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We've got a lot of explaining to do this week, and Glenn Fleishman is primarily responsible. First he looks deeply at the 3G iPad's service plans from AT&T, and after that, he examines the whole Apple/Adobe tiff over Flash, explaining just what the fuss is all about. And if that weren't enough, he shares a simple solution to your iPad's screen going dark outside. Not to be left out, Adam weighs in to announce the new TidBITS Facebook page and our latest ebook, the essential "Take Control of Permissions in Snow Leopard." Adam also looks at BBEdit 9.5 and interviews the winner of our 20th anniversary drawing. Notable software releases this week include Fetch 5.6, TypeIt4Me 5.0, iStat Menus 3.0.1, Transmit 4.0, iTunes 9.1.1, PDFpen 4.6.2 and PDFpenPro 4.6.2, and Digital Camera Raw Compatibility Update 3.2.
TidBITS Now on Facebook Thanks to dlvr.it
After significant effort, we're pleased to announce the opening of the TidBITS Facebook page. It's nothing fancy, largely because there isn't much fancy that can be done on Facebook. Nonetheless, if you click the Like button at the top of the page, you'll see our headlines and article summaries interspersed with the rest of your news feed items. Click a headline link and you'll pop over to the full article on our site. It's simple, yet effective, and if you enjoy using Facebook to keep up on what's happening, I encourage you to connect with TidBITS via the Like button.
You can also leave comments on any post, click the Like link for a post if you liked it, and use the Share link to share it with your Facebook friends. We'd prefer if you left comments on our site using the TidBITS Commenting System, so they're linked with articles and so we can more easily reply, but we'll try to check in on the TidBITS page to respond to comments as appropriate.
Setup Tribulations — If you're interested in what we went through to get this set up, the problems fell into two basic categories: accessing our RSS feed and creating reasonable graphics.
Although there are a lot of Facebook apps that promise to bring an RSS feed into Facebook, most of them didn't work with a fan page (now called a business page) when I started this project. The process of accessing a Facebook app, configuring it with appropriate RSS information and Facebook permissions, and then waiting for our RSS feed to update so I could see if it worked was slow, awkward, and incredibly frustrating.
Eventually I came across dlvr.it, a Web site and Facebook app designed to publish RSS feeds to social networking services, including Twitter and Facebook. I first switched the TidBITS Twitter account to use dlvr.it instead of the Twitterfeed service we had been using but which had suffered some growing pains. When that worked out well, I started trying to use dlvr.it to feed TidBITS headlines and summaries to my newly created TidBITS Facebook page.
That was more problematic, but dlvr.it's extremely responsive technical support helped with a few troublesome areas (most of which were Facebook's fault, or the result of Facebook's nearly impenetrable interface for setting up business pages), and eventually I got the feed importing properly.
Unfortunately, it was ugly as sin. Initially, dlvr.it grabbed a random graphic from our pages (usually the QR code; see "Tag, You're in 2D!," 1 October 2009) to use as the post's thumbnail, which appeared next to the profile thumbnail for each post. Luckily, a few weeks ago, an update to dlvr.it gave me additional control over thumbnails on Facebook, so I was able to eliminate per-post thumbnails, leaving just the profile thumbnail (click Older Posts at the bottom of the TidBITS Facebook page to see examples of this ugly thumbnail duplication).
But our problems weren't over yet. I had tried to use our standard TidBITS logo for the Facebook page's profile picture, but Facebook really wants a square image there, to the extent that it trims rectangular profile pictures into squares when displaying them as thumbnails (I could never find any specs on image sizes or aspect ratios). After many attempts, we finally gave up on our standard logo entirely and created a square logo that worked for both the large profile picture and the truncated thumbnails.
Regardless of this fuss, everything seems to be working well now, and dlvr.it even reports click-through stats for each social networking service and for each item (currently quite low for Facebook, since so few people know about it now). So if you're interested in setting up a Facebook business page and populating it at least in part from your RSS feed, I highly recommend dlvr.it.
New Take Control Ebook Explains Permissions in Snow Leopard
If you like to go under the hood of Mac OS X, or if you've been forced to by quirky problems, check out our latest ebook, freshly revised for Snow Leopard: "Take Control of Permissions in Snow Leopard." Written by Unix guru and Mac aficionado Brian Tanaka (and edited by Geoff Duncan), the 91-page ebook mixes practical how-to details and troubleshooting tips with just the right amount of theory as it explains permissions in relation to how you keep your files private, copy files to and from servers effectively, set the Ignore Permissions option for external disks, repair default permissions, and delete those files that just won't die.
For those who want to learn advanced concepts, the $10 ebook delves into topics like the sticky bit, symbolic versus absolute ways to set permissions, and how to work with bit masks. Of course, Brian looks at what's new with permissions in Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard, including the increased use of access control lists, changes to the way umask works, and which permissions a copied file ends up with.
Don't worry if you're not accustomed to using the Unix command line in Terminal, since Brian provides clear instructions for that, along with how to manage permissions from the Finder's Get Info and Inspector windows, and with a third-party utility, FileXaminer. (And of course, if you do want to become more familiar with the command line, we strongly recommend Joe Kissell's "Take Control of the Mac Command Line with Terminal," which provides a friendly and thorough introduction.)
The iPad's Polarizing Effect
I thought the universe, in the form of Apple products, was playing a nasty trick on me. A new MacBook Pro's hard drive had failed, and on my way to a Genius Bar appointment at the nearby Apple Store, I had to reboot my iPhone to get it to play over my car stereo. When I arrived outside the store, I tried to fire up my iPad, and the screen was blank. Nothing I tried could start or restart it.
I figured that the battery must have discharged. I went into the Apple Store to see if I could plug it in to a computer, and while a cast member – er, associate – went off to find a cable, I tried the iPad, and it woke up just fine.
I apologized, went back outside, and the iPad didn't work again. Then it struck me: my sunglasses. I removed them, and the iPad was, of course, just fine. The polarized sunglasses I was wearing had performed a neat trick.
This effect shouldn't have surprised me. I had noticed it in the past with my iPhone 3GS while testing over a dozen GPS apps for a Macworld review. If the iPhone was in portrait orientation, I could see it just fine with my sunglasses on; when I rotated to test the apps in landscape mode, the screen became nearly black.
Studying up on this, I found that LCDs rely on two perpendicular polarized filters with liquid crystal (and other things) in between the filters. The liquid crystal changes the light's polarization, essentially canceling the perpendicular effect that would block transmission.
I've never noticed this with other LCD monitors or screens, but that's likely because the vast majority of the time I'm using a device without sunglasses, or, if outdoors, using the device in a particular orientation.
The iPad's top polarizing filter is obviously rotated 90 degrees from the one used in the iPhone. In portrait mode, the screen is nearly black; in landscape mode, it appears normal. The photos were taken through the sunglasses I was wearing.
If this happens to you, don't fear for your sanity; just take off your sunglasses. The future's so bright, you gotta doff shades.
InterviewBITS with John Miller
As you may know, we're legally required to announce the winners of any of our drawings, which we normally spice up by offering a discount on the product being given away for those who didn't win. For the drawing we ran to celebrate the 20th anniversary of TidBITS (see "TidBITS Celebrates 20 Years of Internet Publication," 19 April 2010), I wanted to do something a little different and introduce you to the winner, John Miller of Fairbanks, Alaska, a retired research institute project manager.
Adam: Congratulations on winning our prize, John! First off, what do you think you'll get with the $200?
John: I'm waiting for Apple to release a new version of the iPod touch, assuming it does have significant improvements, or the new iPhone, which certainly will have improvements.
Adam: In that case, I'll send you a general Apple Gift Card for $200, and you can use it on whichever device most catches your fancy. Remember to engrave it with "From TidBITS"! On to the interview… How long have you been using the Mac?
John: I've been a Mac user since 1984. After hearing about the new Mac in the media, I checked out the 128K Mac at a local Apple dealer. That fall I bought the 512K Mac to use at work, and I've never looked back.
Adam: So you were able to use the Mac at work, even back in 1984? That's impressive.
John: Although I've been retired since 1995, before that I was a project manager at a research institute at the University of Alaska Fairbanks.
Adam: Were you able to introduce Macs into the rest of your department?
John: Oh yes, since I had purchasing authority. One by one I bought a Mac for each member of the project. Over the years we bought the Mac Plus, SE/30, Mac II, IIcx, IIci, IIfx, and the PowerBook Duo 230 with its ponderous dock, as they became available.
Adam: Was the PowerBook Duo 230 your first portable? We had a PowerBook 100 before that, but Tonya adored her Duo 230 for a number of years in the early 1990s.
John: Now that I think of it, no. I do remember lugging a 17-pound Mac Plus in a shoulder harness from one terminal to another in O'Hare Airport on an extended business trip. That was how important a Mac was to the work we did. Yes, it did fit in an overhead bin. Later on, but before the Duo 230, we used an Outbound Laptop, which required ROMs from an older Mac. It was a quarter the size and half the weight of the Mac Plus, but the screen and battery life were not impressive.
Adam: How about networking? Did you network all your Macs?
John: Absolutely, and the productivity boost from using our own networked AppleTalk printers was astounding. They eliminated waiting as long as overnight for a print job from the mainframe line printer six floors below. We also didn't have to submit drafts to the word processing center and wait in line for their output to edit, resubmit, etc. (To be fair, they were a pretty efficient and helpful bunch. And in due course they switched almost entirely to Macs, too.)
