurts their credibility as a news organization. However, I feel that ranting, or implying any sort of technical understanding may leave those messages more easily ignored. It's probably best to go with the "I'm an NBC viewer and I think your website is broken, because everyone else's works fine" approach.

I am only one person, so I'm sure that big old NBC won't make changes just for me. What the broadcast networks do care about is pure numbers. Leave niche audiences to cable. So, let's let numbers talk. If you're a Mac user, or even a non-Mac user who agrees that such an unnecessary OS requirement should be changed, please contact NBC or MSNBC and tell them that you can't watch their content on your non-Windows computer.

To contact NBC.com, email: webmaster@nbc.com

To contact MSNBC.com, you have a few options:
1. Click on the "Support" link in the lower right corner of the MSN Video window, and submit a request for support.
2. Click on the "Feedback" link in the lower right corner of the MSN Video window, and use the comments section to give your opinion. You probably want to go with "- -" for the "Usability" rating.
3. Fill out their general technical support form (choose "Audio/Video problem" in the "Subject" menu)
4. Email multimedia@msnbc.com.

Thanks for participating.

Wednesday, October 26, 2005

From my science homework:
Word that's not in OS X's spelling dictionary but is defined in Tiger's installed Oxford dictionary: seawater.

Ugh, one of my dreams just had a metaphor
Not in the spelling dictionary, but defined: megapixel.

"I just like zombies."
I have a very simple mind, and therefore I'm not a big fan of reading too much into anything. This is why I feel that English classes have "ruined" many books for me. Because of my (lack of) thinking, I always get a kick out of quotes like these:
LT: I would rather do something that I like and can take pride in, but will fund my side projects. Dentistry could afford me the luxury of doing crap like this all the time, and funding my friends' projects. I want to do zombie movies, personally.
BT: Right. Because the relationship of a zombie to the living is not too different than that of a geek to the rest of the world, so this might be a subject close to your heart. Zombies are terrifying, but in reality people are just reacting to themselves in an altered state, since we all have a little geek inside us. Is that close?
LT: I just like zombies.

Tuesday, October 25, 2005

Apple announces move to all-black product lineup
A Black Mac
In response to the overwhelming popularity of the black iPod products that began with the introduction of the iPod nano in September, Apple has announced that it will be switching to an all-black hardware lineup. "Black truly is is the new black," joked Apple CEO Steve Jobs at a press event on Wednesday as he showed off the first black Macs to be available in the U.S. since the Macintosh TV, which was discontinued in 1994. Apple enthusiasts may note that the later Performa 5420 was released in the U.K. with a black case.



Apple's upcoming black iMac. Image courtesy of Apple Computer, Inc.

According to Apple, the entire hardware lineup will move to black over the next year, replacing their white counterparts. The list of black product offerings confirmed by Apple is as follows: PowerMac, PowerBook, iMac, iBook, Mac mini, eMac, Xserve, Xserve RAID, Cinema Displays, Airport and Airport Express, iSight, and an iPod shuffle complete with black earbuds.

Easing the concerns of educators who are worried about the racial connotations of black vs. white hardware, Jobs promised an eMac lineup that will include both black and white models, as well as one that "looks Asian."

Availability
The first black Macs are expected to ship in 2006. While it is unusual for Apple to announce new hardware so far in advance, Apple explained that the early notice was given so that developers would have time to modify software if necessary, as they have been coding for white casing. As noted in previous reports, Apple is increasingly concerned about even the most trivial visual components of its products.

New Xcode
To aid developers in making the transition, Apple today released an update to Xcode (previously rumored under the lengthy and now-obvious code name "command-option-contol-8") that allows easy changes of white Mac icons to black.

Intel tie-in?
Industry experts speculate that the availability of the black Macs could be timed to coincide with the Intel transition, with the first "Macintel" models featuring slick black cases.

Beyond Hardware
Product packaging on the software line will also move to a completely black scheme, with iLife, iWork, Final Cut Express, and the .Mac retail box being the last products to undergo the revision.

Absolute Wyszdom v.Video on iTunes
The video edition of my podcast, optimized for the new iPods, is now listed in the iTunes Music Store. Check it out and let me know what you think. I'm open to suggestions for new episodes.

I would like to note that this listing came possible after an actual email dialogue with an Apple employee, who had mistakingly rejected the video edition at first, thinking it was a duplicate submission. Is it weird that I was surprised to be engaged in one-on-one communication with an actual person at the company?

Just to even things out
To avoid being criticized for only posting about Apple, this entry will not mention it outside of this sentence.

