Dumpped Mac Air

After a lot of travelling, I find myself sitting in front of Ubuntu capable Thinkpad EDGE again. While Mac Air is wonderful travelling companion, it's just too small for serious computing, which does include SSH mounts and administration of various Linux developments.

I think I stick with Mac still on travels, but seriously computing along a way - I just need Linux. No other operating system is in that level.

iPad 2

25th of March, two hours after I landed from London, I found myself in line at Stockman. To acquire iPad 2. On that trip, among many others - I have found that tablet computing is a way to go. I have used iPad 1 for months, and this new one is definitely a move forward. Some how I found my calendar and emailing very easy to use with tablet device, compared to any phone I have owned. Including iphone4.

I ordered a month access to Helsingin Sanomat, local big news paper iPad version to find out have my earlier thoughts changed. Not much. Even there is good journalism available, stories in digital format feels like short, I have noted this before with other printed vs digital media stories. It remains to see, how frequent reader I develop myself.

Today I also read a news entry that Apple is going to be big in near future, bypassing IBM and others soon. I certainly can see that happening, while other manufactures are struckling with bad decision or with need to please everyone. Sometimes it just requires strong hand. Nokia is something along that same road, dying together with microsoft. Which is shame, I remember myself being employed by Nokia back in 80's and we got toilet paper on discount with company badge. Those were the days.

Magazines with iPad

Spent some time travelling, week was awesome and things worked out well. On that trip, I was able to explore possibilities of iPad in global world. I was very pleased when Linux Journal emailed that my latest issue was downloadable and I got magazine delivered directly to iPad, while watching sandstorm behind my window. That was nice.

Second thing was that while sleeping, iPad was getting Finnish tv shows for my consumption on coming trip home. Awesome experience again and made possible by tv-kaista.fi service.

What's so special about this? I tell you. These both models which I use, I have paid and which I do promote - are considered to be against all media companies opinion how things should be handled. LJ is delivering issues non DRM'ed format, plain PDF files and therefore 'threat' for publisher is imminent loss of control and incomes. How's that possible? Think about it.

Secondly. TV-kaista.fi service is under investigation and guess who has filed case. Yle, MTV Media, Nelonen, Sanoma Television, Kopiosto. I like to spell out my opinion about this case here.

If I have paid my fee for television (in Finland 244,90 € / year) and I have permission to record programs for personal use and consumption with my digital receiving unit (to HD) - why on earth I cannot use this also as an service. I mean, those guys at tv-kaista.fi service are offering this equal capability to use personal digital program recorder in a way that 2011 is supposed to.

Since I know that this blog is followed in Sanoma corporation, I really hope that they could gain some innovations by themselves, before neutralizing others. Now it's very different case.

iPhone experiences

I got iPhone4 two weeks ago and witnessed apple's nice strategy, when I cut my sim to micro sized. No returning from there, my sim card swapping syndrome stopped in one step. No more experimenting with Nokia's, Android's or other phones. I am locked in iPhone4 now.

But it's actually very nice phone. No wonder Nokia is in trouble. Even Linux user is satisfied.

iPad magazines and newspapers in Finland

After spending few weeks with iPad on my holidays, I came across these new digital magazines and newspapers, like 'Tietokone', 'Suomenkuvalehti' and most interesting 'Helsingin Sanomat'. I thought that returning to quality stories in digital form could be the thing, but it was not.

iPad is wonderful device to enjoy digital content, but firmly I have found out that those separate apps to every magazine is painful experience. Instead I found myself reading digital edition of Linux Journal, which is delivered in fair format, PDF. I can download that with my desktop and get it over to iPad via various ways. Dropbox, email or iTunes sync. It's clear to read Linux Journal, it's immediate copy of paper version and therefore very familiar.

I just cannot stand any of three mentioned Finnish versions offered to iPad. They are painful and very complex to read. For example Tietokone, I just cannot understand logic of pages and subscrolling sections down to find more content for the story. Same in Helsingin Sanomat, outfit and layout for app format is totally difficult to adopt and I just keep on reading web sites of those magazines, rather than paying for confusing app content.

To correct this, I would like to see following things;

• Learn from Linux Journal. Their approach is best at the moment. You get what you pay for and it feels like that (even it's pdf file you are holding). Even those colorful advertisements are valuable content for me, to keep up with the world.
• Do not get over excited for DRM stuff. I just cannot see value for publisher to keep issues in proprietary form to protect something not worth it. Fair distribution in PDF format would skyrocket paying readers.
• When you deliver you magazine or newspaper in PDF format, you increase readers capable to participate, every desktop, tablets and phones do have PDF reading software.

Tietokone, Helsingin Sanomat and Suomenkuvalehti - I'd like to subscribe you. But I just cannot accept delivery format you are offering, even I am solid user of iPad your application approach sucks a lot.

Linux Journal - thanks for good magazine, I've been reading your paper subscription for years and just ordered digital edition, knowing that I am able to keep up with you even I might throw iPad overboard in some point.

Year 2011

Happy new year! I fell a sleep last night before 10pm and now it seems that we are running already in 2011 with our busy minds. I personally feel good about this, lots of good thing happened last year, we got some great moments in our family and business turned out to be amazingly good for year 2010.

What I've been doing lately, I've been utilizing some of my spare time to get in order in our computing environment. It has not been easy and there is still tons of work to do, but somehow I see light in end of tunnel. I've learned to use dropbox, youtube and google calendar. I managed to obtain Mac Air 11" and iPad for moving situations, producing some media and doing some fast mind ordering things. I don't say that Mac is best, I just say that carrying around any normal laptop is killer for me after this Air 11". And living in cross platform world, reminds me sometimes life outside of Linux scene. It's there.

So, let's move on to 2011 with happy minds - lets find out what Nokia Meego is going to be, lets see how Microsoft moves to stay alive etc. Meanwhile I enjoy my latest ubuntu computers, ipad and mac air, lets try to be productive.

Mac Air - up and running

While spent wonderful Christmas with family, I managed to setup my Air for basic functionality. Encrypted emailing, graphics and presentation capabilities. What I like most is this form factor of this computer. It's incredible light and easy to live with, why there is no Linux capable hardware like this?