Fix Gadgets, Identify Wildlife, & Read Up

September 28, 2012 Leave a Comment

One reason I like writing about mobile technology is that it can touch upon so many other topics.

Filed under Writing, Zco

New Hippo Techie: Long live PCs

September 27, 2012 Leave a Comment

I hear a lot about how mobile devices are the future, and anyone still using a laptop or desktop is a hopeless dinosaur. One guy in my Twitter feed is using only mobile devices (tablets and smartphones) for a year and blogging about the experience.

Personally, I use full-blown computers less than I used to, but still quite a bit. I work on one all day, my laptop at home gets plenty of use, and the desktop with all my microphones and audio equipment hooked up to it is essential when I have the time and energy to be musically creative.

Read the complete article at The Hippo.

Filed under Hippo Techie, Writing

The 2nd Listen: A Review of Muse’s New Album, “The 2nd Law”

September 26, 2012 Leave a Comment

muse_the_2nd_law_packshot_rgb3_2I tend to judge albums quite harshly when I first hear them. They’re never exactly what I expect, so they can’t live up to that standard. With bands I love as much as Muse, the latest album can also clash with what I want to hear – more songs along the lines of my favorites from years past. I almost couldn’t stand their last album, The Resistance, because it was so different from their earlier work.

With a second listen, though, I know vaguely what to expect and can let the album speak for itself. The 2nd Law also stands out quite starkly from early Muse, so to judge it on its own merits required a cooling off period of about a day before I gave it another shot. Read more of this post

Filed under Music, Writing

What Do You Love, and How Do You Know?

September 24, 2012 4 Comments

coffee stain music note

I’m looking for some perspective.

We all have things we enjoy doing. Hobbies, activities, whatever. Some of us are lucky enough to do our favorite things for money, supposedly. And some people have an incredibly long list of things they’re absolutely passionate about.

But I sometimes find myself having trouble naming those things that I like doing. Some of the things I rattle off don’t seem like much fun at that moment; am I repeating them out of habit, or because I think they make me sound cool, or what? Do I really enjoy any of them for their own sake? Would I enjoy other things I haven’t tried, or haven’t invested the time to learn about properly? Do I only really enjoy kind of dull things?

I sometimes fear I am unable to take an accurate stock of my own interests. So I thought I’d ask anyone reading: what do you love, and more importantly, how do you know? What makes your favorite hobby worth doing? Why do you do what you do? Leave a comment with your answer, or write your own blog and link your answer, or write to me privately if you’re shy about being frank.

Filed under Random, Writing

New Smartphones, Carrier Wars, and Apps to Defeat Drudgery

September 21, 2012 1 Comment

Once again, it’s been a busy few weeks.

 

Filed under Writing, Zco

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