I like oranges and orange juice. I haven't had a fresh orange in a while. For some reason, I blame this on Baltimore. I'm going home next weekend and I'm looking forward to that.

Phew, that was hard.

Enough!
I gotta go learn. No more blogging until the afternoon.

Looking into the future
I recently had a pretty scary thought...

What if my kids read this someday? They'll think that Dad's crazy. And just imagine the blackmail material. They could threaten at any moment to bring up some weird entry from the archives when we have the boss over for dinner. Hmm, I guess I'll have to be my own boss.

If my kids are reading this, I guess I should say hello. Hi kids.

Even if I'm my own boss, this blog can still get me into trouble. What if one of them wants to go camp out for tickets to the *NSYNC Reunion Tour and I don't think it's a good idea to be on the street all night? I'll have to explain why it was alright when I waited for an Apple Store to open in Bethesda.

Oh, and school. Wow, my complaints will surely get me into trouble. In fact... hold on a second.

No! Please put that down. You know Daddy's Oscar is not a toy. Yes, Daddy's action figure is a toy. No, Daddy is not a doll. Yes, I see that Daddy is losing to the dinosaur.

Sorry about that. Anyway, my mom once told me that one day my kids would be complaining about school, and she would be able to tell them that I complained too, and then I'd be in real trouble. At least I didn't get my blog until college, otherwise the "Complaint" category would have even more anti-school rants. I just hope that they don't inherit my methods of organization.

Some people have to start watching what they say when their employers or families start reading, so I wonder if will take a proactive approach and...

Don't eat that!

Listen, I gotta go.

Monday, October 24, 2005

Apple NEWS ALERT
Apple has finally fixed its store selection page in the iTunes Music Store. The page now features the same number of international localizations in each of its three columns. Previously, the third column contained six stores while the first two each had seven, which Apple acknowledged as an "unsightly bug."




It appears that the bug has been fixed by adding Australia to the mix. Apple waited on the release of iTMS Australia due to problems with Sony BMG, but today launched without Sony's catalog, explaining that the "bug" was just "too hideous to leave unresolved."

Sunday, October 23, 2005

Another funny flash video
If you've ever been on the Internet, it can be safely assumed that you have seen two websites: Home of the Wysz and All your base. If this is true, you will be able to appreciate the significance of this. (From this site)

Saturday, October 22, 2005

Things to watch
This


This



and Episode 3 of this.

The Power of H.264
Episode 3 of my podcast features an interview with Brendan, a recent Mac switcher. You can download it by subscribing to my podcast. Even though we talked for a full 32 minutes, the entire movie file is only 44 megabytes, and that's with a 96 kbps stereo audio track. That's pretty good for a 320x240 video of that length, and the quality is more than acceptable. Brendan pointed out that the video could have been even smaller if the his screen saver wasn't running the whole time.

If you're thinking about switching to a Mac, or if you just like hearing a couple of geeks talk about technology, get it on your iPod and give it a listen.

From the show notes:
This one's pretty serious, folks. I promise next time I'll do something stupid like inhale pepper. The kids will love that. Here's what we covered:

- That 2004 Show
First episode: "October"

- Interview with a Switcher (Brendan Houle)
Q: Why did you consider a Mac?
A: It's UNIX.

Q: Why did you finally buy?
A: iBook came with everything he needed, at an affordable price.

Q: Was it easy to understand the product line?
A: What's the 12" PowerBook for?

Q: How did you order?
A: Apple Online Store with student discount

Q: Initial reactions?
A: It works!

Q: Mac's biggest advantage?
A: GarageBand and integration between applications.

Q: Any frustration?
A: Can't control system-driven JPEG compression.

Q: What are you glad to be free of?
A: Viruses and the Windows Registry

Q: What are your essential applications?
A: Mail, iCal, Safari, Dashboard (Weather, Stickies, iCal Events)

Q: Any advice for potential switchers?
A: Do it!

Q: Hard to live in a Windows-centric world?
A: Mac users will get through anything, and compatibility, especially with networking, is a non-issue on the Mac.

- Spotlight tip

- Tech News (Aperture, Open Office 2.0, PowerMacs, PowerBooks, HD)

- Podcast software

Bill pointed this out
Quote from a commercial for a TV show:
"You're a professor, not an FBI agent."

Name of the show:
Bones.

Friday, October 21, 2005

Sam he is not
There's this fellow student in my marketing class who looks like his name would be Sam, but it's not. For some reason, this bothers me.

Thursday, October 20, 2005

Apple II Music Video
Stuart Smith of Stewdio has created a music video featuring an Apple ][+ running a program written in Applesoft II. The appropriately geeky song is Jed's Other Poem (Beautiful Grand) by Grandaddy.