Since our AppleTalk network operated independently of the mainframe network, we had flexibility to add or remove machines by our own choices and timing. Not being connected to the mainframe network also meant we also could make software choices and installations independently, limited only by our budget. The IT folks weren't even aware of our independent AppleTalk network for some time, but they deserve credit for not interfering when they did learn of it.
Adam: Did Macs spread out from your department?
John: Yes, as time went by, other project leaders caught on and soon Macs were sprouting up on every floor, for which I had no direct influence.
Adam: How about at home? What's your current Mac, and what did it replace?
John: I currently do a lot of what I call research and writing on a 2008 Mac Pro, which replaced a Power Mac G3 that I keep meaning to get rid of but never do. Before that, I used a Quadra 660AV. And going even further back, before the Macs, at home I was heavily into the Apple /// and its 5 MB ProFile external hard disk. It was such fun running Catalyst, the first app switcher, and a premiere word processor called WordJuggler. I was mad at Steve for axing the ///, and I never experienced any of the problems the media reported on with loose chips.
Adam: What about the rest of your family? Were you a lone Mac user in a sea of PC users, or has everyone ended up with Macs as well?
John: Definitely the latter. My wife has her own 2008 21-inch iMac, and we travel with an old 17-inch PowerBook G4 that's on its last legs. Before that, our laptop was a PowerBook G3 (Wallstreet), which was one of the best-designed laptops, in my biased opinion, since the Duo 230. It, too, is still limping along, and I've yet to dispose of it.
Somewhere along the line I was responsible for helping my daughter procure a Bondi Blue iMac, then later a 2007 20-inch iMac. I also helped my sister get an early eMac, and later a Mac mini. And although my granddaughter used a Performa 630 in college, she later married a Windows guy.
Adam: How long have you been reading TidBITS?
John: As far as I can tell, sometime in the early 1990s. I do not recall who introduced me, but probably a colleague on one of the early nets. I was hooked from the beginning.
Adam: I'm particularly glad to know that our prizewinner is a long-time fan. Your comment in email to me upon reading about our anniversary was most kind. You wrote, "You use the language so well – the prose sometimes seems intrinsically poetic. Even if your topics weren't something dear to my heart, it might be tempting to read your articles for their sheer pleasure to the mind."
John: Entirely deserved. I also appreciate TidBITS's reviews of new software and hardware, and coverage of happenings in the Mac world, along with announcements of new Take Control books.
Adam: Holy cow, I see that you've bought 79 Take Control ebooks over the years too. Thanks for such loyal support. Is there anything you think we can do better?
John: I appreciate the moderation in TidBITS Talk, but I'd say that the moderators could cut off threads after the postings cease to provide useful information on the original topic.
Adam: Suggestion taken, and in the interests of following that advice, I'll end the interview here as well. I appreciate your years of support for both TidBITS and Take Control, and I hope you enjoy your upcoming iPhone or iPod touch.
BBEdit 9.5 Enhances Searching, Attachability, Archive Browsing
Bare Bones Software has released the latest version of the long-standing text editor BBEdit, adding just a few new user-facing features but making many small refinements.
Most notable among BBEdit 9.5's changes is the addition of a Live Search bar that appears at the top of the editing window when you choose Search > Live Search (or press Command-Option-F). It looks and works much like the in-page search field in Safari, presenting a search field and highlighting all matches as you type. It also shows the number of matches and a pair of arrows that step the actual text selection forward and back through the matches (Return and Shift-Return also step through matches). Live searches are always literal and case-insensitive. Live Search replaces the Quick Search window from previous versions; I never found that window useful, but I think Live Search will prove far more effective.
Perhaps even more important, but of interest to fewer users, is BBEdit's significantly enhanced script attachability. In the past (and I bet most people don't know this), you could attach a script to a BBEdit menu item in the Menus pane of BBEdit's Preferences window. That's actually quite compelling, if you think about it, since it means you can extend any standard menu command to perform additional actions when selected by the user. What's new in 9.5 is the capability to attach scripts to 15 application and document events. This means that BBEdit can more easily be integrated into other workflows because scripts placed in ~/Library/Application Support/BBEdit/Attachment Scripts can now extend BBEdit's functionality based on events
happening within the application, such as opening, closing, and saving documents. We're already playing with how this can smooth our Subversion-based document collaboration workflow.
For more information on attachability, consult the program's user manual, accessible from the Help menu. It's also worth noting that Bare Bones put some effort into cleaning up BBEdit's online help for 9.5, bringing it up to date, making styles consistent, and covering new features.
BBEdit has been able to look inside tarball files for some time; new in version 9.5 is the capability to look inside ZIP archives as well, in the program's disk browser windows. It displays only files that BBEdit can read, and files are read-only, but if you try to make a change, BBEdit prompts you to save a copy of the file elsewhere. In a subtle but useful twist, this feature lets you peer inside EPUB-based ebooks, since the EPUB format uses ZIP as a packaging format for its XML and CSS files. Drop a ZIP archive or EPUB file on BBEdit to see how this works.
Subversion support has been integrated into different parts of the program. There's a new menu button at the bottom of disk browsers and project windows that contains Subversion commands, and the contextual menu in project lists also now contains Subversion commands. Finally, if any matches in a results window from a search across multiple files are in files within a Subversion working copy, Control-clicking one now reveals a contextual menu that contains appropriate Subversion commands.
Beyond these feature additions, BBEdit 9.5 has evolved in many small ways, with numerous changes and bug fixes. For instance:
- The internal format of saved document state now captures only those settings that are fundamental to the document or different from the defaults – this should resolve confusion caused by documents not picking up changes made to global preferences. You can reset the current document's display and editing settings to the current defaults with the new Edit > Normalize Options command.
- BBEdit now remembers preview window positions on a per-document basis, falling back to the position indicated by the Window > Save Default Window command if the preview window position isn't set explicitly.
- If a window contains multiple documents, its submenu in the Window menu now contains diamonds to indicate documents with unsaved changes.
- If a file that's open in BBEdit changes on disk, and the copy in BBEdit has unsaved changes, you're now given the option to ignore future changes to that file as long as it remains open.
- A Replace All command in a text factory no longer generates a results window.
- The Open Hidden command has been removed from the File menu, having been replaced by the Show Hidden Items checkbox in all Open dialogs.
For those reading the extensive release notes carefully (and if you're a serious BBEdit user, you really should), be sure to note how the ponies' shoes have been reinforced.
One last change that's worth noting is that BBEdit now requires Mac OS X 10.5 or later, running on either a PowerPC- or Intel-based Mac. According to Rich Siegel of Bare Bones, supporting earlier versions of Mac OS X is becoming much more difficult because of feature disparity between OS versions, the effort of working around old OS bugs fixed in later releases, and the significantly larger test matrix older versions require.
Upgrades are free to users of BBEdit 9.x; BBEdit 9.5 costs $125 new, and upgrades from any version prior to 9.0 cost $30. It's a 16.7 MB download, and is also available as a 30-day trial version.
Jobs Explains Apple's Position on Adobe Flash
The notoriously private Steve Jobs, who keeps Apple within the same public comment straitjacket, has found his voice lately. In a break from answering email messages sent to [email protected] with one-word responses (generally, "No"), the Apple CEO posted a candid assessment of why Adobe's Flash technology has no place in the iPhone OS.
Jobs's "Thoughts on Flash" reiterates points made by many of us who have a long experience with Adobe, Apple, and the capabilities of mobile devices. Notably, John Gruber has written extensively about this issue, including an essay on a change in the iPhone Developer Program agreement that Jobs told one email correspondent was "very insightful and not negative."
There are two areas that Jobs splits a bit across his six points that I want to discuss: open standards and Flash's suitability for the mobile world.
This bleeds a bit into Jobs's second point, in which he rebuts Adobe's claim that by not having Flash support, the iPhone OS lacks "the full Web."
In an ideal world, content created targeting the three standards that Jobs cites would display similarly on any device regardless of browser. HTML5 includes descriptions – but not prescriptions – for graphical animation, video playback, audio playback, and quite a bit else, all of which encroach on some of the main uses of Flash.
Adobe's CEO, Shantanu Narayen, told the Wall Street Journal a few hours after Jobs's essay hit that "Flash is an open specification," chuckling while talking to the reporter. It is true that Adobe has published the details of Flash – as the SWF File Format Specification – but that's more than a little disingenuous.
Unlike any version of HTML, CSS, or JavaScript, SWF was a closed spec until 1 May 2008. Also unlike those other standards, there was not and remains no explosion of Flash-oriented applications across many platforms.
True, Adobe's Flash player is available for many systems, and some non-Adobe software can create SWF files. Adobe has released some SWF code under an open-source license. And there's even a mature effort, Gnash, to bring Flash playback to the GNU/Linux and BSD world.
There are issues that remain about how a third-party Flash player could process DRM that's embedded in content – like the BBC Player. But my reading of the open-source Flash code documentation is that the 10.1 release of Flash will allow third parties to work with protected content.
What the Wall Street Journal reporter should have asked Narayen was, "Tell me about all the applications and players not from Adobe that handle Flash?" or "How are other individuals and companies actively involved in Flash format development?"
