Ugh... it's amazing what two jobs and two reporting classes in the same semester can do to your productivity on a personal blog. The work you don't get paid for or graded on gets pushed to the back burner.
The last post I wrote was a quick and dirty rundown of my favorite iPhone apps about a week in. The apps are what make the iPhone. The Zune HD looks like a promising device, and I almost stuck with Sprint when the Pre came out. But no portable device has the sheer number of applications, and therefore uses, as the iPhone.
Earlier today, I was setting up a new install of Firefox and it struck me that I prefer Mozilla's browser for the exact same reason; the endless supply of addons make it infinitely more useful than any other browser. Safari may be oh so slick, but Firefox has it beat on usability.
Here's a list of my favorite Firefox addons. This is by no means a comprehensive list, nor a "best of" list. These are simply the addons I find most useful. In no particular order:
- Adblock Plus
This addon makes the web usable again. ABP tracks where website data originates and checks those addresses against a list of known advertising servers. It prevents that information from loading at all. Some people shy away from addons because they can be resource hogs. This one saves you strain on your machine. There are Safari and Internet Explorer equivalents, but the Firefox flavor offers you ease and flexibility. It's only a matter of a few clicks to disable ads on sites you'd like to support, such as this blog.
- Download Statusbar
Like most of my favorite addons, this one is mostly about tweaking the UI and/or aesthetics of the browser. On most browsers, clicking a download link opens a second, smaller window which will show the download progress, allow you to open the file, etc. This seems unintuitive. With this addon, download progress is moved to the status bar on the bottom of your browser window. Unless you're running an obscene amount of addons, there's going to be plenty of dead space down there anyways. Eliminate the cumbersome, unnecessary second window.
- EchoFon
Twitter haters read no further. It's amazing how many people use Twitter and how few of them actually go to the actual website. Almost everyone I know uses some sort of 3rd party app to leverage more usability out of the social network than the creators could have ever envisioned. My preferred client is TweetDeck, a standalone application available for Windows, Mac, and Linux. Echofon, formerly TwitterFox, provides a simple in-browser alternative that sits in the corner the Firefox window, showing a little popup every few minutes with any new tweets. It also includes built in url shortening. You don't have to worry about sharing a long link; EchoFon will make it fit into 160 characters, or your next tweet it free. Built in re-tweeting and reply buttons only sweeten the deal.
- Fission
The ONLY thing this silly little app does is to show the loading progress of a website over the top of the address bar. As the site loads, the bar fills in from white to gray. That's it. Really. Nothing else.
- Gmail Notifier
I actually prefer the standalone Google notifier which installs as its own application. But I'm not always on my computer. I keep an installations of Firefox Portable installed on a key chain jump drive. This way, no matter where I am, I can plug in my drive and have my Firefox the way I like it with all my addons. My gmail is only a click away, and I get a little popup similar to EchoFon whenever I get a new email. Of course, this only works for gmail, but if you're not using it, what the hell is wrong with you?
- Xmarks
This is perhaps the single most valuable app on the list. Have you ever bought a new computer and had to replace all your favorite bookmarks in the new browser? Perhaps you're at a friend's house or a library and don't have access to your usual links. As someone who hops from computer to computer throughout the day, this program saves me loads of time. After making a free account, the program uploads a copy of your bookmarks to a server. You can then download sync the bookmarks onto any other computer with Xmarks installed. They offer Safari and Internet Explorer versions as well. Whenever setting up any browser on any OS, this is the first download.
I know I left off some popular addons like Foxy Tunes or any sort of ftp client. Feel free to post your own favorites below.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Sunday, August 9, 2009
My Favorite Things to Touch
An old professor of mine recently acquired an iPod Touch through Apple's annual promotion. The touch is basically an iPhone without the phone. That still leaves a surprising amount of functionality intact. Making phone calls probably accounts for less than 10 % of my iPhone use. With that in mind, I've decided to type up a quick list of my favorite iPhone/iPod Touch apps. And being the cheap bastard that I am, most of them are free.