You can watch it here. The song has a pretty slow start, but keep watching as the visuals get more interesting. As far as I can tell, the song features a poem written by "Jeddy-3," a robotic character that the band sings about. The MacTV videocast has a high resolution version.

Umm, sorry about the link density.

Photoshop Tip
A common use of Photoshop is to remove the background from an image. If the image is to be composited with a different background, then it's important to completely erase all of the background, or un-erased areas may be visible when viewed on the new background's colors. Finding these areas can be tough even if you change to a contrasting background color, especially if the areas are only a pixel or two in size. Below is an image that I've been working with:




At first glance, it looks like the background is completely white, but I'm sure that I've missed a spot or two, especially since the original photo was taken against a white wall.




To find the edges of the layer (which has transparency), I turned on the Stroke layer effect.




I set a red stroke of 3 pixels, and look what I found:




With the stroke turned on, I simply went around with the eraser tool and got rid of all the red specks.

Hope this was useful. That'll be five bucks.

Hot Pockets Chicken Fajitas
My Hot Pockets "Chicken Fajita" pocket didn't have the cardboard thingy. I had to wrap it in a paper towel and guess the cooking time.

It's 3:33. That's the time of day. The cooking time was 3:27. The cooking duration was 2:01.

From the special guest of my next podcast:
tomorrow? there's an engineering picnic at 4:30, but i can probably do this around 5:30. anytime before then and you run the risk of me oversleeping.

Blogged? Yep.
11:40:14 PM skierwysz: sickos http://smashmyipod.com/
11:40:38 PM stowington: "hippocampal" is not in Microsoft Word's spelling dictionary
11:40:43 PM stowington: nor is it in ichat's
11:41:18 PM skierwysz: you should blog that
11:41:37 PM stowington: I just did
11:41:54 PM skierwysz: really? let me check my blog

Wednesday, October 19, 2005

Absolute Wyszdom in iTunes!
The audio-only edition of my podcast, Absolute Wyszdom, has been added to the iTunes Music Store. You can subscribe to the podcast via iTunes by clicking here. The video edition is not listed, as the Apple employee who reviewed my submission mistakingly thought I had submitted the same podcast twice. I may try resubmitting the video edition later.

Check your 'pod for a new episode this weekend.

Tuesday, October 18, 2005

Podcast P.S.
My reference to the police in the first episode had nothing to do with a bad experience. Just didn't want to give anyone the wrong idea.

My thoughts on Apple's "Aperture" (Oh, wow, and PowerMacs. What, PowerBooks, too?!)
Whoever does the voiceover for the Quick Tours needs to choose an accent and stick with it.

Seriously, though, the workflow makes sense and it looks like a pretty solid product (at least at first glance), especially for a 1.0 release. While Aperture is priced as a Photoshop-class product, it doesn't look like it's actually meant to be a direct replacement for the industry favorite. This is a major relief. Photoshop will probably remain king of manipulation (beyond touch-ups), while Aperture seems more suited for project management from acquisition to color correction to printing/publishing. In fact, the specs of Aperture claim "seamless Photoshop integration," so that should make everyone happy.

Another feature that will make frustrated iPhoto users happy is Aperture's willingness to abide by your folder structure.

You can pre-order Aperture on Amazon.com. Photoshop's over there as well. Make sure you check the system requirements first, as they're understandably demanding.

As for the hardware updates, I'm happy to see that the PowerMacs enjoyed a substantial boost in power without having to wait for the Intel transition. The specs look impressive, and I might be using my last student discount on a final generation PowerPC PowerMac, assuming that they're not all Intel next summer. Until now, I hadn't drooled over the specs of an Apple hardware offering since the introduction of the first PowerMac G5s. Finally, I can get excited about hardware power again.

As a video editor, I'm used to being primarily a desktop guy who needs loads of storage and multiple high resolution displays. Now that the PowerBooks feature higher resolution displays, I'm starting to seriously consider adding a portable to my arsenal. It would certainly make things a lot easier when I am not near my main computer and help my productivity.

I don't usually just spit back information about Apple announcements that are already covered extensively everywhere else, but this round brought more of a "this applies to me!" feeling than the usual "I don't need it, but I appreciate its coolness and the fact that it makes sense for others."

Now, Apple, take a break. No press events next week.

School again already?
Well, my one-day "Fall Break" so generously provided by Hopkins is coming to an end, so it's time for me to give you an update on all of those new additions I've been promising for HotW. Here we go:

RIDICULOUSLY LARGE Blue Bow Tie Episode 5.
Check it out. It even has a video! Carly is awesome.