That's because none of the movement in the Flash world holds a candle to the variety of Web browsers available. Nor is Adobe's control of the Flash spec anything but a sharp contrast with the ability to influence browser capabilities that the W3C (World Wide Web Consortium) or other standards body has.
Flash may be an "open specification," but Adobe remains in complete control of development, saying only that "Adobe seriously considers all feedback to the SWF file format specification." Notably, Adobe has no requirement to incorporate the ideas of others or to reach consensus on how the Flash community would like to see the technology evolve.
The reporter should also have asked about Adobe's alleged role in stalling HTML5 development through procedural moves related to the scope of HTML5's work. HTML5 incorporates a video tag that will allow direct embedding of video in a standard way. (The underlying video format, whether H.264, Ogg Theora, or Google's VP8, will likely not be specified in the HTML5 spec, but H.264 will likely be the most widely supported, given Microsoft's commitment to H.264 in Internet Explorer 9.)
HTML5's video tag threatens Flash, even though Adobe's tools can output H.264 and other video formats. Adobe denied holding up HTML5 draft progress, but the Web's father, Tim Berners-Lee, stepped in to move things along by declaring that HTML5's scope was just fine, and work should proceed.
Of course, Jobs is also being disingenuous about Apple's commitment to openness when he focuses on Web-based standards. Outside the browser, the iPhone OS is a completely closed platform, and the changes that John Gruber discussed in the iPhone Developer Program License Agreement require that apps be written only using tools supplied by and controlled by Apple. (According to a New York Post article, that move may prompt an antitrust inquiry.)
The license agreement change prevents Adobe from letting developers compile Flash programs into iPhone OS apps using a tool in Adobe Creative Suite 5 that has already been used for 100 programs in the App Store.
It may also prevent the use of some other development tools for creating iPhone apps; it's not yet known whether Apple will enforce the rule change uniformly. With 200,000 apps in the App Store, the company can afford to lose a few, despite the impact on those developers.
Apple and Adobe are intentionally arguing at cross purposes. Jobs supports open formats for Web-based resources, but a closed development and distribution system for everything outside the browser.
Adobe is arguing for a quasi-proprietary embedded use of Flash on Web pages, which requires that everyone have Adobe's Flash Player installed instead of relying on browser makers to shape a consistent experience independent of any one company.
But in the realm of apps, Adobe is arguing that Flash developers shouldn't be forced to use a separate development process for the iPhone OS, which Apple has now required via the iPhone Developer Program License Agreement.
In terms of tools, Adobe makes the only rich Flash design and development software, while Apple makes the only viable iPhone OS development environment. Developers would likely prefer Adobe's hegemony, despite the limits it imposes, if only because Flash's reach is much broader than that of the iPhone OS.
(Whether Adobe's packaging tool can turn Flash content into an app that provides as good a user experience as a native app is a separate question, and one that Jobs strongly disagrees with in a different section of the essay.)
What the two firms are really arguing about is control. Apple wants near-total control over the iPhone OS platform, but is willing to accept open standards in the realm of the browser, because even the best Web apps don't challenge iPhone OS apps. The best thing a browser can do is let Web pages appear and work the same as every other browser. It took Microsoft a decade to accept that.
On the other side of the coin, Adobe wants control over embedded Web content, seeing itself as a conduit for developers to create a single product that can span dozens of disparate environments.
Each company clearly sees itself as the developers' friend: Apple in encouraging developers to rely on open standards that will render well everywhere, and Adobe in providing developers with tools to create rich content that will render well everywhere that Flash is supported.
Mobile Performance and Suitability — Jobs devotes his other two points to whether Flash even makes sense on a phone as it now stands.
Despite the focus on the iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad, Flash isn't widely available on any other mobile platform. Nokia includes Flash 9.4 on its N900, but no Android, Windows Mobile, BlackBerry, webOS, or Symbian phone handles Flash content. (There is a Flash Light player that works on many basic phones, but which requires Flash content that has been designed and optimized for Flash Light. The Flash Light site appears to be have been last updated in 2008.)
While Adobe has complained about the lack of Flash support from the start on the iPhone, it has only recently demonstrated reasonable mobile performance with a beta of Flash 10.1 on Android.
As Jobs writes, "We have routinely asked Adobe to show us Flash performing well on a mobile device, any mobile device, for a few years now. We have never seen it."
That will soon change. Adobe has commitments for Flash Player 10.1 to work in Android (after the 2.2 release later this year), Palm (the Flash beta works in WebOS 1.4), and Research in Motion for some of its BlackBerry phones. Flash 10.1 for Symbian devices is likely, but I have heard nothing about preinstalled support.
Microsoft at one point said that Flash would be included with its Windows Phone 7 system due out in time for the holidays in 2010, but the company has since backed away from that timeline. A future release will support Flash.
Adobe's complaints seem to be that Apple won't include support for a technology that nobody else supports and that isn't ready for prime-time mobile use until mid-2010 at the earliest, after an 18-month delay. Jobs writes, "We think it will eventually ship, but we're glad we didn't hold our breath. Who knows how it will perform?"
Jobs also makes public several claims that have been reported as being aired privately within Apple. First, that Flash "is the number one reason Macs crash." Adobe's CEO's response to the Journal: that it has something "to do with the Apple operating system."
We can't evaluate either claim. The only browser plug-in that most users rely on regularly is Flash, and thus browser crashes not caused by browser bugs would be due to Flash. Apple has said this without referring to Adobe before, and it gathers such information directly from automatically generated crash reports.
Second, Jobs claims that Flash is a battery hog due to a lack of the necessary low-level hardware support on mobile devices. Jobs says plain H.264 video burns through power at half the rate that Flash video does. Adobe's CEO says that's "patently false."
It's also hard to evaluate this claim. On a Mac, Flash often chews up processor power, but the Flash 10.1 release looks to be substantially more efficient. Someone could benchmark H.264 playback against Flash video with the 10.1 beta on an Android phone to test the current state of those claims.
The Future — Jobs's essay and Adobe's Wall Street Journal interview make it clear that neither embedded Flash Web content nor Flash-as-apps are in the iPhone OS future. Adobe is pushing hard on other platforms, but to the extent it has made this a battle with Apple, Adobe simply can't win.
Adobe's CEO says the company is working on "dozens" of tablet projects with other companies. But those projects aren't in the market – a market where Apple has already sold 85 million iPhones and iPod touches and, as of 3 May 2010, 1 million iPads.
And just this last week, Microsoft canned the Courier tablet concept project, a well-received set of new ideas for a two-screen slate-sized computer, and TechCrunch reported that HP, in the wake of its Palm acquisition, has opted not to release a Windows 7-based tablet demonstrated by Microsoft's CEO at CES in January 2010.
Adobe has made a strategic error. Its customers aren't Web users; its customers are developers and designers. Adobe should have been spending its time and effort to make a superb creative and production environment for creating content that would appear on every smartphone, tablet, laptop, and desktop. Its customers care vastly more about being able to create something that works in Mobile Safari and other mobile browsers than the reasons why Adobe hasn't yet been able to get Flash working on a single smartphone platform.
Adobe deserves enormous praise for developing Flash for all these years and managing to get it embedded in most browsers. Without Flash, the Web would have been much less interactive, much less fun, and much less useful over the last few years. Video on the Web would have been a non-starter. YouTube, Vimeo, Hulu, and all the rest would probably not have come into existence at the time they did.
Let's give Adobe all that. But it's also clear that the necessity for Flash as the sole enabling technology to bring rich media and rich interaction to the Web is over. HTML5's support for animation, video, and audio, coupled with improvements in JavaScript rendering engines, means that most of what Flash was absolutely needed for will be generally available without buying into a particular company's technology or tools. Adobe's tools will have to evolve to match this new reality.
Beyond this sea change in Web development, going head-to-head with Steve Jobs never works. The only way Adobe could have gotten Flash on the iPhone was to convince Jobs that Apple's customers – we end users – desperately wanted content that was available only from Flash developers. That didn't happen.
Apple is happy to force technological change on the industry, and if HTML5 will meet the industry's needs, few companies will resist adding support for it if they want to serve their own iPhone OS-using customers.
Ins and Outs of the 3G iPad AT&T Service Plans
The 3G iPad is in buyers' hands, including mine and those of TidBITS Managing Editor Jeff Carlson, giving us a chance to drill down into the details of the two simple mobile broadband service plans that AT&T offers. Terms of carriers outside the United States are still unknown.
The two plans are based on consumption of incoming and outgoing data via 3G over a 30-day billing cycle. For $14.99, you get 250 MB; for $29.99, you get unmetered data – a true unlimited offering. Both plans also include unlimited access at AT&T's 21,000 domestic Wi-Fi hotspots. Each plan automatically renews unless you cancel it, but no long-term contract is required.
If you don't use the full 250 MB in the first plan during the 30 days, unused bandwidth simply expires; it does not roll over to a subsequent month. There is no penalty for cancellation and you can cancel at any point after a given 30-day period begins, up until the moment that your credit card is charged. (In fact, AT&T says you even have a two-hour grace period after the card is charged to cancel.)
