Reality Distortion Field

iOS 6.0 feature request

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In 2007 I posted a long list of “seemingly obvious” missing software features on the iPhone, which ran what was then known as OS X Mobile and today Apple calls iOS. Since then, most were either implemented (video, VoIP, games, etc.) or are no longer desired (Flash, Java).

I thought I’d revisit now, a month away from WWDC where there is a good chance that iOS 6.0 will be announced, even though I don’t think any of these are “seemingly obvious” anymore.

  • Better Maps
    The Maps app has not evolved that much since 2007. Android has a lot more feature including crude 3D and driving instructions. Since Apple has purchased a bunch of mapping-related companies and the rumors point to it, this one may come soon.
  • Live Home Screen
    I had this in the original list as “Dashboard / Widget support”. Apps should have the ability to display live information on the Home Screen without the need to launch them. Right now only Calendar updates the date and items inside Newsstand update the front page. And I guess apps can show badges. Not enough. In addition, it would be nice if the icons could be of different sizes (1×2, 2×2, 2×3, etc.) for added flexibility.
  • 3rd party Notification Center additions
    3rd party apps should be able to display stuff inside Notification Center similar to how Stocks and Weather do it today.
  • AirPlay receiver
    It would be cool if you could not just send, but receive audio and video using AirPlay. This can be done through an app that you need to open, that’s cool.
  • 3rd party Siri integration
    This may be the most obvious one, but allowing apps to add feature to Siri can be really useful: “Weightbot, save today’s weight as 162.4”. “Domino’s pizza, order the usual to my house to be delivered at 8 PM”.
  • Unified Contacts
    The ability to gather and consolidate all your contact information from multiple sources, like Facebook, Twitter, iCloud, etc. WebOS has (had?) this as “Synergy“.
  • Simplified logins
    Have you ever restored your phone? You need to go to several different places to enter your password several different times. iMessage, FaceTime, GameCenter, AppStore, Home Sharing… it’s terrible! This should be streamlined!

Do you have any other suggestions? 

Tech

DeLonghi Alicia espresso maker

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When I got back home last Thursday, I found this at the door:

A DeLonghi Alicia electric espresso maker!

As you can see, it looks like a regular old school stove-top espresso maker. But this one uses electricity instead of a stove, making it viable for office use! I first learned about it in Amanda’s blog so I added it to The MKX® Wish List on a whim (readers: it’s not too late to buy me a birthday present). Turns out a reader got it for me 🙂

It’s three main pieces. The left-most thing is what replaces the stove. The pitcher itself is clear which is cool because watching espresso brew is cool. So what.

Everything is standard. You add the coffee, you screw everything together. You push the button and wait. I’m just posting the photos because they look neat, not because they are all that informative.

The brewing process is short. The coffee comes out tasting great and the whole thing is easy to clean. It makes enough for maybe 3 cups of espresso. For the price I think it’s a worthy investment. If you buy one, maybe you can use the link below so that I get a tiny referral bonus?

Recommendation: If you work at an office and hate office coffee, buy this. It works really well and it only costs about 20 Starbucks espresso shots.

Reality Distortion Field

Font size bookmarklets

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Last night I was reading some online documentation on Safari on my iPad and was annoyed by the small font size. On most web sites, the text is formatted in narrow columns and you just double tap to zoom in perfectly. In this case that wouldn’t work well because the text spans from edge to edge on the site. You’ve probably bumped into a similar situation on your iPhone or iPad.

This morning I looked around for a solution. I didn’t find exactly what I was looking for ; but I combined and modified some of the things I found and created two bookmarklets: one that increases the font size of the page you are in, and one that decreases it.

There are two ways to install them.

Method A

If you use iCloud to synchronize bookmarks between Safari on your Mac or PC and your iPhone/iPad, then the easiest way is to do this from your computer. Just drag the two links below to your Bookmarks Bar.

Let iCloud take care of the syncing for you.

Method B

If you need to do this from your iPhone/iPad because you don’t use iCloud for syncing bookmarks, then things are a little harder. I won’t describe the process here because others have already done a great job. The only difference is that you will use the code from my bookmarklets:

Font-:

javascript:var p=document.getElementsByTagName('*');for(i=0;i<p.length;i++){if(p[i].style.fontSize){var s=parseInt(p[i].style.fontSize.replace("px",""));}else{var s=12;}s-=2;p[i].style.fontSize=s+"px"}

Font+:

javascript:var p=document.getElementsByTagName('*');for(i=0;i<p.length;i++){if(p[i].style.fontSize){var s=parseInt(p[i].style.fontSize.replace("px",""));}else{var s=12;}s+=2;p[i].style.fontSize=s+"px"}

Once you have installed the bookmarklets, use them the same way you use a bookmark. I recommend putting them on the Bookmarks Bar for quick access, as shown:

Bookmarklets on iPad

This is how the original website looks:

Original font size

And this is how it looks after increasing the font size a couple of times:

After increasing the font size using the bookmarklet.

In order to reset the font size back to its default, just reload! Hope you find this useful.

Living in the Bay, Music

Underage musicians

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Notably, last week I randomly bumped into three different music shows by bands whose members are really, really young. All within 24 hours.

First one in the pub across the street from our house:

Children rock band at the Kensington Circus Pub

Second one at the Farmer’s Market, between my house and the aforementioned pub”

Violin playing kids at the Kensington Farmer's Market

Third one in San Francisco:

Haunted by Heroes "The World's Youngest Rock Band" at the Earth Day Festival in San Francisco

They were all notably good. But I recommend you look at videos from the third one.

Random junk

Cerveza Indio: Coming Pronto

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Ladies and Gentlemen, especially Mexican Ladies and Gentlemen who reside in the US and are thus deprived from certain alcoholic beverages sold exclusively in your home country, please make sure you are sitting down before reading this. Are you sitting? Good. Read on:

Indio beer... Coming Pronto to the U.S.A.

The MKX® correspondent Mr. Del Castillo sent the above photograph, taken today on Lamar Boulevard in Austin TX. Yes. As in Austin Texas in the United States of America.

I spent my first 6 months in the US calling liquor stores and asking if they stock Indio beer (also referred to as sweet nectar of gods). Over the next decade I drove cases of it across the border. A flicker of hope emerged last November when HEB imported Nochebuena beer. Then Indio beer spruced up its image (corrected), for what it seems like preparation for bigger things.

When? I don’t know. I could not find any further details online (any tips are appreciated). But it seems like our friends at Cuauhtémoc-Moctezuma finally got over their fear of offending Native Americans north of the Bravo (that’s Rio Grande for some) and will treat us to some cold Indio. Yes. Indio beer in the United States.

No ugly people were harmed making this blog.