Store!
As if the ads and affiliate links weren't enough, I'm now selling some of my own creations on Home of the Wysz. As of this writing, my store page is pretty weak, but when I get around to it I'll organize things a lot better and offer more items as well. Plenty of new products are in the pipeline; it just takes me a while to prepare and upload all of the images.

Podcast!
Yes, I finally got around to recording a podcast. It's not listed in the iTunes Music Store yet, but I'll let you know when it is. If you happen to find it in iTunes before I do, please let me know. I was going to wait for iTunes, but you kids have been so good lately, so I'm gonna go ahead and give you the super-secret links right now:

Absolute Wyszdom: http://homepage.mac.com/wysz/podcast.xml
Absolute Wyszdom v.Video: http://homepage.mac.com/wysz/podcastvideo.xml

To subscribe, open iTunes and choose Subscribe to Podcast... from the Advanced menu. Then, copy and paste the desired link from above into the URL box, and click OK. That's it. If you don't have one of the new video-capable iPods, subscribe to the regular version. However, if you do have one of the new iPods, go ahead and subscribe to v.Video as it's been optimized for your cool little toy.

Keep in mind that this is my first time podcasting and that I was too lazy to rent out good equipment, so the audio and video quality is very poor. It should get better as I become less lazy.

That's it for the update. I have to go to school in a few hours.

Quote that I made up
I'm caught in a web of lies.
And rope.
A web of rope and lies.

The 12 Hour Conversation
12:52:50 AM skierwysz: JOHN STOWE
12:53:04 AM stowington: THÉ WYSZ
12:53:37 AM skierwysz: you never gave me my "college" t-shirt
12:53:51 AM skierwysz: brendan said i was supposed to get one cause i ordered the credit cards
12:54:28 AM stowington: I have lots
12:54:33 AM skierwysz: well i want one
12:54:38 AM stowington: ok
1:11:00 AM stowington: I'll leave it at our secret drop location
1:11:20 AM stowington: you know, that place where you left the thing that time
John Stowe went away (1:12:20 AM)
1:12:34 AM skierwysz: ?
1:12:34 AM stowington: Auto-reply: quick snack then sleep.
1:12:52 AM stowington: or I can just keep it in my bag
1:13:00 AM skierwysz: ok
12:48:09 PM stowington: I will be at the gym between 4 and, oh, 5:30ish
12:48:18 PM stowington: if you would like to stop by and get your shirt
12:48:41 PM skierwysz: i may try to catch you as you enter around 4
12:48:50 PM stowington: ok
12:49:07 PM skierwysz: i will probably be on my way out of the gym at that point
12:50:20 PM stowington: so you're leaving now to do your three-hour weight routine?
12:51:02 PM skierwysz: yeah, tuesdays are my light day, usually i do a six-hour session
12:52:36 PM stowington: yeah, it's good to build in a rest
12:52:50 PM skierwysz: yep

Sunday, October 16, 2005

Sitting in the Food Court
Malls are the unofficial home of America's Troubled Youth.™

Saturday, October 15, 2005

iTunes Customer Reviews
Hey, let's let users post their own reviews! What could go wrong? It's not like they abused the iMix feature.

From the Wallace & Gromit soundtrack:


Click the image to view the full "review," which was obviously written as a joke. I think Apple needs to monitor these a bit more closely.

I was checking out the soundtrack because I saw the movie last night. It's definitely worth a trip to the theater. Make sure you're on time, as a Christmas season short featuring the penguins from Madagascar is shown right before the feature.

A Job?
Considering the amount of time I spend on Apple's website and the number of mistakes I find, I think there's a job for me at Apple. Check out this quote, direct from http://www.apple.com/jobs/college/
Step 1: Hear what recent grads have to say about werking at Apple.

I could werk there as a proofreader! Unless, of course, YOU want to hire me.

Friday, October 14, 2005

Coming this weekend...
Check back later this weekend for at least three updates to HotW, including:
1. Figure 1
2. A video from Delaware
3. Mugshot.

Can you figure out what these things are?


In other news, I accidently purchased and downloaded the season premiere of the second season of Lost. To make up for this mistake, I decided to download something I actually wanted, and purchased the Weapon of Choice music video. Why? Because Christopher Walken is cool, and Fatboy Slim is alright too.

Ugh, fine, I know I'm going overboard with the affiliate links. Let's see if I can make up for it:
Christopher Walken link that I don't get paid for
Weapon of Choice link that you don't pay for and I don't get paid for

I was going to link to ABC's "Lost" page but it had a really annoying Flash ad for a Disney credit card or something. Anyway, I'm off to watch either Wallace and Gromit or Domino, or both. In addition to these theatrical releases, my DVDs for this weekend include The Jerk, Stewie Griffin: The Untold Story, and Kung Fu Hustle, which is not the same as Kung Pow.

