Initial Impressions of the iPad

I wanted to write down my thoughts about the iPad, after using it for a few days.

The Good

  • It was fully charged when I unpacked it. This made it very easy to start playing with it.
  • Feels solid and durable. It is not as heavy as I thought it would be.
  • The screen is bright. It works like the iPhone screen, adjusting the brightness depending on the environment.
  • Simple to sync with iTunes, just like an iPod or iPhone.
  • It’s easy to find iPad apps via the App Store link on the iPad.
  • Works like an iPhone/iPod Touch. If you know that system, then this is second nature.
  • Sound from the speaker is good for both movies and music. I don’t know how it would do in a noisy room, but it works in a quiet room.
  • Battery life has been 10+ hours so far.

The NOT So Bad

  • The screen does get fingerprints on it after hours of use. I didn’t notice the fingerprints while looking at the screen directly. But looking at an angle you notice the prints. Easily cleaned with a lint-free cloth.
  • Looking for iPad apps on iTunes - via the computer - is painful. This has since been corrected.
  • The ABC iPad app kept crashing on me while trying to watch a program. This has been addressed by an app update. Though there is a new screen orientation issue.

The Ugly

  • So far it’s good for writing short emails and tweets. But I don’t like doing long blog entries on the touch keyboard. I may need to get a bluetooth keyboard for it
  • Some apps have a single download that work for both the iPhone and the iPad (e.g. Evernote) while others require separate apps to download (e.g. NYTimes ), and others can have three different versions (e.g. 1Password)! Confusing, isn’t?
  • Re-buying addictive games that you have on your iPhone, such as Plants vs. Zombies, can be costly.
  • Buying accessories - a new case, headphones, keyboard - can add to the expense as well.

So that’s my 2 cents for now. 

Whopper Face

I’m sure someone in the US would sue Burger King if they tried this here.

Monday

Monday started off well. We had an early morning appointment where we were able to hear the baby’s heartbeat again. It is always a great thing to hear. But after lunch, my noise canceling headphones decided to break on me. I’ve had them for over two years, which I guess is a decent amount of time. But now I can hear all the talking in the office. It makes it a bit more difficult to concentrate.

I’ll need to hop onto Amazon to search for new headphones.

Japan - The Strange Country

Japan-The Strange Country (English translated ver.) from Kenichi Tanaka on Vimeo.

This Is Informative, You Should Watch It of the Day: Graphic designer Kenichi Tanaka’s animated infographic “Japan — The Strange Country” covers everything you wanted to know about Japan, but were too busy warbling along to the Cowboy Bebop closing credits song to ask.

[discovered via thedailywhat who found it via feingut.]

Update 2: Looks like the video has been taken down. I found it (here)[www.youtube.com/watch though. Update: For some reason, Kenichi had to take down the English version of the video. It’s still available on YouTube here.

What's on TV?

I’ve always watched way too much television. I’m sure this will change soon, but things are staying the same for now. Here are a few shows we are watching, a few we are looking forward to seeing again, and a few we’ve given up on.

Still Enjoying

  • Lost - This year there are more answers then questions. This final season is turning out to be their best season. It almost makes me sad to see it go.
  • Human Target - New action series. Likable characters, combined with action and light zippy dialog, make this series successful.
  • The Amazing Race - Fun to watch the team conflicts taking place in great locales. I just wish they’d shoot it in HD.
  • The Real Housewives of New York City - Out of all the “Housewives” series on Bravo, this is the one to watch. Did I just type that?
  • Big Bang Theory - The only comedy show I watch consistently. Not gut-busting funny, but funny enough.
  • Criminal Minds - Solid CBS crime drama. It’s just a bit on the violent side.
  • CSI - Still fun to watch even without William Petersen in the cast.
  • The Vampire Diaries - This is a show Farrah watches, so I’ll deny it if asked, but I actually like this show. I haven’t sat down and watched a full episode. But I’ve had my back to the television while Farrah is watching. The characters are likable and have some edge to them. The only thing I don’t like is the flashback scenes. They seem poorly done.

Watching, But Not Sure Why

  • 24 - Jack Bauer is still fighting the good fight. Too bad his storyline is the only interesting one. All the other supporting characters, with the exception of Chloe, are very dull.
  • Project Runway - It’s still a good show, but this season I haven’t found anyone to root for. I’m happy that the show is back in New York!
  • America’s Next Top Model - Tyra Banks can get very annoying with her antics. Luckily, there seems to be some interesting contenders this year.
  • Shear Genius - Why did they get rid of Jaclyn Smith? I can barely watch the new host.
  • Gossip Girl, Grey’s Anatomy, and Private Practice - A few shows I happen to watch because I’m in the same room at the time they’re airing. Of the three, I think I find Grey’s the most interesting.

