The Tallies: Steve Jobs & Bill Gates
I guess its time for me to jump on the bandwagon and post my commentary on the life of Steve Jobs like everyone else on the web. Originally, I resolved to keep my mouth shut, but after seeing this article on Forbes, I decided to comment on an angle most seem to be ignoring. Now before I get to far, I am sorry about his untimely passing, and I’m certainly not pulling a Stallman. However, as pasbesoin states on Hacker News ”…there needs to be room for a larger conversation. In part precisely because and as a reflection of this influence, there are important matter to discuss. Not all aspects will be flattering of Mr. Jobs. But that is the nature of the position he inhabited and the decisions he made.”
Bill Gates & Co helped made a product (Windows) which can be used on almost any computing device. By that, I mean you can go down to Best Buy, buy all the pieces you need, and build a Windows computer (shut up Linux users: you require too much tinkering for the average Joe). This helped bring the personal computer to the masses. For a number of reasons, this brought Gates tremendous wealth. Now, certainly, Jobs & Co played a role in that as well, but their paths diverge quickly.
Some make the argument that Job’s contributions to the world made it a better place. The iPad didn’t make the world any healthier or smarter. Perhaps the developers who created applications to use on the iPad did. The only world that Jobs really improved with his products are the worlds of those who directly benefited from the money tree. Is there anything wrong with this? Absolutely not. I only take issue with those who praise him as the savior. Let’s just refer to him as what he really was: Jobs was an excellent capitalist. He spent his time figuring out how to create another piece of consumerism plastic with built-in obsolesce. I don’t buy into the “genius” of Jobs. He wasn’t by himself, sitting atop of mountain, stepping down once a year to give us mere mortals a piece of hand-crafted brilliance. He had an excellent team of creative individuals who probably endured an immense amount of stress as Jobs thought himself perfect and demanded the same everyone around him. For whatever reason, Apple decided to create an image of an ultimate, infallible leader. Corporations don’t put creative geniuses at their helms, they put cutthroat capitalists in those seats. Jobs was celebrated for working, right up to the end, on creating more wealth for Apple’s shareholders. Then, it happened. Consumers around the world wept. Why? Because they weren’t sure they were going to get another cool product to spend too much on. Jobs was stinking rich, and he knew it. With his over-reactive legal department suing anything with a fruit on it, he attacked Android for stealing everything from him. Apple’s entire culture is built around exclusivity, being a walled-garden with complete control over what you can do with what you own. You can’t play unless you pay. Windows has to play with everyone, lest they be taken to court again. Apple can force consumers to use iTunes with their iStuff. Meanwhile, Microsoft has to be cut up into several business units and pander to governments around the world because of “anti-trust” issues. Apple’s no underdog, nor a champion for them, they just have a better legal department.
Since stepping down as Microsoft’s CEO, Gates now spends his days literally giving away his wealth which saves lives around the world and teaches computer literacy to children who would otherwise never have the opportunity. And, not just giving the money away, but taking the time to research and invest in long-term strategies to better the lives of the underprivileged.
Which of these men is worshiped?
It says a lot about who we are as a people.
There, I’ve said it.
Configuration Program for Panasonic BL-C30A
Alright, guys, this is a boring post, but I hope to help a couple people out with it. The Panasonic BL-30A I speak of is a wired/wireless IP network camera with pan/tilt functionality. When I purchased it, Panasonic was just adding it to its list of devices it no longer actively supported, so its definitely not supported now. No firmware updates were ever released for it, and just to give you an idea of the firmware’s antiquity, the wireless only works WEP encryption. I picked one up about 4 years ago and, miraculously, have managed to keep track of the CD that came with it. But, that’s the trouble: If the camera is reset, or you end up with it on a network where that camera is on the wrong subnet, the only way to set it up the first time is to use the configuration utility that comes on the CD. I think you can also find the camera’s DHCP address if you have access to your network’s DHCP tables, or you browse through your computer’s ARP tables, assuming you’re in the same broadcast domain, but I’m not sure if it enables web-interface configuration until after the initial configuration performed by the setup program on the CD. After several fruitless web searches, and many dead links, I gave up trying to find it on the web and decided to dig up the CD where I had it stashed. Here I share with you the original setup software (including instruction manual with its machine-translated English) for the BL-C30A.
- Panasonic BL-C30A NETWORKCAMERA.zip
All CD files in a .zip folder
Hey, Oracle! We hate this crap.
Opt-out McAfee “security scan plus” on Java install. Not only does it make the download larger, it might cause computers with perfectly functioning anti-virus to slow down. Thanks, Oracle!