Get clicking.

Thursday, October 13, 2005

Humbling Moment of the Day
Professor [to me]: You're a freshman, right?

I don't know either
4:04:48 PM skierwysz: http://baltimore.craigslist.org/tlg/103916468.html
7:41:28 PM eightman1984: i don't know what is stranger, that such a post exists, or that you found it

Wednesday, October 12, 2005

Read what I read
In case you were wondering where I get most of my news, I've added an OPML file of my RSS subscriptions to the sidebar, under "Feeds." I've only left two feeds out of the file, both from Flickr. One shows comments on my photos and another shows comments on photos that I've commented on.

A news aggregator such as NetNewsWire (Mac) or FeedDemon (PC) should be able to import the OPML file I've provided.

For Sale!
Umm, if anyone wants an iPod photo with "Michael Wyszomierski" engraved on it, let me know.

Revised Trailers Page
Apple's Movie Trailers page has been updated with a new look, and you can also stay up-to-date with the latest trailers via their RSS feed.

Why not widescreen?
I'm not sure what everyone else thinks, but I think Apple should have gone widescreen for the iPod display and for the iTunes video downloads. Even though they're not selling feature-length movies (yet), most music videos are widescreen, and hit network TV shows, which are broadcast in HD, are widescreen as well.

The iMac has a widescreen display, so if Apple wants to encourage use of Front Row, they should sell widescreen versions of the videos, even though the low resolution downloads probably don't look great when viewed at full screen anyway.

I'm betting that Apple didn't go widescreen on the iPods because they wanted to keep the vertically oriented form factor of the iPod. Like cell phones, the iPod's vertical orientation provides the major advantage of one-handed thumb-driven operation. Try turning your iPod sideways. You can probably still use it with one hand, but it's certainly not as easy. Stuff like this keeps Jonathan Ive up at night.

Apple, I hope you can figure this one out by the time you start selling movies online. Overall, today's news is a great start, and obviously only the beginning of a new way to experience electronic media.

Mannheim Steamroller on iTunes
I've been requesting Mannheim Steamroller's Christmas music on iTunes ever since the iTunes Music Store was released, and finally some of their work has made it into the catalog. It's not Christmas music, but the availability of their Halloween: Monster Mix album at least shows us that they're not opposed to having at least some of their music in the iTunes Music Store. Hopefully the Christmas season will bring us more, although I already have most of their stuff on CD.

I also noticed that the iTMS now offers an Amazon.com-like recommendation feature (in Google-like "beta") called "Just For You" which suggests music based on your previous purchases. It seems to be pretty accurate, and suggested a few classic rock tracks that I haven't downloaded yet. The first song recommended for me was Whip It by Devo. Oddly enough, the recommendations work even when I'm not signed into my account.

Cool stuff from Apple
Apple introduced a bunch of cool stuff today, including video-capable iPods, iTunes 6 with videos you can purchase from the iTunes Music Store, and a new iMac with built-in iSight and a remote control.

Please note that you need to upgrade to QuickTime 7.0.3 in order to view the videos, including previews. The first video offerings are T.V. shows from ABC/Disney and shorts from Pixar, all just $1.99 each. One of the first shows available on the store is Season 2 of "Lost." Out of the Pixar shorts, my favorite is Geri's Game, which I first saw on a DVD of one of Pixar's feature films. It won an Oscar in 1998 for Best Animated Short.

Another new feature of the Music Store is the ability to give specific songs, albums, or playlists as gifts, rather than a monetary amount.

Tuesday, October 11, 2005

New iPod product
As reported earlier, I already know what Apple is going to announce tomorrow. I just wanted to see if any of you caught the mention of new iPod products that haven't been introduced yet. I'd give the exact quote, but it's still the live broadcast right now, so I can't go back.

Also, dry ice is cool.

More last-minute rumor mongering
Did anyone else notice how nervous whats-his-face got when talking about the estimated ship times of Intel-powered products... especially the possibility of them shipping early?

Apple Apple
In addition to the hints at new iPods during the conference call, and Think Secret's sudden change of predictions, there is yet another hint at something iPod-related coming to us tomorrow. As I've mentioned before, the lack of an early-morning (about 2 AM EST) Tuesday update to the iTunes Music Store usually means that they are waiting to implement changes to the store with an official announcement from Apple. The Tuesday updates traditionally bring new additions to the catalog, new free songs, and different featured artists.