Many news outlets offer free iPhone apps. Would you believe I learned about Paula Abdul leaving American Idol from the NY Times mobile app? Somehow, that makes it slightly less embarrassing to know that. While most of this content can be accessed through the impressive Safari mobile web browser, these apps are optimized for the iPhone screen and interface. Some of my favorites include:
NY Times
AP Mobile
Huffington Post
USA Today
The AP app is especially impressive. While the NY Times app allows you to email a story, AP allows you to text, email, tweet, or post to facebook, all from within the app. It makes sharing interesting stories all the easier.
AP also scores big points for providing local content through it's partners. Seeing as how my local paper doesn't have a mobile site, I can still access the major Milwaukee news on the go. Strangely enough, the Journal Sentinel doesn't play that well with the iPhone while my hometown paper, The Wausau Daily Herald, does.
USA Today isn't exactly great journalism, but they provide quick access to sports scores and local weather. That makes it worth keeping around.
Streaming media apps are oh so useful on the go. The iPhone has the benefit of having internet connectivity wherever cell service is available, but the Touch still has wifi and can almost replace a laptop in most situations. Some of my streaming media apps include:
Public Radio
Pandora
Joost
The Public Radio App gives you access to live feeds from public radio stations from all over the country. It includes both NPR and PRI shows, which is a huge plus. In addition to listening live, the app also provides access to a limited back catalog of recent episodes, allowing you to catch up.
I've been using Pandora for years on my desktop. It's great to have a mobile version as well. Pandora starts by making you an account. You then type in the names of bands you enjoy. Pandora will then stream songs by those artists to your computer or iPhone. To make things really interesting, Pandora will also add in music by related artists that you didn't mention. You can say whether or not you like their selections, and the program will further tweak its recommendations. This will kill your battery in no time flat on a mobile device, but works great in a pinch for some tunes.
Joost is the poor man's Hulu. While it's great to have access to streaming video content on a phone, I'm still holding out for the king of internet TV to make it's mobile debut. I wouldn't hold my breath, though. Hulu keeps pulling support from everything that isn't a desktop or laptop computer, afraid that they will cannibalize regular network TV viewers.
Some of the other odds and ends include:
Drinks Free - A searchable database of thousands of mixed drinks. While you can browse the entire database, it also allows you to list the ingredients you have and see a list of the drinks you can make.
White Pages is a simple, free phone number directory.
Dictionary is pretty self explanatory.
I prefer using the facebook mobile app over visiting the site on a computer. The interface is so much cleaner and there are no apps. Thank God.
While there is a built-in mail app, I prefer to use the actual Gmail app offered for free by Google.
TwitterFon is the best free Twitter app I've found. I don't understand why people pay up to $15 for iPhone Twitter clients when this does everything... for free.
There are more apps that are only useful on an iPhone, seeing as you'd want to use them when out and about.
Take Me To My Car will use the iPhone's GPS to tag the location of your parked car. You can then get walking directions back to your car. There is a paid version that will allow you to set reminders for when your parking meter expires, etc. But the free version offers the most important function at no cost.
Pic2Shop is amazing. By taking a picture of a product's barcode in a store, this app will use that data to find better prices for the exact same product online.
Yelp is a handy app in Urban areas. Yelp users write reviews for bars, restaurants, stores, etc. It's a great way to find a new place to eat on the go.
On a related note, the free app Sit or Squat provides more... focused reviews. The sight uses GPS data to bring up the locations of the nearest public rest rooms with user reviews. This is especially useful on road trips. Pardon the pun, but gas station bathrooms can be a real crap shoot.
And finally, I have to give pros to an app called Just Light. All this app does is display a bright white screen on your phone... perfect for an emergency flashlight.
There are millions of free apps available. But most of them involve farting, fake Zippos or some other nonsense. I also have more on my phone than I've mentioned here. But these are all useful apps that should benefit any iPhone/iPod touch user.
Many news outlets offer free iPhone apps. Would you believe I learned about Paula Abdul leaving American Idol from the NY Times mobile app? Somehow, that makes it slightly less embarrassing to know that. While most of this content can be accessed through the impressive Safari mobile web browser, these apps are optimized for the iPhone screen and interface. Some of my favorites include:
NY Times
AP Mobile
Huffington Post
USA Today
The AP app is especially impressive. While the NY Times app allows you to email a story, AP allows you to text, email, tweet, or post to facebook, all from within the app. It makes sharing interesting stories all the easier.