New Program Checks SubFinder Automatically
Last year, my wife completed earning a liberal studies degree and a multiple-subject credential, but with the employment rate in the Central Valley of California being among the highest in the nation, finding a teaching position proved impossible. However, she was able to interview and be placed on several school district’s sub lists. We found being called for a job from the automated system was a poor way to get jobs since the system would call based on a priority list. Several factors played into this list, but one of them was how often you worked at a particular site. Since my wife just started subbing, we knew she wouldn’t be called for any school site unless all the regulars were already employed for the day or skipped out on the job. Then, my wife revealed there was an online component to the system. Being of the geek type, when she told me these districts used a system called SubFinder and listed every available job for which she is eligible, I knew this would be the key.
At first, I set up a shortcut on her smartphone which jumped right to the web sites for SubFinder which allowed her to job shop throughout the day. But with my mind still turning, I knew I couldn’t let this continue manually. This is the INTERNETS! That means connected systems and automation, my friends!
SubFinder has no built-in notification system, aside from the archaic one-at-a-time phone calling system(I know, right?). However, I was able to find a new online service called SubAssistant which checks your SubFinder account for you, then sends you a text message or email alert when one is available. All you need to do is sign up, enter your SubFinder info, set your notification preferences, and wait for the jobs to come to you. Once I set this up for my wife, she couldn’t believe how many notifications she was receiving. While SubAssistant doesn’t auto accept the jobs for you, it was easy for my wife to get the email on her phone, then immediately pop open the browser and pick up the job manually.
While looking for automated programs to check SubFinder, I ran across a couple of others for different sub systems like Sub Sidekick, Jobulator, and SubAlerts, but all these programs require you to download software to your own computer and leave your computer on 24/7 so the software can check the site. I liked SubAssistant’s approach; its all online so you don’t have to worry about leaving your computer on or missing jobs because you forgot to start the software after a reboot. (Not to mention the electric bill!) Another option is using something like the Check4Change plugin for Firefox or ReloadEvery for Internet Explorer and (I think) Chrome. But again, these two just refresh the page and essentially tie you to your computer.
Does anyone know of any other program that can do the same thing for SubFinder? SubAssistant works great, but it doesn’t hurt to try others, right?
Microsoft Windows 7 Student Discount is on again
Well, sorta… While we’ll never see the $30 student deal we saw when Windows 7 was first released, for a limited time, Windows 7 Professional is available for $65 to anyone who has an eligible .edu email address. Go to: http://www.microsoft.com/student/en/us/windows/buynow/default.aspx to check for eligibility.
When you go through the cart process, be sure to remove any “backup” or physical media options. As long as you’re careful enough to keep the downloaded ISO somewhere safe along with the product key, you don’t need to pay Microsoft for their backup or physical media.
I’m Stealing Your Car, and that’s Okay
Many YouTube users have a profound misunderstanding of copyright law, copyright infringement, and fair use. Assuming copyright laws and fair use guidelines remain constant over the next 10 years, my children will know why people who say these things need to be educated:
No copyright infringement intended?? That’s like saying “no offense, but…” right before you say something that’s really offensive.
This one is like stealing a neighbor’s car then becoming indignant when he confronts you for stealing it. “What? I told everyone I didn’t own your car while driving it, so I’m good to use it for anything I want, right?!”
And my favorite:
The pissed off YouTube user with an incredibly misplaced sense of entitlement and absolutely no clue about how advertising, copyright, marketing, or really, anything works in the real world. “This is YOUtube, the place where we can post OUR videos that we make with YOUR music, YOUR video, and YOUR imagery using the free Windows Movie Maker or Adobe Premiere that I illegally downloaded!”
Idiots.
Discover:
Copyright Law
Fair Use
My New Cubical Buddy – Android Mini Collectible Standard Edition
Andrew Bell, some kind of artist and, apparently, a fan of the Android Operating system paired, in official fashion, with Google’s Android team to create sets of mini collectibles featuring our lovable Android mascot. That’s about all I know about that. However, what I do know is, when I saw this pop up in Neatorama’s RSS feed last week, I immediately sought to purchase one. You see, just the day prior, I happened across some sad looking Android plush dolls on the ‘tubes and thought to myself, “Self… if I ever see a really good looking Android small enough to fit into a cubical–where I will soon be moving–I’m buying it on the spot.” I know what you’re thinking, and yes, I use em dashes in my thoughts. The Neatorama store was sold out at the time, but not wanting to wait another moment, I was able to find another from Amazon through a seller, Just Action Figures.
For those interested in the actual product, not the glamor shots found every where else, I took a few snapshots of the figure placed next to the Motorola Droid X for comparison.
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