I bet you're all gonna lose some sleep tonight wondering what Apple has come up with. Fortunately, I do not require sleep, nor do I wonder what Apple is going to do tomorrow, as I already know.

AtAT Back On The Air!
No promise of another episode today or tomorrow, but As the Apple Turns finally broadcasted a new episode yesterday, and is as entertaining as ever. If it somehow slipped off of your list of RSS feeds, put it back on.

Oh, and even Blake reads it. He mentioned it completely out of the blue tonight. Go figure.

From an October afternoon's dream:
"I need first aid."
- Me

Monday, October 10, 2005

Another stupid joke
Speaking of museums, when I was on Nantucket I saw a sign for a Life-Saving Museum. Considering the number of times museums had nearly bored me to death, I wondered how one could save a life.

Seriously, kids, just try hang in there until this weekend when I will update the site with some more fun stuff.

Affiliated!
Home of the Wysz is now part of the .Mac Affiliate Program! HotW is actually hosted on .Mac, so the fact that I use it should be reason enough to give it a try. Apple offers a free two month trial, so why not give it a shot and see if you like it?

If you have a website and want to become an affiliate like me, the iTunes and .Mac programs use LinkShare.com for their programs. Signing up is free, so there's nothing to lose.

In Color!
Sunday, October 09, 2005

HotW: Delivering Results since 2003
When Brendan helped me with an error on my Foolproof page, he asked that I promote the Vocal Chords concert in return. I did, and now they are the coolest kids in school. All thanks to the Wysz. I'm awesome.

Ugh, I have an exam tomorrow
I don't like exams.

Did I ever tell you kids about the time someone's alarm system was going off, so I pulled over? I felt like an idiot.

Every time I drive to Baltimore, I see a sign for a decoy museum. I wonder where the real one is.

Word that I totally just made up
Wallymunk.

Friday, October 07, 2005

Something I'm not a big fan of:
Light switches located outside of the room containing the associated lights.

Thursday, October 06, 2005

Wysz: "I know exactly what Apple is going to announce on Wednesday"
HOME OF THE WYSZ, INTERNET — Adding more even more fuel to the fire of speculation about Apple's October 12th press event and a liberal amount of grease to the Apple rumor mill, Wysz announced on his website, HotW, today that he knows what Apple will announce during Wednesday's event. Wysz insists that what he knows is "confirmed" and not rumor or speculation. His report was not welcomed by all, however, as Wysz says that he will not reveal Apple's secret plans before the event because he does not wish to "ruin the surprise." News agencies, industry analysts, and even the distinctly loyal subscribers of Wysz's blog (Wysz's Thoughts) were frustrated by Wysz's decision to keep quiet about what "one more thing" we'll all be talking about on Wednesday. Wysz replied to all requests for comments with the usual, "I'm awesome."

I need sleep.
Fun Fact: The first time I made this entry, I put it in the wrong category.

I started a few Facebook groups last night when I was up late doing homework. If you're at Hopkins, find them on my profile and join them.

You kids remember Automata?

Thnx, Blake
4:10:23 PM shkenblke2: check the blog
4:11:10 PM skierwysz: thanks for the credit
4:11:33 PM skierwysz: you are a responsible blogger, and adhere to our unwritten code of ethics
4:12:34 PM shkenblke2: your welcome
4:13:12 PM skierwysz: my welcome?
4:13:43 PM shkenblke2: you said thnx for the credit
4:13:49 PM skierwysz: never mind

Wednesday, October 05, 2005

Get Ted on DVD!
Sources indicate that Ted Skuchas, yes the Ted Skuchas, appears "numerous times" in the DVD of the May 2005 Cream concert in London, wearing a pink polo shirt and a Phillies hat. If you're a member of Ted's Tyrants, or if you know someone who is, this is a must-buy. And, if you happen to like the Cream's music as well, then you're in for a double-dose of fun and excitement.

Oh, guess what, kids? It's 11:11!

Apple Market Research
Anyone else get that Apple Software Survey from Apple? I tried to take it, and I keep getting an error message indicating that I supplied an incorrect password. The only password involved is in the link provided by Apple, so I'm not doing anything wrong. I'd ask for help, but technical support email address they give has no top-level domain.

I don't even know who it's from. The message opens with, "On behalf of Apple," as if it's from the third-party research firm, but it is signed by "Apple."

Looks like another Apple survey that's not quite ready for prime time.

FYI
I'm really busy with school right now, so that's why my updates are spotty and consist mainly of long and unedited AIM conversations. I just wanted to let you kids know that some new features are currently in development for HotW and should be launched later this month when things settle down, so stay tuned to my feed and get ready.