The Cellular Data tab in the Settings app – which appears only on the 3G iPad model – is where you control all your 3G data settings. There is no switch to flip from 3G data down to the older 2G EDGE standard, a feature in the iPhone 3G and iPhone 3GS that's used to improve battery life or establish a more reliable cellular connection. The iPad does fall back to EDGE if 3G isn't available (and then down to GPRS in the absense of EDGE, if necessary) – there's just no manual control for switching it yourself. I have a query in to Apple about this, but it's likely because using an iPhone for voice over 3G exacts a much higher battery toll compared to the same call over 2G because of the continuous nature of the call, even though it's
broken up into data packets. Sending pure data over 3G exacts a lower toll than voice.
You don't need a network connection via Wi-Fi in order to sign up for a cellular plan, which is rather nifty; you just have to be in range of an AT&T network in the United States. With the cellular data connection active, signal strength bars and a network operator appear in the upper left whether or not you have already signed up for a service plan. (The top figure shows an active Wi-Fi connection with AT&T service available; the bottom figure shows the network status after I activated a 3G plan and turned Wi-Fi off manually.)
(One commenter found that, in former Alltel territory in Montana, even though his iPad shows AT&T in the upper-left corner, he is unable to sign up for a plan. Alltel was a regional CDMA carrier purchased by Verizon to acquire customers, but a number of rural markets were spun off to AT&T, which is using the licenses to offer GSM service.)
To set up a data plan, you tap the View Account button. You're presented with a long screen in which you enter your name, a phone number at which you can be reached (it doesn't have to be a cell number or an AT&T account), an email address and password for an account, and credit card billing information. You also select which of the two plans you want. You cannot pay for service except with a credit card; Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and Discover are accepted.
A few days after launch, the sign-up screen was revised to allow a separate address for credit card billing distinct from the service address. The service address, which is optional, must be in the AT&T service area. This change lets those who have a credit-card bill sent to a post office box obtain service.
The account you create is fresh: AT&T doesn't recognize existing Apple IDs or even AT&T accounts. Your email address is used to send you receipts and service updates, along with warnings about data usage on a 250 MB plan.
After you enter all the required information and click Next, you must accept AT&T's terms of service. Click Agree, and the next screen shows a summary of charges, and the option to buy insanely expensive international service, too. Click Submit, and a final screen tells you it will take a few minutes for 3G service to be activated. For me, on what was probably a busy day for activation, it took about five minutes. A push notification appears on screen when it's done.
Just as on the iPhone, you can use Airplane Mode at the main Settings level, and a Cellular Data switch in the Cellular Data settings to disable the use of the 3G radio. Airplane Mode disables GPS, 3G, Bluetooth, and Wi-Fi radios, but you can turn Wi-Fi back on manually – useful in planes in which Wi-Fi is available for Internet access.
It wasn't clear to me before the 3G iPad was released how it would work on networks outside a carrier's home territory. With the availability of international plans and a Data Roaming switch (to disable non-home network roaming) in the Cellular Data settings area, it's clear that an iPad will try to use any available network with which AT&T has a relationship worldwide.
Jeff and I both signed up initially for 250 MB plans in order to see what happens when you get close to limits and how practical that amount of data is. As I noted in "Can You Get By with 250 MB of Data Per Month?" (2 February 2010), I found I was using nearly 300 MB of 3G data on average each month on my iPhone 3GS in my first several months of use.
Jeff tested Netflix streaming, which is allowed over 3G, and managed to burn through 250 MB in about an hour of streaming a movie, which is a little surprising. At a streaming rate of as fast as 1.5 Mbps over AT&T's network, Netflix could have pushed out nearly 700 MB. (Using some bandwidth testers, I managed to burn through 25 MB in about five minutes.)
Other streaming video apps aren't allowed to use the 3G network. Jeff tried ABC's app, and the iPad popped up an expected error. I wonder if Netflix's app will be pulled and relaunched with a Wi-Fi only restriction? It wouldn't take many Netflix users to have a huge impact on AT&T's data network.
Once you've paid for a data plan, you can make changes to it by returning to the Cellular Data settings and tapping View Account. In a colossally irritating decision, AT&T requires that you log in each time you want access to account information or to make changes. There's no password caching, even over a period of seconds, nor any way to store a password.
When you log back in, you can see various data, such as the billing period, and the amount of data consumed (according to AT&T's records). Jeff found that AT&T's information about data consumed has a time lag of 30 to 60 minutes (though that could have been due to first-day traffic as tens of thousands of people all activated their 3G iPads); the Usage pane in the General settings screen shows what the iPad measures at the moment.
AT&T also displays the phone number assigned to your iPad – that's right, a phone number. This is presumably because there has to be something in AT&T's database that's associated with billing. I tried calling Jeff's iPad number, and AT&T played a recorded message that explained the party I was calling was unable to accept calls at this time. Or perhaps ever.
You can also make changes to your plan from the Add Data or Change Plan screen. Tap that item, and you'll see something different depending on your current plan. I opted for 250 MB to start with, so I was offered the chance to buy another 250 MB of data, change to unlimited, or cancel the plan. I presume you see an option to move down to 250 MB or cancel service if you're already on the unlimited plan.
Both options in the screenshot above are slightly misleading, but not in AT&T and Apple's favor; users might be more likely to make choices that would increase revenue if the results of actions were explained better. While the buttons say one thing, the text above them is more clear: "The selected plan will start when the current plan ends." This includes cancellation.
For instance, if you "Add 250 MB of data," and you're already on the 250 MB plan, no change is made if you don't run through 250 MB of data within 30 days. It simply keeps you on the same plan. If you run out of data within 30 days, however, the next 250 MB chunk is added to your account, and the billing period resets to count 30 days starting from the moment you switch over into the new data pool.
Likewise, the unlimited plan begins only when you either run out of data on a 250 MB plan before 30 days is up, or the next 30-day cycle starts, whichever comes sooner.
The cancel plan option can work that way, too, but you have two behaviors to choose from. When you tap Cancel Plan, you can either delete the account you used to set up the plan immediately, which disables service, or you can delete it later, which keeps service active until the end of the period or, on a 250 MB plan, earlier if you run out of data within 30 days. ("Later" isn't quite the right word: AT&T's text explains that dormant accounts are deleted after 60 days.)
The former option kills any remaining days or data left on your current plan. AT&T doesn't offer a pro rata refund, so you're simply giving that service away. The latter option cancels the automatic renewal, but leaves service in place. At the end of the current data usage or 30-day cycle, service halts.
When I tested canceling my service with the cancel-later option, AT&T sent a confirmation email a few hours later with just that language: "You have chosen to cancel automatic renewal of your 250 MB of data for 30 days for $14.99 plan. If you wish to re-establish service, please go to Settings on your iPad to select a new plan."
If you use 3G service on an iPad intermittently (with more than 60 days between uses), you're going to wind up creating an account many times, it seems. Here's hoping AT&T can cope with the same email address being used each time.
The international data plan rates for the iPad are precisely the same as AT&T offers for other phone packages, and aren't a gotcha – these options are a one-time, 30-day period purchase and don't renew. You can even pick the start date at midnight Eastern Time (even if you're in a different time zone) of at least the next day. The usurious rates run from – get this – $24.99 for 20 MB to $199.99 for 200 MB. It remains to be seen if it will be possible to buy a cheap pre-paid MicroSIM when travelling in other countries. (To be fair, AT&T is paying enormous fees to its international partners, too, just not that enormous.)
Apart from the international data plans, AT&T's 3G service options are rather remarkable, with unusual elements related to pricing, extending service, upgrading, and cancellation that make it flexible enough for occasional use but affordable for regular use. Careful about that streaming video, though.
[Editor's note: The behavior around halting service was revised after receiving more information from readers and a commenter about the immediate cancellation option. Information about the new service address portion of the sign-up process was also added.]
TidBITS Watchlist: Notable Software Updates for 3 May 2010
Fetch 5.6 — Fetch Softworks has updated the file transfer client Fetch to version 5.6. New in Fetch 5.6 is automatic resumption of stalled or failed downloads, coupled with a number of other tweaks that improve Fetch's capability to resume downloads. Other changes include improved scrolling performance in large folders, additional detail in the Fetch Transcript, better encoding handling when editing files with BBEdit or TextWrangler, and a number of bug fixes described in the full release notes. ($29 new, free update for purchases after 28 January 2009; otherwise $10 upgrade, 17.4 MB)
Read/post comments about Fetch 5.6.
TypeIt4Me 5.0 — Those who type a lot, take notice: Ettore Software has released a significant update to the long-standing text expansion utility TypeIt4Me. Version 5.0 trades its System Preferences pane for a standalone application that opens the Edit Clippings and Preferences windows more quickly. The latest version is also fully 64-bit compatible, enables users to resize the Edit Clippings window, and increases text expansion responsiveness. Also, an option has been added that enables a period to require a second trigger before expanding and automatic updating via Sparkle has been added. TypeIt4Me 5.0 requires Mac OS X 10.5 or later. ($27
new, $9 upgrade, 5.2 MB)
Read/post comments about TypeIt4Me 5.0.
iStat Menus 3.0.1 — Bjango Software has released the latest version of its comprehensive Mac OS X monitoring utility iStat Menus, which puts user-selected meters in the menu bar. Version 3.0.1, while just a minor bug fix update, comes hard on the heels of the larger 3.0 update that moves the preferences into a standalone app (previously they were contained within a preference pane), makes installation easier via drag-and-drop, adds fan speed controls, displays the Mac's public IP address, adds battery monitoring, and adds flashing time separators. Also, CPU usage has been reduced, SMART drive temperature monitoring has been improved, localizations for seven
languages have been added, and a number of crashing bugs have been fixed. A full list of changes is available on Bjango's Web site. With version 3.0, iStat Menus also moves from being free to commercial. ($10 new, free update from 3.0, 6.4 MB)
Read/post comments about iStat Menus 3.0.1.