AP also scores big points for providing local content through it's partners. Seeing as how my local paper doesn't have a mobile site, I can still access the major Milwaukee news on the go. Strangely enough, the Journal Sentinel doesn't play that well with the iPhone while my hometown paper, The Wausau Daily Herald, does.
USA Today isn't exactly great journalism, but they provide quick access to sports scores and local weather. That makes it worth keeping around.
Streaming media apps are oh so useful on the go. The iPhone has the benefit of having internet connectivity wherever cell service is available, but the Touch still has wifi and can almost replace a laptop in most situations. Some of my streaming media apps include:
Public Radio
Pandora
Joost
The Public Radio App gives you access to live feeds from public radio stations from all over the country. It includes both NPR and PRI shows, which is a huge plus. In addition to listening live, the app also provides access to a limited back catalog of recent episodes, allowing you to catch up.
I've been using Pandora for years on my desktop. It's great to have a mobile version as well. Pandora starts by making you an account. You then type in the names of bands you enjoy. Pandora will then stream songs by those artists to your computer or iPhone. To make things really interesting, Pandora will also add in music by related artists that you didn't mention. You can say whether or not you like their selections, and the program will further tweak its recommendations. This will kill your battery in no time flat on a mobile device, but works great in a pinch for some tunes.
Joost is the poor man's Hulu. While it's great to have access to streaming video content on a phone, I'm still holding out for the king of internet TV to make it's mobile debut. I wouldn't hold my breath, though. Hulu keeps pulling support from everything that isn't a desktop or laptop computer, afraid that they will cannibalize regular network TV viewers.
Some of the other odds and ends include:
Drinks Free - A searchable database of thousands of mixed drinks. While you can browse the entire database, it also allows you to list the ingredients you have and see a list of the drinks you can make.
White Pages is a simple, free phone number directory.
Dictionary is pretty self explanatory.
I prefer using the facebook mobile app over visiting the site on a computer. The interface is so much cleaner and there are no apps. Thank God.
While there is a built-in mail app, I prefer to use the actual Gmail app offered for free by Google.
TwitterFon is the best free Twitter app I've found. I don't understand why people pay up to $15 for iPhone Twitter clients when this does everything... for free.
There are more apps that are only useful on an iPhone, seeing as you'd want to use them when out and about.
Take Me To My Car will use the iPhone's GPS to tag the location of your parked car. You can then get walking directions back to your car. There is a paid version that will allow you to set reminders for when your parking meter expires, etc. But the free version offers the most important function at no cost.
Pic2Shop is amazing. By taking a picture of a product's barcode in a store, this app will use that data to find better prices for the exact same product online.
Yelp is a handy app in Urban areas. Yelp users write reviews for bars, restaurants, stores, etc. It's a great way to find a new place to eat on the go.
On a related note, the free app Sit or Squat provides more... focused reviews. The sight uses GPS data to bring up the locations of the nearest public rest rooms with user reviews. This is especially useful on road trips. Pardon the pun, but gas station bathrooms can be a real crap shoot.
And finally, I have to give pros to an app called Just Light. All this app does is display a bright white screen on your phone... perfect for an emergency flashlight.
There are millions of free apps available. But most of them involve farting, fake Zippos or some other nonsense. I also have more on my phone than I've mentioned here. But these are all useful apps that should benefit any iPhone/iPod touch user.
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Of Sprint and the iPhone
Third time's the charm, right? I think there is something to that old cliché, especially in the tech world. Many devices truly arrive in the 3rd generation. Firefox 3.0 fixed most of the flaws. Windows 3.11 was the first version most of us old enough to rent a car remember using. Hell, even the new 3rd gen Zune looks interesting.
This logic also applies to the 3rd gen iPhone, the 3Gs. The second gen iPhone finally brought the 3G network and the app store. I couldn't imagine using this device on the slower, older Edge network, let alone not having access to third party apps. The 3rd gen added a faster processor, more RAM, and larger storage options up to 32gb. Finally, all the pieces have come together. The 3Gs is snappy enough to function as a laptop/netbook replacement and has enough storage to function as my iPod as well. This is the sole device I need to carry around.