Gave Up On

  • American Idol - I only found one of the singers interesting. This show is no longer in the DVR rotation. Honestly, I probably should have stopped watching a few seasons ago.

Recently Wrapped Up

  • Burn Notice - A solid season ending on a nice cliffhanger. I can’t wait until the next season.
  • Leverage - A weak second season. Character development and interaction seemed off this season. Hopefully, they can recover next season.
  • Numb3rs - My Friday night staple has unofficially ended its series run. It was a weak ending for the show. I’m sure it was intentionally so, just in case the show is picked up for another season.
  • Big Love - I really couldn’t get into this season’s episodes. I may need to watch them in reruns because I forgot what happened. It’s all just a jumble.

Wait and See

  • Fringe - I never was into X-Files, which this show seems similar to in nature. This show works very well on the mysteriously creepy level. New episodes are starting up again soon.
  • Dancing with the Stars - Interested in seeing how certain celebrity do this season.
  • Top Chef Masters - The series was good the first time around. I hear some of the same Masters are returning. Hopefully, that won’t be a bad thing.
  • Law and Order: Criminal Intent - The show has been getting stale lately. I don’t think it helps that Vincent D’Onofrio is leaving. But Law and Order shows always had a revolving cast. It should survive.
  • Royal Pains - When is this show starting again? It feels like it’s been off the air for a long time. Hopefully, the magic of the first season carries over to the second.
  • True Blood - New season looks like it’ll start in the summer. Can this season be as good as the last? Possibly.

IKEA and Paris

Ikea and Paris

via Pascal Terjan on flickr.

More photos can be found here

Looks as if IKEA did a minor upgrade to a few Paris Metro stations. I wonder how dirty the furniture was after a week. (via Urlesque)

Mesmerizing Isn't?

via juliasegal

About a Girl

Top View

We are having a girl!

We reconfirmed this with an ultrasound earlier this week. Farrah had an ultrasound about four weeks ago. During that ultrasound, measurements were taken then and we could find out the sex of our baby. We shared the news with a few people. But not long after that ultrasound was completed, we were called by the hospital asking to schedule another ultrasound. It seems the technician couldn’t record a good enough view of the heart to satisfy whoever reviews the scans. We had the follow-up ultrasound this past Monday.

The technician performing the scan at this appointment appeared to be more thorough. He provided better commentary on what we were looking at on screen than the previous technician. We were able to watch her heart beating, watching the blood flow in and out. We also saw, through color mapping, how blood was flowing through the umbilical cord. It’s an amazing sight to see. So, Button is coming along nicely.

Wait, who or what is Button?

Bottom View

Names

Button is the current nickname for our future bundle of joy.

We have been thinking about names ever since we found out Farrah is pregnant, even more so after finding out the sex. Until she is born, we’ve decided to use nicknames. The first name we gave her before we knew it was her, was Jazzy. The origins of this name came from movements she made during one of Farrah’s first ultrasounds. It looked as if she was waving both of her hands at us, showing us her jazz hands.

Several weeks later, after another ultrasound, the name Box popped into my head. At this point we still didn’t know the sex. I thought that since this fact was hidden from us, it was basically like being in a box, almost like a present. Yes, I could have gone with something like Gift or Present, but Box seemed to fit. I know, it sounds odd.

And finally, we arrive at Button. The phrase “Cute as a button” popped into my head. And so, Button is where it currently stands.

Don’t worry, she won’t end up with any of these nicknames when she makes her entrance. But we are still thinking of names and haven’t settled on a particular one yet. You’ll know our decision soon enough.

Dogs at 1000 FPS

It’s dogs in slow-mo-catching treats. What could be better?

Celebrate!

Steak and Corn on the Grill

Steak and corn for dinner tonight!

To celebrate the nice day outside, I decided to throw a couple of ribeye steaks and corn-on-the-cob on the grill. Farrah is making bibingka as well.

How do you take your steak?

New Photos Posted

Three new albums are posted on our Smugmug page today.  They are:

I know I haven’t been posting photos in a timely manner after the events.  There are several reasons why this is the case.  I hope to write about these reasons in future posts.

As always, the albums are accessible by simply answering the following question when prompted:

What was the name of Farrah's first dog?

The answer should be in lowercase letters.  If you need the password, don’t hesitate to email me or inbox me on Facebook.