Transmit 4.0 — Panic Inc. has released Transmit 4, a major update to its popular FTP, SFTP, Amazon S3, and WebDAV client, with over 45 new features. Transmit 4's interface has been completely redesigned, featuring a more Mac-like feel, tear-away tabs, simultaneous progress bars for the current and overall status, thumbnail views for images, label capabilities, and support for Quick Look and Cover Flow. The update makes syncing easier with a new step-by-step sync assistant, adds a new Places feature that enables users to access their most-used folders quickly, adds multitouch navigation support, and overhauls the program's AppleScript support. Additionally, File
Skipping is no longer restricted to syncing, options under Advanced Server Preferences have been expanded, and a new Send SSH command has been added. Transmit 4 also sees dramatic performance enhancements, including upload speeds that are reportedly up to 25 times faster and download speeds up to 18 times faster. A full list of changes is available from Transmit's Web page, by clicking the "See All New Features Button" under the Features section. ($34 new, $19 upgrade, 22.6 MB)
Read/post comments about Transmit 4.0.
iTunes 9.1.1 — iTunes 9.1.1 reportedly improves overall stability and performance while addressing a number of unspecified stability and usability issues regarding VoiceOver and Genius Mixes. The update also fixes a problem related to syncing while simultaneously converting songs to the 128 Kbps AAC format. Apple appears to have done some additional quiet releases, so if you're having any trouble with iTunes 9.1.1, download a fresh copy and reinstall to make sure you have the latest version. (Free, 93 MB)
Read/post comments about iTunes 9.1.1.
PDFpen 4.6.2 and PDFpenPro 4.6.2 — SmileOnMyMac has released minor maintenance updates to its PDF editing utilities PDFpen and PDFpenPro. The updates mainly addresses a problem with the Correct Text Tool that could cause it to erase more text than it should. Other unspecified improvements and fixes have also been included. ($49.95/$99.95 new, free updates, 43.8 MB/44.0 MB)
Read/post comments about PDFpen 4.6.2 and PDFpenPro 4.6.2.
Digital Camera Raw Compatibility Update 3.2 — Apple has released its latest Digital Camera Raw Compatibility Update, which extends Aperture 3 and iPhoto '09 support for a handful of cameras. Newly supported cameras and file formats include the Canon EOS Rebel T2i (550D/Kiss X4), the Leica S2, the Olympus E-450, the Olympus E-600, the Olympus E-620, the Sony Alpha DSLR-A230, the Sony Alpha DSLR-A330, the Sony Alpha DSLR-A380, and the Sony Alpha DSLR-A450. This version also addresses unspecified issues with raw image processing for the Canon EOS 30D, the Pentax K-x, and the Pentax K-7. The update is available via Software Update and the Apple Support Downloads
page. (Free, 5.28 MB)
Read/post comments about Digital Camera Raw Compatibility Update 3.2.
ExtraBITS for 3 May 2010
We have a cornucopia of reading for you this week, including Apple selling movies via iTunes in France and Ireland, HP buying Palm, the deadline for printing an iPhoto book for Mother's Day, Apple buying a voice search company, the WWDC dates being announced, Princeton suggesting a workaround for the iPad DHCP bug, Sony discontinuing floppy disks, and a rundown on the whole Gizmodo stolen iPhone story, complete with the identify of the guy who found the prototype. Phew!
iTunes Store Now Offers Movies in France and Ireland — Apple has announced that movies from major film studios are now available for rent or purchase in the iTunes Store in France and Ireland. Purchases start at €7.99 for older titles, €9.99 for recent releases and €13.99 for new releases. Rentals cost either €2.99 for older titles or €3.99 for new releases; add €1 for high definition versions. With this move, France and Ireland join the UK, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand to have movies available in iTunes (outside of the United States). The delays in adding additional countries are no doubt due to content license
restrictions from the major studios.
HP to Buy Palm for $1.2 Billion — Nancy Gohring of IDG News Service writes that HP plans to buy Palm for $1.2 billion, potentially rescuing Palm's webOS from obscurity. The Palm Pre and Pixi smartphones, which run webOS, haven't competed well with the iPhone or smartphones based on Google's Android operating system, and Palm has been looking for a buyer. HP hopes to use Palm's technology to power both smartphones and a new generation of tablet-sized devices. Despite its size, HP hasn't been a significant player in either market, and however good webOS may be, it wasn't enough to slow the adoption of iPhone OS- and Android-based
Wired Identifies iPhone Prototype Finder — In the continuing story of the lost iPhone prototype purchased by Gizmodo, Wired has tracked down the person who found the prototype, a 21-year-old who "regrets his mistake," according to a statement from his lawyer.
Mother's Day iPhoto Book Deadline Approaching — Want to create an iPhoto book for a Mother's Day gift? Apple notes that the deadline to order a book and have it delivered in time is today, May 3rd (for express shipping). And speaking from experience, it takes some time to choose and lay out all those photos, so you'd best get finished!
Apple Buys Voice-Based Search Company Siri — The New York Times is reporting on Apple's recent acquisition of Siri, a startup company specializing in mobile search. The company's iPhone app Siri Assistant enables users to perform searches and tasks like making restaurant reservations, buying movie tickets, and securing cabs with voice-based commands. While it's unclear exactly what Apple plans to do with the technology, the most obvious application would be to provide a native search alternative to Google on the iPhone. The buying of Siri also fits a bigger picture of Apple buying smaller companies to get a leg up in the mobile
industry; other recent purchases include the chip maker Intrinsity and the mobile ad company Quattro Wireless.
Apple Announces Dates for WWDC 2010 — Apple has announced that the annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) will be held 7 June 2010 through 11 June 2010 in San Francisco. Despite the short notice and $1,599 price tag, Apple appears confident that the likely debut of iPhone OS 4 and a new iPhone will ensure strong attendance. Apple's emphasis on iPhone OS development – the Apple Design Awards are open only to apps currently sold in the App Store, for example – is causing some grumpiness among Mac-only developers.
Princeton Suggests Workaround for iPad DHCP Flaw — Princeton University's Office of Information Technology is now suggesting that the iPad's DHCP lease renewal problem may be related to the iPad's screen being locked, either manually or automatically. The best workaround seems to be to disable automatic screen locking and avoid locking the screen manually; the downside to this is of course reduced battery life. Other (but worse) possibilities include turning off Wi-Fi or the entire iPad at the end of each session.
Sony to Discontinue Floppy Disk Sales — The end of an era is approaching. In March 2011, Sony will discontinue sales of 3.5-inch floppy disks in Japan; apart from a few niche markets, worldwide sales of floppy disks were halted in March 2010. It's not really surprising, and one friend noted in Twitter that it was more interesting to realize that Sony has still been making floppies all this time (other manufacturers have already left the market). The last Mac to support a floppy drive – the PowerBook (FireWire) via a media bay – debuted in February 2000 and was discontinued in
January 2001.
CNET Continues Gizmodo Stolen iPhone Coverage — Could the story of the iPhone prototype get weirder? Police obtained a warrant to search a Gizmodo editor's home, and the legal speculation is running rampant as to whether Gizmodo is protected by reporter shield laws, or if California's laws regarding lost property will instead take precedence. Declan McCullagh and Greg Sandoval cover recent events for CNET.


text:
Baby Dolphin
Miami Seaquarium
Begging for Peanuts
Miami Metro Zoo
Polly in Green
Parrot Jungle, Miami, Florida
Polly in Blue
Snaking Around
Silver Springs, Ocala, Florida
Listening Carefully
Turkey at the zoo
In my fried's back yard. Pinecrest, Florida
Wanting Freedom
Tiger at Miami Metro Zoo
Monkey Business
Chimp at Miami Metro Zoo
Polly Wants a Cracker
Polly Climbing
Mother Urangutan
Mother protects her baby. Miami Metro Zoo
Juana la Iguana
Seal Hunger
Looking for the Light
Coco, the captive gorilla at Monkey Jungle, Miami. She is now free in an ape reserve in northern Florida
Happy Crock
Iguana in the sun
Happy Rooster
Merida, Yucatan, Mexico
Laughing and Shedding
Iguana shedding its skin
Good Dog
Deer in the Clearing
In Whidbey Island, Washington
Pigeon Hole
In a wall in Speyer, Germany

subset: commoncrawl


text: The Business Library does not subscribe directly to the online Wall Street Journal (WSJ.com). Please use ABI/INFORM Global or Factiva databases to find current or archived WSJ articles. The Pomerantz Business Library receives a daily print copy of the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, and Investor's Business Daily for the current month and is available for library patrons to check-out or read at the library.


text:
This month's issue of Booklist reviewed three recent releases by Fantagraphics creators, excerpted below:
Peter Bagge's Other Stuff by Peter Bagge et al.