No, I don't know if it's a typo. You ask her.
6:35:51 PM skierwysz: GRE? that's some sort of education test right
6:36:00 PM televisionarie: yes
6:36:19 PM televisionarie: it's for smart people who use words like "dichotomy" and "exegesis"
6:36:44 PM skierwysz: and "sub-polar abomination"
6:36:57 PM televisionarie: i think you made that up
6:37:08 PM skierwysz: i think so too
6:37:15 PM televisionarie: you tried to trap me didn't you
6:37:23 PM skierwysz: you know what else i made up, that doesn't make any sense?
6:37:28 PM skierwysz: "tasteful racism"
6:37:29 PM televisionarie: tha tyou're awesome?
6:37:35 PM televisionarie: hahahahaha
6:38:17 PM skierwysz: so when i blog this, am i to use "televisionarie" or your real name, or a fake name, or what?
6:38:35 PM televisionarie: either televisionarie or my name
6:38:51 PM televisionarie: no "french person" or "whiney"
6:38:56 PM skierwysz: ugh fine
6:39:12 PM televisionarie: it could be the artist formerly known as buffyprep5

I figured that's what happened.
6:42:35 PM televisionarie: you were supposed to leave off the part where you ask me how i want to be blogged
6:42:44 PM televisionarie: and what's a typo
6:42:47 PM skierwysz: whoops
6:42:58 PM skierwysz: how is that part offensive to you?
6:43:02 PM televisionarie: i don' tknow
6:43:04 PM skierwysz: it is a legitimate conversation
6:43:10 PM televisionarie: i just felt like i should take offense
6:43:20 PM skierwysz: hence your nickname whiney
6:43:30 PM televisionarie: what's the typo?
6:43:54 PM skierwysz: so i'm guessing it's not a typo
6:44:03 PM televisionarie: what is?
6:44:11 PM televisionarie: the "tha tyou're awesome thing?
6:44:16 PM skierwysz: no your name
6:44:33 PM televisionarie: you mean having ie at the end instead of y
6:44:35 PM televisionarie: ?
6:44:39 PM skierwysz: yes
6:44:48 PM televisionarie: oh, well televisionary was taken
6:44:52 PM televisionarie: so i french-ified it
6:45:15 PM skierwysz: ugh i hate that you have a plausible explanation
6:45:29 PM televisionarie: i think you need to blog the explanation

Obsessive reader
6:49:06 PM skierwysz: blogged
6:49:17 PM televisionarie: ah
6:49:17 PM skierwysz: how many times did you reload looking for the update?
6:49:51 PM televisionarie: what?
6:50:08 PM skierwysz: how many times did you reload my blog looking to see if i posted the explanation
6:50:23 PM televisionarie: that's such a weird question to ask
6:50:30 PM skierwysz: ANSWER IT
6:50:40 PM televisionarie: why?
6:50:52 PM televisionarie: and your link just takes me to the itunes store
6:50:56 PM televisionarie: it doesn't take me to a song
6:51:10 PM skierwysz: it will in a few minutes, linkshare has to update
6:51:14 PM televisionarie: oh
6:51:26 PM skierwysz: your unwillingness to answer indicates that it was an embarrassingly high number
6:51:47 PM televisionarie: i don' tknow...maybe twice?
6:51:54 PM televisionarie: i just think it's a weird question
6:51:57 PM skierwysz: don't lie. i can track these things
6:52:06 PM televisionarie: three times?
6:52:08 PM televisionarie: i wasn't counting
6:52:11 PM televisionarie: why don't you count for me
6:52:25 PM televisionarie: maybe i just kept hitting the button
6:52:27 PM televisionarie: i don't know
6:52:32 PM skierwysz: hahaha
6:52:40 PM televisionarie: only crazies pay attention to stuff like that
6:52:50 PM skierwysz: and the number goes from two to "just kept hitting the button"
6:52:58 PM televisionarie: it's not like that

Wysz's sources revealed!
12:28:02 AM shkenblke2: hey, you need to give me cred on your blog for telling you about ted
12:28:52 AM shkenblke2: and i see that my move isnt important either
12:28:55 AM shkenblke2: harumph

Tuesday, October 04, 2005

Note to self: Take picture of Überbinder.
Turns out the "beeping" was actually my armrest creaking. I should probably get some sleep.

Two other words that aren't in Tiger's spelling dictionary but are defined in Dictionary:
• Mousepad
• Cami

Wysz: At least as smart as a four year-old
Today in one of my classes, the professor showed us a question that "even a four year-old" would find unambiguous and easy to answer. The girl he called on answered it incorrectly, and then so did the professor himself. I knew the correct answer immediately. I'm awesome.