To put things in perspective, this was my last phone. But there's a reason for that. I don't use my phone much. I have a great HP Mini 100 netbook running Windows 7 I used to carry around with me everywhere, plus an iPod. I live in Milwaukee and use public transportation most of the time. Plus, I walk to school every day. My iPod is almost always in my ears in those situations. This is why the iPhone appealed to me so much. It's an iPod that can make phone calls and browse the web. In my mind, it's more of an iPod Talk, the iPod that can make phone calls rather than a phone that can play music.
And this is why I left Sprint after six years.
I went to two separate Sprint stores to hammer out the details of my cancellation. Both times, the reps asked my why I was leaving. My answer was simple, "You don't carry the iPhone." Both times, the reps became very snarky and launched into eerily similar rants. I can only imagine there was a corporate memo sent out and training sessions on how to deal with iPhone switchers. It's not surprising, considering Sprint has lost millions of customers since the introduction of the iPhone two years ago.
The Sprint memo presumably focused around two points. The first, is the price issue. Both times when I mentioned the iPhone, the clerk at each store responded with, "Oh, so you want to spend more money?"
This is why you do your research, kids.
I wanted a family plan with my wife and brother-in-law. My wife doesn't care about smart phones, especially since most of the time she would benefit from one, we're together. My brother-in-law wanted his own iPhone. So we wanted a plan with two smart phones and one basic phone. Sprint offers only one family plan with data, a flat out unlimited everything package that costs $150/month. That's unlimited minutes, text, data, etc. The problem is, we don't need all of that. None of us text, nor do we use our phones as a primary communication tool. Right now, we only have 500 minutes and we don't even go through those in a month.
The beauty of the AT&T approach is that you can add a data package to any single phone, even on a family plan. The iPhone data plan is pricey at $30/month, but AT&T's base rates are so much cheaper that we still ended up coming out ahead. Instead of forcing us into a unlimited everything plan like Sprint, AT&T allowed us to get the most basic family package with 550 minutes and add iPhone data packages on top. Our total bill ended up being $130 - $20 cheaper.
The other argument I had echoed at me on separate occasions in different Sprint stores was that I didn't really need all that iPhone hooey. But I do. As stated previously, I care far more about my iPod than my phone. Getting an iPod that makes phone calls just means that I don't have to carry around my most basic of basic phones with me as well. My old phone didn't even have a camera.
This argument probably stems from the shortcomings of the Palm Pre, the only real iPhone competitor available on Sprint. But the Pre doesn't have any sort of expandable storage. The iPhone is also a closed system, but I can get one with 32gb of storage, enough to be my only iPod. The Pre is limited to 8gb. I was actually considering staying with Sprint and getting a Pre until I realized it couldn't be my all in one device with only 8gb.
To be fair, I had very specific wants, and needs when looking for a new phone. There are plenty of people that would be happy with the Pre and Sprint's data plans. If my wife had also wanted a smart phone, we would have come out ahead with Sprint's all in one family plan. I never had any real problems with Sprint, but they could no longer provide me what I wanted.
What surprised me the most was just how rude both reps were to me. Instead of trying to show me the benefits of staying with Sprint, or offering to cut me a deal to keep a six year customer, they basically told me I was foolish for leaving.
I had the numbers with me for round two. When the rep asked me if I was getting an iPhone because I wanted to spend more, I told him no and showed him how we were going to be saving money by switching versus getting a Sprint family data plan. I don't know if they're not used to dealing with informed customers, but he was stunned and couldn't offer a response.
I've left Sprint and I won't look back. That is, unless the rumblings of Apple buying Sprint in the future prove to be true.
This logic also applies to the 3rd gen iPhone, the 3Gs. The second gen iPhone finally brought the 3G network and the app store. I couldn't imagine using this device on the slower, older Edge network, let alone not having access to third party apps. The 3rd gen added a faster processor, more RAM, and larger storage options up to 32gb. Finally, all the pieces have come together. The 3Gs is snappy enough to function as a laptop/netbook replacement and has enough storage to function as my iPod as well. This is the sole device I need to carry around.
