Jeff Croft

Photo // 06.30.2007 // 9:12 PM // flickr

New club in KC
Photo // 06.30.2007 // 7:25 PM // flickr

Dead doggy
Link // 06.30.2007 // 1:31 PM // 1 Comment
knoxnews.com: redesigns and relaunches on Ellington

The Knoxville News-Sentinel drops the rigid confines of Vignette and jumps on the open, restriction-free Ellington train — and put together a nice redesign, to boot.
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Photo // 06.30.2007 // 12:12 PM // Lawrence, KS // flickr

Awesome new restaurant in Lawrence
Link // 06.30.2007 // 10:30 AM // 1 Comment
iPhone: pottymouth friendly

I actually celebrated this quite loudly when I discovered it last night. It sure beats trying to call Mike D. a “pussy” in an SMS and having it “corrected” to “puppy” by that God-forsaken T9.
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Photo // 06.30.2007 // 8:25 AM // Lawrence, KS // flickr

From iPhone
Link // 06.29.2007 // 11:21 PM // 1 Comment
How far we’ve come

This picture is freaking awesome.
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Photo // 06.29.2007 // 4:14 PM // Lawrence, KS // flickr

w00t!
Photo // 06.29.2007 // 3:51 PM // Lawrence, KS // flickr

Jacob, you owe me lunch, and I want Pachamama's.
Photo // 06.29.2007 // 3:06 PM // Lawrence, KS // flickr

The line
Photo // 06.29.2007 // 11:33 AM // Lawrence, KS // flickr

Number 13 in line, by my count.
Link // 06.29.2007 // 8:59 AM // 2 Comments
FSF: iPhone restricts users, GPLv3 frees them

Very convincing. I’m getting out of the iPhone line and into the GPLv3 line. Anyone know where it starts?
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Link // 06.29.2007 // 8:05 AM // 0 Comments
Cutting Edge: AT&T EDGE Speeds on Steroids?

These reports started showing up last night, and I blew them off. But by this morning, the numbers are just too staggering to ignore. Basically, hundreds upon hundreds of people are reporting massive speed increases on EDGE in the past 48 hours, all across the country.

And, let’s not forget that we did know a month ago that AT&T; was working on improvements to EDGE to be ready for the iPhone. I just didn’t expect this kind of improvement.

Fingers crossed that it’s for real, but still not convinced.
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Link // 06.29.2007 // 7:16 AM // 0 Comments
WebFaction updates their Django configuration

WebFaction, my preferred web host for Django apps, has updated to mod_python 3.3.1 and added support for Python 2.5. Woohoo!
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Link // 06.28.2007 // 10:20 PM // 0 Comments
Kottke: Facebook is the new AOL

Jason should blog more often. I mean, he’s good at posting links, but anyone can do that. When he actually writes something of his own mind, he can be downright brilliant.
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Link // 06.28.2007 // 12:26 PM // 0 Comments
Spice Girls back together

This. Is. Awesome.
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Link // 06.28.2007 // 7:25 AM // 0 Comments
Simon at Google: The Implications of Open ID

Simon Willison, “Identity Crusader”, continues his OpenID evangelism with a kick-ass TechTalk at Google.
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Link // 06.27.2007 // 8:32 PM // 1 Comment
While Seated: The Jena 6

Advice to anyone who thinks racism is no longer much of an issue: read this.

Update: And read this, for more details.
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Photo // 06.27.2007 // 8:16 PM // flickr

Launched: Craig Daily Press, Craig, CO
Link // 06.27.2007 // 7:49 PM // 0 Comments
Pogue: Often-Asked iPhone Questions

The Times’ tech columnist answers tons of questions about the iPhone. Most of the answers, though, don’t reveal much we didn’t already know or assume. I was very dissapointed with one answer, though:

Do To Do items show up on the iPhone? No.

Bummer. On the other hand, there’s this:

Are there any secret features? When the screen is off, the glossy black glass becomes a handy makeup mirror.

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Link // 06.27.2007 // 7:27 PM // 2 Comments
iPhone Only: reader.mac.com

Looks like Apple has developed an RSS reader for iPhone at reader.mac.com. Who wants to spoof their user agent string and see if they can get into this bad boy?
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Link // 06.27.2007 // 5:24 PM // 0 Comments
Fluther: Tap the Collective

Yet another new Django-powered social web app. Looks interesting!
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Link // 06.27.2007 // 4:49 PM // 0 Comments
Pownce: New startup, powered by Django

This hot-looking new tool, the baby of Leah Culver, Kevin Rose, Daniel Burka, and Shawn Allen, looks like it could be something worth tracking. And with those people behind it, you know it has a chance. And yes, it’s Django-powered. Hells yeah!
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Link // 06.27.2007 // 12:08 PM // 0 Comments
Life at Google - The Microsoftie Perspective

Interesting look at what it’s like working for Google, from someone who (apparently) now works at Microsoft and is trying to help them be more competitive with Google in recruiting.
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Link // 06.27.2007 // 11:41 AM // 0 Comments
Managing Humans, by Michael Lopp

Rands wrote a book. You should buy it. I know I will. Cool site, too.
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Link // 06.27.2007 // 8:04 AM // 5 Comments
iPhone Competitor Talking Points Revealed

I really do believe the the lack of IM, MMS, Song ID, and MP3s-as-ringtone will hurt the iPhone in some circles — especially the younger demographic which loves all this stuff. That is, if the consumers are smart enough to realize this stuff is missing before they plunk down their $600. Given that all of these features are pretty much a given on even the cheapest phones, it’s likely people will just assume they’re on the iPhone, as well — and be frustrated (after* their purchase.