Monday, October 03, 2005

Re: The title of my previous entry
Yes, there is a website out there for everything.

8th @ 8
The Johns Hopkins University's most suspendered a cappella group, the Vocal Chords, is having a performance during Family Weekend at the University. It's on Friday Saturday, October 8th in Shriver Hall at 8:00 p.m., and everyone who reads this is required to attend, except for the Wysz, who will be at home with his family. It his way of celebrating Family Weekend. Wysz has only spent one weekend in Baltimore this semester.

Also, Wysz's computer keeps beeping so he's gonna go ahead and restart it rather than find the source of the sound.

Attention Geeks: The Wysz needs your expertise!
If you can make this page display properly in IE for Windows while still retaining its current compatibility with Safari, Firefox, and Opera on Mac OS X, please send me a working version of the HTML file. I do not want the QuickTime files to be changed unless they are causing the problem. A screenshot of the page's correct (desired) appearance is here.

Right now, at least on my roommate's computer, IE is not displaying the video properly, as it has cropped the sides. If you are using IE for Windows and do not have this problem, please let me know. Also, I'd like to know if the problem occurs in Firefox.

If you help me out, I'll link to your site or mention your name or something. Thanks.

Update 10-4-2005:
Brendan Houle of the Johns Hopkins Vocal Chords a cappella group informed me that I had the width and height values swapped in the object tag. The page should now display correctly in IE for Windows. In return for his help, I am advertising the next performance of the JHU Vocal Chords: A Family Weekend performance!

Friday, October 8th at 8 p.m.
Shriver Hall
Be there!

Update 10-5-2005:
Friday, October 8th has been moved to Saturday. The Vocal Chords, an a cappella group at Johns Hopkins, apologize for any inconvenience.

Away message of the day (Christine)
3 guesses and the first 2 dont count

p.s. if anyone(in san diego) has a rasta hat or dreadlocks, and/or an inflatable doll please let me know!! thanks

Classic Mac Geekery
11:10:25 PM skierwysz: mr. john stowington
11:10:53 PM mrjohnstowington: mr. mike wyszington
11:11:00 PM skierwysz: do you have IE on your computer
11:11:11 PM mrjohnstowington: unfortunately yes
11:11:27 PM skierwysz: could you tell me if this displays properly http://homepage.mac.com/wysz/foolproof.html
11:13:18 PM mrjohnstowington: looks the same as firefox
11:13:58 PM skierwysz: ok
11:14:01 PM skierwysz: thanks
11:14:27 PM mrjohnstowington: but with a funny aftertaste
11:14:33 PM mrjohnstowington: it's sort of....
11:14:36 PM mrjohnstowington: redmondy
11:15:13 PM skierwysz: haha you are such a nerd
11:15:28 PM skierwysz: i am going to start a podcast for the sole purpose of using the sosumi joke
11:15:41 PM mrjohnstowington: ok well you win the nerd award then
11:17:02 PM skierwysz: wow i didn't know sosumi was still installed
11:17:09 PM skierwysz: i thought i was going to have to download it
11:18:21 PM skierwysz: i think they stole the "morse" sound from an old game called "spin doctor"
11:18:58 PM mrjohnstowington: I think it's sad that you can make that connection
11:19:54 PM skierwysz: i think "pop" was on that game as well
11:26:34 PM skierwysz: i think i found it... downloading
11:27:10 PM skierwysz: launching classic for the first time in months...
11:27:37 PM skierwysz: setting display to 256 colors or grays...
11:28:33 PM skierwysz: well at the registration screen i can confirm the existence of "pop"
11:28:49 PM skierwysz: wait no, that was just the alert sound
11:29:39 PM mrjohnstowington: aw after all that buildup
11:30:14 PM skierwysz: i'm still googling
11:30:38 PM skierwysz: i still have it at home on my performa
11:32:15 PM skierwysz: well we know what i'll be doing when i go home this weekend

Sunday, October 02, 2005

Listen, kids, I need your help.
There is a song that is composed only of a single loop (instrumental, I believe) that starts really slow, and gets faster and faster throughout the duration of the song. As the speed increases, so does the pitch. Name that tune, and tell me what it is. Thanks.

Sister & Friends: We know all of your songs. Singer: I do too.
Woman in front of me at store: Do you have any Maine quarters?
Cashier: I don't know. I'll check. [She checks.] Here, I found one.
Woman: Thanks, they're the hardest to find. Do you have any others?

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