To put things in perspective, this was my last phone. But there's a reason for that. I don't use my phone much. I have a great HP Mini 100 netbook running Windows 7 I used to carry around with me everywhere, plus an iPod. I live in Milwaukee and use public transportation most of the time. Plus, I walk to school every day. My iPod is almost always in my ears in those situations. This is why the iPhone appealed to me so much. It's an iPod that can make phone calls and browse the web. In my mind, it's more of an iPod Talk, the iPod that can make phone calls rather than a phone that can play music.
And this is why I left Sprint after six years.
I went to two separate Sprint stores to hammer out the details of my cancellation. Both times, the reps asked my why I was leaving. My answer was simple, "You don't carry the iPhone." Both times, the reps became very snarky and launched into eerily similar rants. I can only imagine there was a corporate memo sent out and training sessions on how to deal with iPhone switchers. It's not surprising, considering Sprint has lost millions of customers since the introduction of the iPhone two years ago.
The Sprint memo presumably focused around two points. The first, is the price issue. Both times when I mentioned the iPhone, the clerk at each store responded with, "Oh, so you want to spend more money?"
This is why you do your research, kids.
I wanted a family plan with my wife and brother-in-law. My wife doesn't care about smart phones, especially since most of the time she would benefit from one, we're together. My brother-in-law wanted his own iPhone. So we wanted a plan with two smart phones and one basic phone. Sprint offers only one family plan with data, a flat out unlimited everything package that costs $150/month. That's unlimited minutes, text, data, etc. The problem is, we don't need all of that. None of us text, nor do we use our phones as a primary communication tool. Right now, we only have 500 minutes and we don't even go through those in a month.
The beauty of the AT&T approach is that you can add a data package to any single phone, even on a family plan. The iPhone data plan is pricey at $30/month, but AT&T's base rates are so much cheaper that we still ended up coming out ahead. Instead of forcing us into a unlimited everything plan like Sprint, AT&T allowed us to get the most basic family package with 550 minutes and add iPhone data packages on top. Our total bill ended up being $130 - $20 cheaper.
The other argument I had echoed at me on separate occasions in different Sprint stores was that I didn't really need all that iPhone hooey. But I do. As stated previously, I care far more about my iPod than my phone. Getting an iPod that makes phone calls just means that I don't have to carry around my most basic of basic phones with me as well. My old phone didn't even have a camera.
This argument probably stems from the shortcomings of the Palm Pre, the only real iPhone competitor available on Sprint. But the Pre doesn't have any sort of expandable storage. The iPhone is also a closed system, but I can get one with 32gb of storage, enough to be my only iPod. The Pre is limited to 8gb. I was actually considering staying with Sprint and getting a Pre until I realized it couldn't be my all in one device with only 8gb.
To be fair, I had very specific wants, and needs when looking for a new phone. There are plenty of people that would be happy with the Pre and Sprint's data plans. If my wife had also wanted a smart phone, we would have come out ahead with Sprint's all in one family plan. I never had any real problems with Sprint, but they could no longer provide me what I wanted.
What surprised me the most was just how rude both reps were to me. Instead of trying to show me the benefits of staying with Sprint, or offering to cut me a deal to keep a six year customer, they basically told me I was foolish for leaving.
I had the numbers with me for round two. When the rep asked me if I was getting an iPhone because I wanted to spend more, I told him no and showed him how we were going to be saving money by switching versus getting a Sprint family data plan. I don't know if they're not used to dealing with informed customers, but he was stunned and couldn't offer a response.
I've left Sprint and I won't look back. That is, unless the rumblings of Apple buying Sprint in the future prove to be true.
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Harry Potter and the Half-Hearted Sequel
ARGH! THERE BE SPOILERS HERE! BEWARE!
I finally saw the new Harry Potter movie last night. As a self-righteous blogger, I'm allowed to be late to the party and still voice my indignant opinion.
I was absolutely thrilled when I discovered Half-Blood Prince was playing at the local iPic theater. These are fantastic establishments. For one thing, they offer assigned seating which you can purchase online in advance, meaning no more showing up 30 minutes early to get good seats. They also have a full restaurant, bar, and even a bowling alley. But the best feature, beyond the all digital screens and oversize seats, is the 21 and over policy for shows starting at 7:00 or later. Because of this, iPic doesn't normally get family films. Even Pixar rarely makes it there. Being able to watch a a movie geared towards young adults and children in the absence their absence is bliss.