"The pleasing hodgepodge includes multipart sequences featuring Bagge creations like hipster wannabe Lovey and clueless suburbanites Chet and Bunny Leeway (resurrected from Bagge's 1980s series, Neat Stuff); Bagge-scripted stories drawn by other alt-comics titans, including R. Crumb, Daniel Clowes, Adrian Tomine, and Gilbert and Jamie Hernandez as well as a story scripted by Alan Moore…While his rubbery, exaggerated visual style may be one-note (as effective and appealing as that single note might be), this diverse assortment of work, nearly all of it top-notch, shows that Bagge has plenty of arrows in his artistic quiver." –Gordon Flagg
"Chaffee's artwork is bold and straightforward, and he imbues each dog with its own personality while avoiding excessive anthropomorphizing. The natural audience for this work is, of course, dog lovers, but you don't have to be a caninophile to appreciate Chaffee's remarkable ability to get inside the mind of man's best friend." –Gordon Flagg
'Tain't the Meat… It's the Humanity! and Other Stories (The EC Comics Library)
by Jack Davis & Al Feldstein
"…while other EC artists were moodier or spookier, Jack Davis' stories stood out for their distinctly cartoony tinge, leavening the terror with a mocking humor…they remain entertaining six decades later, or as the Crypt-Keeper would put it, "There's no ghoul like an old ghoul." –Gordon Flagg


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"We are not better than native-born Americans, and of course not smarter. We've just been to the last stop of this bus." – Sergei Dovlatov
Victor Topaller, the Moscow-born director, journalist, TV and radio personality, has earned the moniker "The Russian Limbaugh" due to his conservative views and hard-hitting programming. A relatively new citizen of the U.S., Topaller previously spent many years in Israel, where he became a "voice" for the country's large Russian-speaking community. Topaller recently took time out for an interview with FrontPage to discuss his Soviet background and his ultimate turn to conservatism.
Ilya Galak: Victor, why do you think Russian-speaking Americans call you, "The Russian Limbaugh"?
Victor Topaller: Well, probably because we both adhere to very conservative views.
In a classic Soviet satire by Ilf and Petrov, a group of characters investigates who among them share similar political views. One character was so far right that he didn't even know what political party he could possibly belong to – I think that's me. But seriously, I have great respect for Limbaugh, Savage, Hannity and Levin. Yet, there can't be an accurate comparison – they were born here, in America, while I'm a migrant. We differ in origins, mentality and language. Oh! And I almost forgot – also in the sizes of our paychecks.
IG: Victor, we both went through the Soviet education system and memorized Karl Marx's Communist Manifesto and Lenin's works by heart. If we didn't we would not have gotten our diplomas. I personally think that the ideological heads of the Democratic Party and liberal labor unions simply copied their programs and slogans from there. What's your opinion on this?
VT: There are no opinions here, only facts, and the facts are that Lenin's "Global Socialist Revolution" is becoming a reality. Speaking of which, the "Leader of the Proletariat" was far from naive; he predicted that the global revolution will be carried out mainly by what he referred to as the "useful idiots from the West" – all that far-left-liberal riffraff… which is exactly what's happened. And as for unions, I'd rather not comment. After all, who wants to mess with them? Note that Lenin called labor unions "The Schools of Communism" – what else can one say?
IG: Your previous article "The House is Lost" went viral with Russian speakers in America, Israel, and even in Russia itself. I personally received it over 40 times from my friends all over the world. Please, explain to our American friends what is the meaning of the title "The House is Lost"?
VT: The title quotes the protagonist of Mikhail Bulgakov's "Heart of a Dog," Philip Philippovich Preobrazhensky. This professor of medicine, who despises Socialism and the Soviet regime with every fiber of his being, speaks of his beloved apartment building, which the Communists wrecked beyond recognition, leaving one no choice but to flee. It's clear that it's not so much about the house, but rather the country as a whole:
"What, again?" exclaimed Philip Philipovich mournfully. "Well, this is the end of this house. I'll have to go away -but where to? I can see exactly what'll happen. First of all there'll be community singing in the evening, then the pipes will freeze in the lavatories, then the central heating boiler will blow up and so on. The House is Lost."
"Philip Philipovich worries himself to death," said Zina with a smile as she cleared away a pile of plates.
"How can I help it?" exploded Philip Philipovich. "Don't you know what this house used to be like?"
This quote is the source of the title of my article on Obama's reelection. You know, I had once the audacity to notice that if at least a fraction of the not-yet-terminally-insane U.S. politicians were familiar with Russian literature beyond Tolstoy, Dostoevsky and Chekov: with the likes of Bulgakov, Platonov, Zoshchenko or Nagibin; this country wouldn't be in such a shameful condition.
Incidentally, I think we can claim to understand American literature better than Americans understand Russian literature – we grew up reading Jack London, O.Henry, Mark Twain, James Fenimore Cooper, Mayne Reid, while authors like Salinger, Vonnegut, Irving, Edgar Allan Poe, Dreiser, Hemingway, Steinbeck, Capote, Bradbury (one can keep on going) were revered as favorites. And of playwrights, it's enough to mention Albee, Williams, Miller…
IG: What do you think about political correctness in America?
VT: Any noble undertaking, taken to absurd extremes, becomes a terrible evil. This is exactly what happened in America. Do you already call your "Christmas Tree" a "Holiday Tree"? Congratulations! I heard that soon the word "Woman" will be banned for sexual discrimination, and replaced by "Vaginamerican." God – how many idiots are there in this world?
To me, political correctness is a serious evil. Taken to its absurd extreme, it becomes an ethical injury to this country, as it teaches apathy, falsehood and vileness. My friend, the famous writer, Mikhail Veller got it right when he said:
We all know that this is a cat, but we can't call it a "cat" because it may get offended, so we call it "a tailed quadrupedal." We all know that the cat likes gobbling raw fish, but saying that would also be offensive, so we say that it "enjoys fresh sea food." In the meantime, the cat shits scot-free wherever it likes, leaving the lobby smelling so awful that none would enter the building.
I think that's a very accurate analogy of political correctness and the crap-hole it dug us into. Political correctness is the duplicity and insincerity between what one says, and what one truly means, which was very common in the Soviet Union, but is far more dangerous here in America, given that it's a free, democratic society.
IG: Israel, what can be done?
VT: Nothing has to be done. The right question is what should no longer be done. We have to stop deceiving, playing dumb, and pretending that the issue at hand is merely two sides in conflict, rather than the heroic struggle of the only civilized nation in a region otherwise inhabited by brazen bandits. Murderers and criminals should be called murderers and criminals. We need to realize that negotiating with terrorists is a dead end, a catastrophe; that back in the day pirates went extinct only when they were declared outlaws and cracked down upon by military forces. We must realize that Israel is our only ally in the region; and that what's good for Israel is good for America, and vice versa. By the way, Hamas is on the FBI's and Department of State's list of terrorist organizations.
If I'm not mistaken, the famous Soviet nuclear physicist and dissident Andrei Sakharov once said that ultimately, honesty in politics brings success, while lies and hypocrisy that seem so "profitable and visionary" result in a total collapse.
Freedom Center pamphlets now available on Kindle: Click here.


text:
Publications advanced search | Nuclear Power And Climate Change - Non Serial Publications
IAEA scientific and technical publications can be searched by multiple parameters: year of publication, topic and type. Use the facets to input your search criteria or the text field to search by title, keyword, ISBN, ISSN or series number.
- (-) Remove Nuclear power and climate change filter Nuclear power and climate change
- Department of Nuclear Energy (1) Apply Department of Nuclear Energy filter
- Energy (1) Apply Energy filter
- (-) Remove Non-serial Publications filter Non-serial Publications
- (0) Apply filter
Climate Change and Nuclear Power 2014
Non-serial Publications
¦ 35 figures ¦ ¦ Date published: 2014


text:
- This event has passed.
The Vinyl Revival by Northern Standard
June 7, 2020 @ 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
|Recurring Event (See all)
An event every week that begins at 7:00 pm on Sunday, repeating until December 26, 2021
Music is better with Northern Standard. Join us every Sunday @7-9pm MTN Time on KSMT Radio 102.1 FM Breckenridge, CO, or live online northernstandard.com/vinylrevival, for a selection of 80's vinyl New Wave, Punk and Alternative music curated by DJ Murph and broadcast by KSMT The Mountain Radio. Sit back, relax and enjoy with your favorite Northern Standard products.


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Sammy Hagar Says He Was Abducted By Aliens
Sammy Hagar Says He Was Abducted By Aliens
March 21, 2011
No doubt Sammy Hagar, a former lead singer for Van Halen, has enjoyed a lot of far out experiences in life, but on Monday, the rocker told perhaps his farthest out tale to MTV. He was abducted by aliens.
Or, at least, his brain was.
In an interview for his new book, "Red: My Uncensored Life in Rock" at mtvhive.com, Hagar lets go of what even he admits might make him "sound like a crazy person" to some readers.
He and the reporter are talking about dreams he claims to have had about UFOs, and when asked whether he believed he had been abducted, Hagar answers: "I think I have."
Hagar laughs and goes on to explain that a passage in the book described as a dream in which he is contacted by aliens from outer space in California was, in fact, reality.
The tale describes how the beings tapped into his mind through a wireless connection.
"It was real," Hagar told the reporter, according to the story on MTV's Hive website. "They were plugged into me. It was a download situation … Or, they uploaded something from my brain, like an experiment."
Hagar goes on to describe another experience at the age of four where he believes he saw an alien space ship in broad daylight hovering over a country field where his family lived.
