drawing by
Jeremy Donelson
I'm Rich Rosen, and this is my blog.
Expect the usual verbiage I tend to spew on the usual array of topics, with a heavy concentration on music, the Macintosh, Java, Web technology, humor (hopefully of the funny variety), chocolate and of course the usual ranting.
Naturally, the usual provisos apply: the opinions expressed herein and hereafter are my own and do not reflect the opinions of my employer or anybody else but me.
Why It's a Big Deal That the iPad is No Big Deal
Kindle-killer? Maybe. Larger version of the iPhone? No, not really. Revolutionary game-changer? Are you kidding?
Formula for Writing Your Own Monty Python Sketch
Have a hankering for new Monty Python material? Well, don't be such a hanker—write your own!
Gmail's Labels Now More Like Folders: A Good Thing?
Gmail had a great idea: replacing the limitations of hierarchical folders with the flexibility of labels. Now they are promoting the notion that they've "improved" Gmail by making labels work more like folders. How is that an improvement?
There's a newspaper in my iPhone
As the "death of the newspaper" gets continuing coverage (mostly on television), new apps bring the New York Times, USA Today, and now The Wall Street Journal, to your iPhone.
When Atlas Shrugs, People Listen... But Why?
The ones who got us into the economic mess we're in thought Atlas Shrugged was a primer for modeling a society--rather than just a work of (bad) fiction. Their solution to the problems they caused? Read Atlas Shrugged...
A new Mac mini at last
Apple finally announced a long-awaited upgrade to the Mac mini product line.
Gmail vs. Better Gmail: Change One, Break the Other
If you use the Firefox extension Better Gmail 2, recently you may have noticed some problems. Changes to Gmail's HTML and CSS layout broke some of the scripts included in this add-on. But don't worry, Better Gmail is getting better.
New Microsoft Program Lets Anyone Record a Bad Prefab Song... on a MacBook?
Eager to show your fancy musician friends that you can record your own hit song without any musical knowledge or talent? Microsoft can show you the way... just as they did more than a dozen years ago. Only this time, according to their video ad, you do it on a MacBook.
Macworld: Where did the mini go?
Everyone seemed to be anticipating a new version of the Mac mini would be announced at the Macworld conference today. But then... nothing.
Talking Heads... of the Robotic Kind
Giving robots emotions, even just simulating them for the sake of improving their interaction with humans, sounds like a bad idea. What happens when my Roomba gets angry and decides to vacuum ME up off the floor?
Gmail gives you options... perhaps too many
A year ago, Gmail was updated to provide a new interface. The Better Gmail add-on for Firefox was updated to support this new interface. Then Gmail Labs began providing new experimental features. Who can keep it all straight?
"Why Don't You Just TELL ME the Text You Want to Search For?"
The brouhaha over the voice search capability in the latest version of Google's new iPhone app.
More "New" Beatles Music
Paul McCartney wants to release a long-lost Beatles song that many thought was just a myth.
How Good is Shazam?
Apple's latest iPhone commercial showcases Shazam, an app that listens to music playing nearby and tells you which song it is... sometimes...
Small is the New Big: How the Asus EEE Subnotebook Changed the Laptop Landscape
Somewhere in between PDAs and smartphones (with tiny screens and tinier keyboards) and full-size laptops are the new breed of portable digital device, alternately referred to as "subnotebooks" or "netbooks". The next big thing is... small.
Papa Bears and Panda Bears: Bill O'Reilly on the Daily Show
Jon Stewart engaged in a little "dialogue with a demagogue" when he interviewed Bill O'Reilly last week on The Daily Show. Worth watching.
Workaround for iPhone Users with Gmail Custom Addresses
Gmail started misbehaving for some people right around the time the Android was introduced (coincidence?), but attempting to resolve this problem led to the discovery of a cool way to make Gmail work better on your iPhone.