That's enough pandering. On to the film.
As the source material becomes longer, the scripts play looser with the story. Most of the time, this is for the best. I can only imagine that as Rowling gained more clout she was able to ignore the advice of editors once it was clear she could do no wrong in the eyes of her rabid fanbase. The last several Potter books are unnecessarily long. There is so much fat and nonsense that any decent editor would have cut out of a book by any other author.
It has been several years since I read the 6th installment. If memory serves me correctly, there are several odd changes or omissions. Leaving Harry's muggle domestic summer life was a good choice. Screen time is too valuable to waste on redundancies. Leaving in quiddich, however, was a poor choice. It plays well on screen, but it has little or nothing to do with the plot. Either leave in enough to make quiddich matter, or don't put it in at all. The love lives of timid teenagers is definitely story that should be left in, but it gets overplayed here.
All this time on pointless sports scenes and PG romance occurs at the expense of other important plot elements. Professor Slughorn comes across as a somewhat likable, decent human being in the books. He's crafty and scheming, but not evil. Slughorn is probably the only Slytherin character in the entire series that you can put firmly in the good column without hesitation. That's important. It goes to show that not all slytherin are foul, evil monsters intent on nothing but dark magic. This goes a long way to explain why the HELL they don't just shut the whole house down. That subtly of character is lost in the film. The Tom Riddle memories are also criminally short changed here as well. Those flashback scenes go a long way to explaining the how Voldemort became the most dangerous dark wizard of all time. Isn't that more important to the story than watching 20-year-olds pretending to be 16-year-olds making out with each other?
The subplot of the Half-Blood Prince is all but absent. It probably would have been entirely removed if it weren't in the title. So little attention is paid to it here, however, that is serves to confuse those who haven't read the books. When Snape reveals that he is the Prince, we never find out what that means.
Perhaps the oddest change is the removal of the climactic invasion of Hogwarts. The whole purpose in Draco bringing the transporting cabinet with him was to provide a way into the school for an attack b Voldemort's minions. Yes, Draco's specific mission was to kill Dumbledore (with a Snape assist), but there was a larger attack resulting in damage and casualties in the book. By removing the attack, there is no reason for the cabinet. Everyone who comes through that cabinet stands around to watch the two people who were already in the school kill the headmaster. Go for that PG-13 rating and show the school getting sacked. As it stands, I was more confused by the story changes than affected emotionally by Dumbledore's death.
This is starting to feel like a franchise ready to collapse under it's own weight. And the studio is determined to pile on more by splitting the last book into two films. Many of the actors seem to put in ho-hum performances. Some of the supporting cast is downright awful. Alan Rickman, however, is delightful as always. He just might be enough to get me back in the theater two more times. I know they want to keep consistency, but the Ginny cast when she was eleven didn't turn out to be a very good actress as a young adult. It would be less of an assult to my suspension of disbelief to recast the role than expect me to buy that this girl isn't reading from cue cards. The camera work is well-done, and the art direction is spot on as always. The special effects are serviceable, but none of it wows like it used to.
Harry Potter fatigue is setting in hard. The series just doesn't hold the charm it once did. It's growing long in the tooth and is passed it's prime. Or maybe it's me. Perhaps I'm too jaded and snarky to turn off my brain and just enjoy a good popcorn flick. It's probably a little bit of both. But pop art doesn't get a pass on quality. You can make a fun summer or holiday film that still has a great script and wonderful performances. But Harry Potter is far from alone in cashing in on a name and making oodles with a decent but not great movie. There were previews for both the new Twilight and GI Joe movies. That should have told me what I was getting into right away.
I finally saw the new Harry Potter movie last night. As a self-righteous blogger, I'm allowed to be late to the party and still voice my indignant opinion.
I was absolutely thrilled when I discovered Half-Blood Prince was playing at the local iPic theater. These are fantastic establishments. For one thing, they offer assigned seating which you can purchase online in advance, meaning no more showing up 30 minutes early to get good seats. They also have a full restaurant, bar, and even a bowling alley. But the best feature, beyond the all digital screens and oversize seats, is the 21 and over policy for shows starting at 7:00 or later. Because of this, iPic doesn't normally get family films. Even Pixar rarely makes it there. Being able to watch a a movie geared towards young adults and children in the absence their absence is bliss.