The rock guitarist and vocalist is no stranger to wild times. He was a part of several bands, including Montrose, during the "sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll" era of the 1970s and 1980s, and during its heyday Van Halen was among the biggest acts in rock music.
In his book and in the interview with MTV's Hive, Hagar lets the stories fly on the sex and drugs he did during those years, and he even has a few not-so-nice things to say about another Van Halen lead singer, David Lee Roth, whom Hagar replaced in 1985.
The full interview can be read at mtvhive.com.
Courtesy of www.sleazeroxx.com and today.msnbc.msn.com


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We are officially less than a month before the start of the NFL season, so it's probably time to start previewing the monster. The key to the NFL's success — other than fantasy football and gambling, of course — is the rabid nature of its fans. That is to say: You don't see a lot of people painting their faces for their favorite golfer.
We asked a gaggle of writers, from the Web, from print, from books, even a TV guy or two, to tell us, in as many or as little words as they need, why My Team Is Better Than Your Team. This is not meant to be factual, or dispassionate, or even logical: We just asked them to riff on why they love their team so much, or what their team means to them, or whatever. We will be running two a day until the beginning of the NFL season.
Right now: the Seattle Seahawks. Your author is Matt Ufford.
Matt Ufford is a writer for Kissing Suzy Kolber, under the nom de plum "Captain Caveman." His words are after the jump.
I have never lived in Seattle. I was born in an Army hospital outside Tacoma, and my family moved to Oklahoma before I turned three. Then we moved again, then again, and again, and a couple times more. Always the same military bases, just different states.
Growing up rootless, I claimed my home by claiming the Seahawks. Most fans end up loving a team at least in part because of its proximity; conversely, my team makes me feel closer to home. But it's been a bitch of a long-distance relationship.
I can draw eerily similar parallels between the Seahawks' history and my own. For example, the year I was born was Steve Largent's breakout season and the first time the 'Hawks had a winning record. The team made an unlikely run to the AFC Championship (beating rookie QBs Elway and Marino along the way); subsequently, I skipped second grade. But I'll deliver the abridged version, picking up in the 1990s. You'll see that the Seahawks' suffering and small successes follow — or maybe create — the trajectory of my own life.
1991: Things Start to Suck. If there's a better metaphor for the hell of middle school in New Jersey than drafting Dan McGwire No. 1 and hiring Tom Flores as coach and GM, I cannot think of one.
1992: Worst. Year. Ever. My family moves to Southern Illinois. I immediately despise everything about our new town and my new school. It's the least pleasant school year of my life. The Seahawks post a 2-14 record, their worst year ever.
1993-96: Freaks and Geeks. The Seahawks draft Rick Mirer No. 2 overall. Dennis Erickson replaces Tom Flores as coach. Kelly Stouffer and John Friesz are not the answers to Mirer's failure. Owner Ken Behring tries to move the team to Los Angeles. Guhhh. During the team's frustrating woes, I'm struggling with the possibility that puberty may never arrive. Chicks do not dig choirboys in AP Chemistry. High school blows ass.
1997: A Glimmer of Hope. Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen buys the team from World Class Asshole Behring; Warren Moon joins the team and has an All-Pro season; the obviously retarded Tom Flores resigns as GM. I leave behind the cornfields and go to college, certain that not only will things get better, they will get awesome.
1999: Potential for Badassery. Mike Holmgren is hired away from Green Bay to serve as both GM and coach (because that worked so well with Flores). Seahawks fans experiment with positive mindsets. Meanwhile, I complete the Marines' Officer Candidates School, a transition which makes me comfortable with the idea of crushing a man's skull with a rifle butt.
2000-04: Real Life's a Bitch. The Seahawks blur the line between legitimacy and mediocrity. Words like "talented," "potential" and "Catch the fucking ball Koren Robinson!" surround the Seahawks' seasons. For every positive note the franchise hits — playoff appearances, the opening of Qwest Field (née Seahawks Stadium) — something else the team does becomes a punch line throughout the NFL. This couldn't more accurately describe my Marine Corps career, which can be summed up as follows: I almost get fired, I do a bang-up job of invading a foreign nation and I re-structure my life around a girlfriend who leaves me a month after I get back from the war. That last part — a complete failure to properly assess what was about to happen — is my "We'll take the ball and we're going to score!" moment.
2005 and Super Bowl XL: The Other Shoe Always Drops. The Seahawks are unstoppable. An 11-game winning streak, a record-breaking MVP season from Shaun Alexander and then ... [incoherent mumbling]. I spend the season dating the love of my life, a gorgeous, hilarious young actress who I absolutely don't deserve. It's too good to be true. I work two jobs 65 hours a week for 10 months so I can save up to get her an engagement ring.
Let's just say that instead of a princess-cut diamond, I ended up buying a very nice computer. For myself. And people wonder why I'm sensitive about the Super Bowl.
2006 Preview: What Else Can You Do, God? Throughout the course of an NFL season, as in life, a whole hell of a lot can go wrong. And some franchises, like some people, get the lion's share of bad luck in the world. Life isn't fair, and the Seahawks and I would be a lot happier if we just accepted our fate. Instead, we're going to go out and fight, broken-hearted but full of hope. Who knows? Maybe this is the year the Seahawks finally win the Super Bowl. It's a hard concept to grasp, because I can't imagine what implications it might have in my own life. I guess if the 'Hawks win in Miami next February, I can expect a long-awaited phone call: Actually, Scarlett, no — I don't have a date to the Oscars. Why do you ask?


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Russia's Klyuchevskaya Volcano (also spelled Kliuchevskoi) propelled a plume of ash into clear Kamchatkan skies in the autumn of 2013. In addition to the ash plume, an active lava flow spilled from the summit down the volcano's southwestern flank. In the afternoon image (lower), long shadows reveal the structure of the plume. The ash barely rises above Klyuchevskaya's 4,750-meter (15,580-foot) summit before being carried southeast by the wind.
The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) instruments on the Terra (morning) and Aqua (afternoon) satellites captured these natural-color images on October 13, 2013. Photographs from the Kamchatka Volcanic Eruption Response Team (KVERT) provide a ground-level look at the rising ash plume and fountaining lava. Volcanologist Erik Klemetti reported that Klyuchevskaya was still erupting (along with neighboring Shiveluch) on October 15.
NASA images courtesy Jeff Schmaltz LANCE/EOSDIS MODIS Rapid Response Team, GSFC.


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Managing bacteria and other microorganisms in the body, rather than just fighting them, may be lead to better health and a stronger immune system, according to a Penn State biologist.
Researchers have historically focused on microbes in the body as primarily pathogens that must be fought, says Eric Harvill, professor of microbiology and infectious disease. However, he said that recent evidence of the complex interaction of the body with microbes suggests a new interpretation of the relationship.
"Now we are beginning to understand that the immune system interacts with far more beneficial bacteria than pathogens," says Harvill. "We need to re-envision what the true immune system really is."
Harvill says that this reinterpretation leads to a more flexible approach to understanding how the immune system interacts with microbes. This approach should balance between defending against pathogens and enlisting the help of beneficial microbes.
While the role that some bacteria play in aiding digestion is better known, microbes assist in improving body functions, including strengthening the immune system and responding to injuries.
In some cases, attacking pathogens can harm the beneficial effects microbes have on immune system, according to Harvill. For example, patients on antibiotics have an increased risk of contracting yeast infections and MRSA.
"Viewing everything currently considered immunity, including both resistance and tolerance, as aspects of a complex microbiome management system that mediates interactions with the sea of microbes that surround us, many of which are beneficial, can provide a much more positive outlook and different valuable perspectives," Harvill says.
The system that includes bacteria and other microbes in the human body, or the microbiome, is much larger and more integrated into human health than most people suspect, according to Harvill.
"The human body has 10 times more bacterial cells than human cells," says Harvill. Adding to the complexity is the adaptive capacity of the human immune system. The immune system can develop antibodies against certain pathogens, which it can reuse when threatened by future attacks from the same pathogen.
Harvill, who described his alternative viewpoint in the latest issue of mBio, says that some researchers have not yet accepted this broader approach to the immune system.
"Among immunologists or microbiologists this is an alien concept," says Harvill. "It's not part of how we have historically looked at the immune system, but it's a useful viewpoint."
Other researchers who study plant and nonhuman biology are already starting to embrace the concept. For example, plant biologists are beginning to recognize that viruses can help plants resist drought and heat.
"Within nonhuman immunology, this is not an alien concept because they have seen many examples of beneficial relationships between the host and its microbial commensals," Harvill says. Harvill adds that adopting this new perspective could be the first step toward new medical treatments.
"This new viewpoint suggests new experiments and results will published," says Harvill. "And, hopefully, the concept becomes more and more mainstream as supporting evidence accumulates."
The National Institute of General Medical Sciences supported this work.
Source: Penn StateÂ


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Crafted in 100% solid Moso bamboo with a beautifully deep toned sable finish, the Cassia dining chair makes it easy for you to promote sustainability in a lovely, classic and functional way in your home.
Greenington keeps this item in stock and ready for immediate shipping. Please allow one to three weeks for transit time and delivery depending on your location.
BASIC DELIVERY If you'd like to have us bring your items to you, but you prefer to move them about your home on your own, we offer a basic delivery service. When an item arrives for you, we'll call you and schedule a day and time to bring it to your home. Once at your home, we'll bring it just inside your door when possible, or to the first dry area of your home such as your garage. And from there it's all up to you to unpack and set it up in your home.