All could possibly be added via a simple software update, but who knows whether Apple will do that or not. None of them bother me much personally, but I know a lot of people for whom the lack of these features would be a dealbreaker.

Sprint and Verizon would do well to exploit them.
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Link // 06.27.2007 // 7:10 AM // 0 Comments
The Star Spangled Banner

Now that’s fun. Via Greg.
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Link // 06.27.2007 // 7:05 AM // 2 Comments
Apple: iPhone keyboard

Apple has posted a video about how the virtual keyboard in iPhone works. After reading the reviews and seeing this, I’m convinced it works very well if you simply trust it and blast away. That’s going to be hard to get used to, especially after how much I don’t trust T9. Once I do, though, it seems I’ll be able to type pretty damn fast. Check out the video — iPhone’s keyboard definitely has some smart programming behind it to help prevent and fix your mistakes.
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Link // 06.26.2007 // 5:31 PM // 0 Comments
USATODAY.com: Apple’s iPhone isn’t perfect, but it’s worthy of the hype

The reviews are now pouring in, and they all say the same thing: iPhone rocks, as long as you spend most of your time on WiFi, don’t miss the lack of instant messaging or MMS, and give the virtual keyboard a week or so of getting used to.

God I’m going to be pissed if I can’t get one of these bad boys on Friday.
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Link // 06.26.2007 // 5:15 PM // 0 Comments
Walt Mossberg: The iPhone is Breakthrough Handheld Computer

Mossberg, in his video review: “The keyboard issue on the iPhone is a non-issue” He says, after five days, he was just as fast or faster than he types on the Treo he’s been using for years.

Like Pogue, he decries the pathetic speed of EDGE, and calls WiFi the iPhone’s saving grace.
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Link // 06.26.2007 // 5:07 PM // 0 Comments
Gizmodo can’t beleive John C. Dvorak would compare iPhone to Hitler

This, from the blog that’s been calling it the Jesus Phone since the day it was announced.
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Link // 06.26.2007 // 5:01 PM // 0 Comments
New York Times Video: The iPhone Challenge: Keep It Quiet

Pogue’s video review of the iPhone is cute and funny. If you like gadgets and you don’t subscribe to his podcast, get on it already. Good stuff.
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Link // 06.26.2007 // 4:49 PM // 0 Comments
First iPhone Review, David Pogue: The iPhone Matches Most of Its Hype

The New York Times’ David Pogue gets his review out first, and it’s generally very positive. He notes that the network is slow as shit (duh, it’s EDGE), and that the keyboard does take some getting used to (but says that it works quite well once you learn to trust it), and it stupidly doesn’t have MMS (which, frankly, is going to be a huge dissapointment to buyers who don’t realize it’s not there, given that every cheap-ass phone on the market has it and a ton of people use it every day), but glows and glows about basically every other aspect of the device.

But even in version 1.0, the iPhone is still the most sophisticated, outlook-changing piece of electronics to come along in years. It does so many things so well, and so pleasurably, that you tend to forgive its foibles. In other words, maybe all the iPhone hype isn’t hype at all. As the ball player Dizzy Dean once said, “It ain’t bragging if you done it.”

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Link // 06.26.2007 // 1:23 PM // 0 Comments
Engadget: How does the iPhone stack up in total cost?

Bottom line: “Those worried that your iPhone will cost you a lot more in service fees than you’d pay otherwise, worry not. You’re going to pay more for the device itself, but the iPhone plans are totally fair, based on AT&T;’s current pricing scheme.”

And the numbers do bear that out. In general, the iPhone cost over two years is $200-$300 more than most other popular smartphones. So, pay more for the device, but about the same for service. In fact, family plan users will actually save a decent bit over most other plans.
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Link // 06.26.2007 // 12:17 PM // 0 Comments
OmniGraffle Wireframe Palette

Via Nick at Blue Flavor, check out this nice palette for wireframing web sites with OmnoGraffle. If you do IA and wireframing on a Mac, this looks to be a must-have.
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Link // 06.26.2007 // 6:49 AM // 5 Comments
iPhone: Unlimited data starting at $60; activation exclusively through iTunes

Nice. Both of these make me very happy. Voice, SMS, rollover minutes, unlimited data, and unlimited mobile-to-mobile starting at $60 a month is definitely less than I expected. And activation through iTunes hopefully means those lines won’t be too ridiculous to wait in on Friday.
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Photo // 06.23.2007 // 6:24 PM // Seattle, WA // flickr

Real Change, yo!
Photo // 06.23.2007 // 6:24 PM // Seattle, WA // flickr

Our Duck's driver/captain
Photo // 06.23.2007 // 6:24 PM // Seattle, WA // flickr

More Lake Union floating homes
Photo // 06.23.2007 // 6:24 PM // Seattle, WA // flickr

Ridiculous floating home — with a basement.