That's enough pandering. On to the film.
As the source material becomes longer, the scripts play looser with the story. Most of the time, this is for the best. I can only imagine that as Rowling gained more clout she was able to ignore the advice of editors once it was clear she could do no wrong in the eyes of her rabid fanbase. The last several Potter books are unnecessarily long. There is so much fat and nonsense that any decent editor would have cut out of a book by any other author.
It has been several years since I read the 6th installment. If memory serves me correctly, there are several odd changes or omissions. Leaving Harry's muggle domestic summer life was a good choice. Screen time is too valuable to waste on redundancies. Leaving in quiddich, however, was a poor choice. It plays well on screen, but it has little or nothing to do with the plot. Either leave in enough to make quiddich matter, or don't put it in at all. The love lives of timid teenagers is definitely story that should be left in, but it gets overplayed here.
All this time on pointless sports scenes and PG romance occurs at the expense of other important plot elements. Professor Slughorn comes across as a somewhat likable, decent human being in the books. He's crafty and scheming, but not evil. Slughorn is probably the only Slytherin character in the entire series that you can put firmly in the good column without hesitation. That's important. It goes to show that not all slytherin are foul, evil monsters intent on nothing but dark magic. This goes a long way to explain why the HELL they don't just shut the whole house down. That subtly of character is lost in the film. The Tom Riddle memories are also criminally short changed here as well. Those flashback scenes go a long way to explaining the how Voldemort became the most dangerous dark wizard of all time. Isn't that more important to the story than watching 20-year-olds pretending to be 16-year-olds making out with each other?
The subplot of the Half-Blood Prince is all but absent. It probably would have been entirely removed if it weren't in the title. So little attention is paid to it here, however, that is serves to confuse those who haven't read the books. When Snape reveals that he is the Prince, we never find out what that means.
Perhaps the oddest change is the removal of the climactic invasion of Hogwarts. The whole purpose in Draco bringing the transporting cabinet with him was to provide a way into the school for an attack b Voldemort's minions. Yes, Draco's specific mission was to kill Dumbledore (with a Snape assist), but there was a larger attack resulting in damage and casualties in the book. By removing the attack, there is no reason for the cabinet. Everyone who comes through that cabinet stands around to watch the two people who were already in the school kill the headmaster. Go for that PG-13 rating and show the school getting sacked. As it stands, I was more confused by the story changes than affected emotionally by Dumbledore's death.
This is starting to feel like a franchise ready to collapse under it's own weight. And the studio is determined to pile on more by splitting the last book into two films. Many of the actors seem to put in ho-hum performances. Some of the supporting cast is downright awful. Alan Rickman, however, is delightful as always. He just might be enough to get me back in the theater two more times. I know they want to keep consistency, but the Ginny cast when she was eleven didn't turn out to be a very good actress as a young adult. It would be less of an assult to my suspension of disbelief to recast the role than expect me to buy that this girl isn't reading from cue cards. The camera work is well-done, and the art direction is spot on as always. The special effects are serviceable, but none of it wows like it used to.
Harry Potter fatigue is setting in hard. The series just doesn't hold the charm it once did. It's growing long in the tooth and is passed it's prime. Or maybe it's me. Perhaps I'm too jaded and snarky to turn off my brain and just enjoy a good popcorn flick. It's probably a little bit of both. But pop art doesn't get a pass on quality. You can make a fun summer or holiday film that still has a great script and wonderful performances. But Harry Potter is far from alone in cashing in on a name and making oodles with a decent but not great movie. There were previews for both the new Twilight and GI Joe movies. That should have told me what I was getting into right away.
With the Best of Intentions
Ok, so maybe rebooting a blog mere days before going on vacation for a week was a fool's errand. But getting deathly ill, that I couldn't count on. For better or worse, I'm back.
Monday, July 6, 2009
Fruit of the Moon
Those of you on twitter have been assaulted by #moonfruit madness for the past few days. Some people are having a good time with a bit of viral marketing. Some are agitated by the most intrusive ads since bathroom billboards. Most people probably just want to know what the hell a #moonfruit is.