DELUXE DELIVERY - If you want the easiest way about it, we offer full service delivery and set up. When an item arrives for you, we'll call you to schedule a day and time that works best to meet at your home. And when we get there, just show us where you'd like your new furnishings to be placed. We'll take care of the rest. We place the items you've ordered just where you'd like them to go, making sure everything is set and put together properly, leveled, and ready for your enjoyment. Excludes handling of any electronic equipment. Excludes hanging any mirrors or wall art. DELUXE DELIVERY ADDS ONE TO TWO WEEKS OF ADDITIONAL TIME REQUIRED FOR RECEIVING, PROCESSING, AND SCHEDULING.
Foster's is a fourth generation family owned and operated small business that was founded in 1951. It's our sound belief that the furniture you place in your home is a direct reflection of your individual taste and lifestyle. If you have any questions what so ever please call us at 206.243.1834.
In all instances, make certain you have measured to be sure the pieces you are ordering can get into your home and fit into your room. Make sure it will fit through all the doors and will be able to turn all the corners along the way. And if you live in a residence that requires us to make an appointment for use of a loading dock or receiving area, please be sure to let us know so we can plan accordingly.
Some exclusions for our delivery services apply. These services exclude Alaska, Hawaii, or international locations. All prices, shipping, as well as delivery, are based in US Dollars and only delivered within the continental USA. If the pieces you'd like need to go to Alaska, Hawaii, or an international location, please contact us for a proper quote.
All Greenington furniture is made of 100% natural bamboo. It is very hard, dense and extremely durable. Like any natural hardwood furniture, maintaining the humidity in a controlled environment is also very important for bamboo furniture. Keeping the relative humidity in the range of 40 to 55 percent will greatly reduce the potential for any checking or warping, allowing you to better preserve the natural beauty of the pieces. Here are some general tips that'll go a long way towards maintaining and caring for your new furniture pieces.
Use coasters and pads to prevent damage from heat, moisture or heavy objects.Do not use wax or polish on your bamboo furniture.To prevent staining or water marks, make sure to clean spills immediately, using a dabbing motion with a soft cloth.
For periodic cleaning use a soft cloth and a gentle cleaner designed for wood furniture.Avoid cleaners that contain abrasive materials, oil, acidic or caustic ingredients or any other harsh chemicals.
To avoid scratches, take care to lift objects and never drag or slide them across surfaces.
Avoid placing furniture directly in front of heat vents, wood burning stoves or other heat sources.Never place bamboo furniture in direct sunlight day after day.
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Brittany Burkhardt joined the ETSU women's basketball coaching staff in May 2013 after spending two seasons at the University of Detroit Mercy. Burkhardt joined the Titans in the summer of 2011 as a graduate manager and served as a graduate assistant coach for the 2012-13 campaign. In that role, Burkhardt assisted the program in on the court preparation, film exchange, game management and day-to-day office responsibilities.
Previously as a student-athlete, Burkhardt was a four-year starter and 1,000-point scorer for the Saginaw Valley State Cardinals. She received numerous accolades during her career including a selection to GLIAC All-Academic team, Dean's List, and preseason All-Conference. She also served as team captain her senior year finishing her playing career with 1,031 points and 606 rebounds. She scored in double digits in three of her four years, including leading SVSU in scoring as a junior at 11.7 ppg.
Off the court, she served on SAAC for three years, where she was a board member of Priority Registration committee, Cards Who Care (Covenant Hospital Volunteer), Special Olympics volunteer and Sunrise Retirement volunteer. She also took part in fundraisers for the Make A Wish Foundation, food drive for Hidden Harvest and community youth days.
Besides basketball, she worked as an intern with ESPN 100.9 FM Radio in marketing, promotions, production and media relations as well as with Total Performance Training Center in Wixom and was a summer camp counselor at Walled Lake Central High School.
She played her high school ball at Walled Lake Central and was a three-time WLAA All-Conference team honoree. She was the WLAA's scoring leader in her last two seasons and was named team captain and MVP her final three years. She also played softball and left as the school record holder in strikeouts, innings pitched, ERA and shutouts.
Burkhardt graduated from Saginaw Valley State in 2011 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication and in May 2013 earned a Master of Arts degree in Liberal Studies from Detroit Mercy.


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Syrian Prime Minister Defects In Major Blow To Assad Regime
Syria's recently appointed prime minister has defected to Jordan and joined the opposition to President Bashar Assad, the highest-level departure to date from the embattled regime.
Prime Minister Riyad Hijab fled with his family just two months after assuming his post in the Cabinet. In a statement read to Al-Jazeera television, Hijab rejected a claim from Syrian state media that he had been fired.
"I announce today my defection from the killing and terrorist regime, and I announce that I have joined the ranks of the freedom and dignity revolution," Hijab said in a statement read by spokesman Muhammad el-Etri on Al-Jazeera television.
According to Al-Jazeera's website:
Etri also denied that Hijab had been sacked, saying that the government had made the announcement of his dismissal after officials realized that the prime minister had fled the country.
Etri said that the defection was planned "for months", and was executed in conjunction with the Free Syrian Army [rebels].
The former prime minister encouraged other Syrian officials to defect in the wake of his announcement, Etri said, adding that with his departure other, less senior, officials "have no excuse not to defect."
He cautioned, however, that the Syrian government was likely to "react haphazardly, in a hysterical manner. It will perpetrate more killings [and] any official willing to defect must act wisely. He must take care of himself and his family."
"The regime speaks only one language: the language of blood," Etri told Al-Jazeera.
Hijab is the first Cabinet minister to defect, and the BBC says his departure "underscores the cracks in the regime which are reaching beyond military ranks."
Last month, Brig. Gen. Manaf Tlas, who was considered close to Assad, also defected, joining some 30 other Syrian generals who have crossed over to Turkey.
Syrian state media said Monday that Deputy Prime Minister Omar Ghalawanji would become the head of a caretaker government.


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NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The Indianapolis Colts know they have to stop falling behind early.
It's just a hard habit to break when they keep rallying for victories.
The Colts trailed 14-0 before Andrew Luck and the offense scored 20 straight points and turned a 17-6 halftime deficit into a 30-27 win over the Tennessee Titans on Thursday night.
"That's how we make our living," Colts coach Chuck Pagano said. "It caught up with us two games ago. We have got to try to make things a little easier on ourselves."
The Colts (7-3) have been outscored 35-0 in the first quarter in their past three games — two of them victories. They also have trailed in six games after the first quarter this season.
"There is no panic," Colts safety Antoine Bethea said. "We always talk about it's going to come down to the last 2 minutes of the game, and this year that is what it has been."
Indianapolis is in firm control of the AFC South having beaten all three division opponents on the road this season. The Colts have beaten the Titans four straight and nine of the last 10.
The Titans (4-6) know only too well about the final 2 minutes. They scored late for a second straight game and couldn't recover an onside kick. Now Tennessee has lost five of six, and the Titans will play four of their final six on the road.
"We knew the Colts were a good second-half team, and we didn't finish the game out," Titans defensive end Derrick Morgan said. "We are losing close games that we think that we should have won. We haven't been finishing games. We are who we are."
Here are five things to know about the Colts taking control of the AFC South against the Titans:
COLTS CAN RUN: The Colts have been struggling to protect Luck and open holes in the run game. Indianapolis had just 14 yards in last week's embarrassing 38-8 loss to St. Louis. But the Titans sacked Luck only once, and Donald Brown ran for 80 yards and two touchdowns, including the clincher with 3:01 left. The Colts ran 10 times on an 11-play drive before Brown scored his second TD.
"They had a point to prove," Pagano said.
AGELESS WONDER: Colts kicker Adam Vinatieri isn't slowing down with age. Vinatieri, who will turn 41 on Dec. 28, made all three of his field-goal attempts and improved to 20 of 23 this season. His field goals Thursday included a 48-yarder and a 50-yarder. He has made each of his last four attempts from at least 50 yards out, matching his career-best from that distance.
RECEIVING HELP: The Colts have been looking for someone other than T.Y. Hilton to help out Luck by catching passes since Reggie Wayne tore his ACL. Well, they found a few options against the Titans. Coby Fleener had a career-high eight catches for 107 yards with a long of 39, and Trent Richardson caught five passes for 31 yards. They still need more from their other receivers, who combined to catch only three passes, and Darrius Heyward-Bey didn't finish after hurting an ankle.
SPECIAL TEAMS GAFFE: The Titans are on their third kick returner this season in Devon Wylie. Darius Reynaud was cut last month after his latest mistake, and Damian Williams was sidelined by an injured hip. So Wylie, who hadn't returned a kick or punt this season, filled in. His first return of the third quarter popped out when he ran into the back of teammate Craig Stevens, and the Colts scored to take a lead they never surrendered.
"It's unfortunate," Wylie said. "It was very big."
FINISHING: The Titans have lost two straight games in the span of five days when they scored late but couldn't recover the onside kick. This time, Rob Bironas' kick didn't even cover the 10 yards necessary before the Titans could recover it without touching any of the Colts. The ball rolled right to Colts linebacker Pat Angerer.
AP Sports Writer Steve Megargee contributed to this report.
AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org
Follow Teresa M. Walker at www.twitter.com/teresamwalker