Let's start with the last group. Moonfruit is a British based company that builds websites. In order to celebrate their tenth anniversary, they're randomly giving away ten MacBook pros to people who mention them on twitter.
Personally, I think this is brilliant. The base MacBook Pro costs $1200. Elementary school math tells me that ten would cost them $12000. While that sounds like a lot of money, Moonfruit is getting a hell of a lot of bang for their buck compared to the money spent on more traditional advertising.
People have gone giddy for moonfruit on Twitter. For the first few days, it was in the top trending topics right alongside Michael Jackson and #gorilla penis. It's easy to understand why. It is worth the minimal effort for a slim chance to win a hot piece of tech.
Others, however, feel betrayed by their friends. I don't see how this campaign is any different from countless other marketing attempts though the years. My old bank would give me $10 every time I referred somebody that opened a new account. My cellular provider ran a similar scheme.
Moonfruit's tactics are even more innocent. They're not requiring people to refer or promote their products, just to talk about it. This is all about brand awareness and nothing more. Twitter users aren't endorsing Moonfruit, they're simply talking about it.
I have never heard of Moonfruit before this whole campaign. I imagine I'm not alone. As an experiment, I'd say this was a success. But there is a major risk of diminishing returns for these sorts of endeavors. This worked once, but people aren't going to put up with this all the time.
Let's start with the last group. Moonfruit is a British based company that builds websites. In order to celebrate their tenth anniversary, they're randomly giving away ten MacBook pros to people who mention them on twitter.
Personally, I think this is brilliant. The base MacBook Pro costs $1200. Elementary school math tells me that ten would cost them $12000. While that sounds like a lot of money, Moonfruit is getting a hell of a lot of bang for their buck compared to the money spent on more traditional advertising.
People have gone giddy for moonfruit on Twitter. For the first few days, it was in the top trending topics right alongside Michael Jackson and #gorilla penis. It's easy to understand why. It is worth the minimal effort for a slim chance to win a hot piece of tech.
Others, however, feel betrayed by their friends. I don't see how this campaign is any different from countless other marketing attempts though the years. My old bank would give me $10 every time I referred somebody that opened a new account. My cellular provider ran a similar scheme.
Moonfruit's tactics are even more innocent. They're not requiring people to refer or promote their products, just to talk about it. This is all about brand awareness and nothing more. Twitter users aren't endorsing Moonfruit, they're simply talking about it.
I have never heard of Moonfruit before this whole campaign. I imagine I'm not alone. As an experiment, I'd say this was a success. But there is a major risk of diminishing returns for these sorts of endeavors. This worked once, but people aren't going to put up with this all the time.
Better, Stronger, Faster
For months, the bookmarks to this blog scowled at me. Its disapproving glare pierced me whenever I neglected my own little corner of the internet to read video game reviews or watch keyboard cat play off somebody.
So I've decided to take this blog into a new direction. I want to make this a proper blog, not a livejournal with a fresh coat of paint. I will be discontinuing personal posts on this blog. But can you really say you're discontinuing something you haven't done in five months anyways? Instead, I plan to focus on my interests. I'm a journalism and media studies student. I'm fascinated by new media and digital entertainment. Therefore, I'm turning this blog over to regular posting on technology, new media, video games, etc.
As Opinion editor for the UWM Post, I have plenty of opportunity to write and edit articles on more serious and local issues. I also hope to throw my weight behind some other projects with wich I've been intending to get involved as well. This will be a place to write about my niche interests and dorky tinkerings. I hope you find it insightful and entertaining.
So I've decided to take this blog into a new direction. I want to make this a proper blog, not a livejournal with a fresh coat of paint. I will be discontinuing personal posts on this blog. But can you really say you're discontinuing something you haven't done in five months anyways? Instead, I plan to focus on my interests. I'm a journalism and media studies student. I'm fascinated by new media and digital entertainment. Therefore, I'm turning this blog over to regular posting on technology, new media, video games, etc.
As Opinion editor for the UWM Post, I have plenty of opportunity to write and edit articles on more serious and local issues. I also hope to throw my weight behind some other projects with wich I've been intending to get involved as well. This will be a place to write about my niche interests and dorky tinkerings. I hope you find it insightful and entertaining.
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