Use a Mac, and Still Be You.  [video]

In Apple’s latest Get a Mac ad, Elimination, the customer makes her greeting to the Mac by saying, I’m a Megan. And that’s why the Mac builds such enduring loyalty among its customers. You can be you. With a Mac, you don’t need to take on a new life fighting viruses, system crashing and headaches. As my wife BB says, you don’t fit the Mac, it fits you.

See two more of the Apple Get a Mac ads, Customer Care and PC Choice Chat.

I am. I admit it. [video]

So do are these leading lifecasters. They claim, the internet is your identity.

From The Society for Geek Advancement.

Lifecasting? What’s it all about? Click here…

Is this the dumbest generation?

Is the revolution in texting, facebook and twitter making young people dumb? Do they need to get back into classic media and interaction to restore their brain power?

A good friend of mine, Seth Barnes, is a smart, tech-forward guy who has worked with young people all his life recently posted on his blog, Living in a Radical World, the thesis, Facebook is killing us softly. In reviewing the book, The Dumbest Generation, Don’t Trust Anyone Under Thirty, by Mark Bauerlein, Seth echoes the author’s position that this technology is having an adverse effect on the minds of young people.

Quoting Bauerlein…

[His] thesis is that young people spend so much time on sites like Facebook that they are losing the capacity to sit quietly in a room by themselves and read a book. As a consequence, they are losing the capacity to think deeply about issues.

Seth’s own comments…

This is not a question of Facebook/Twitter/Cellphones being good or bad. They are wonderful communication tools. It’s a question of “do you over-use them, and does that shape the way you think?” Because I love young people, I’m concerned about this phenomenon.

Seth received 25 passionate comments on both sides of the issue.

A pastor, Dan Waits, who also works with young people, had some good points of disagreement…

I find all this talk about facebook to be more than just a bit alarmist in nature… spoken whenever something new is introduced into our psyche, culture, & way of doing things.

I’m a 20something pastor that uses Facebook & texting as a major communication tool for our ministry… Facebook / texting is a significant component in the building of our sense of community… setting up meeting times for supper, coffee, or hanging, or just for finding out how everyone is doing.

I don’t think that Facebook/text messaging shorthand has corrupted people’s writing skills anymore than anything else in our culture. I was full time in music ministry for 30 years. Young adult writing skills were always pretty lame during that whole time, long before Facebook & texting were ever thought of.

more at Seth’s blog post…

So the question is whether this medium is dumbing people down, or does every generation viewed the next as dumber? I tend to agree with Dan, that it’s not harming kids. What do you think?

A new Get a Mac Ad

Apple introduces Easy as 1-23, a Get a Mac Ad inside the web browser. The message: PCs take longer to do things then Macs. And, they have no viruses.

See the ad below on the YouTube video or you can go to the Wired site and see it (for as long as Apple runs it). Now it’s at the NY Times.

The 23 steps
1. Remove unneeded bloatware
2. Configure security settings
3. Download and install OS security patches
4. Restart
5. Download / install extra security programs
6. Restart
7. Download / install drivers for peripherals
8. Restart
9. Remove optional Windows components
10. Update new virus list
11. Run full system virus scan
12. Update new malware list
13. Run full system malware scan
14. Download / install application updates
15. Restart
16. Clean out system registry
17. Repair corupt system registry
18. Defragment hard drive
19. Free up disk space
20. Scan disk for errors
21. Run system file checker
22. Read online instruction manual
23. Cross fingers

Tweet a story as you travel.

With twitter you can share a real time travelogue as you road trip the world.

In the tweets below, follow twitter founder Jack Dorsey as he tweets his way to Baghdad and back. A fascinating read.

Jack’s posts tell a story, and it’s all the more dramatic when it’s real time. He shares emotions, observations and questions from his network of followers. A real time story.

Twitter postings show the last post at the top of the list. To go to the beginning of Jack’s trip, click here.

Note: Some links may be broken. I’ve also removed some posts that were background conversation.

Happiness is an empty seat next to you on the flight to NYC. Farewell, Amman.about 7 hours ago from txt

 

Checking out of my hotel and on the way to Amman airport. Sleepy.about 9 hours ago from txt

 

Getting ready to go out on the town in Amman.about 19 hours ago from web

 

Making my way back to the hotel. And some dinner.about 20 hours ago from txt

 

Watching the sunset 475 meters below sea level, over the dead sea. Beautiful breeze.about 22 hours ago from txt

 

Reflecting on everything that occured this week as I stare out to Israel.9:35 AM Apr 23rd from txt

 

Looking at Isreal7:50 AM Apr 23rd from txt

 

Getting ready to head to the dead sea5:13 AM Apr 23rd from txt

 

Farewell, Baghdad. Hope to see you again soon. Stepping off the C130 into Amman.3:53 AM Apr 23rd from txt

http://twitpic.com/3tb2m 12:11 AM Apr 23rd from Tweetie

Haven’t had a lot of sleep. Not sure when I’m going to do that.12:09 AM Apr 23rd from txt

 

Saying goodbye to our security detail 11:45 PM Apr 22nd from txt

 

For the rest of the story, click here

Now that the Deputy Prime Minister is signing up to Twitter, we have to get Secretary Clinton back on. @JaredCohen1 will make that happen.6:13 PM Apr 22nd from Tweetie

Following our delegation lead @jaredcohen1. Hopefully we can lose the 1. Jared is awesome (and sometimes has good hair).6:05 PM Apr 22nd from Tweetie

@iraqii where are you from? You’ve taken the first step. Keep updating and find others around you!6:02 PM Apr 22nd from Tweetie in reply to iraqii

University of Baghdad http://twitpic.com/3sjt4 5:36 PM Apr 22nd from Tweetie

Wine and cheese with the delegation. Beautiful night in Baghdad. We’re chatting about the week. http://twitpic.com/3sjgf5:31 PM Apr 22nd from Tweetie

 

Twitter succeeds when it’s not talked about so much, blurs into the background, & is used as a utility. Like electricity.3:17 PM Apr 22nd from txt

 

If the progress in Iraq could get a tenth of the press Twitter gets everyday, we’d all be aware of something exciting & new. #iraqtech2:51 PM Apr 22nd from Tweetie

 

Gave the Deputy Prime Minister a handmade glass bowl. Also, he’s signing up to Twitter tonight. #iraqtech2:46 PM Apr 22nd from Tweetie

 

@seeemore no, we feel very safe here2:37 PM Apr 22nd from Tweetie in reply to seeemore

 

@Mytoy1964 with the State department to survey technology here in Iraq and figure out if tech like Twitter can help2:36 PM Apr 22nd from Tweetie in reply to Mytoy1964

 

Warm night, sung prayer wafting on the breeze, & inspired conversation. Wonderful.1:54 PM Apr 22nd from txt

 

Talking in baghdad with Ranj Alaaldin1:33 PM Apr 22nd from txt

 

Gorgeous weather and light tonight #iraqtech11:36 AM Apr 22nd from txt

 

The Embassy people work so hard. 7 days a week! No breaks. An impressive team #iraqtech9:42 AM Apr 22nd from txt

 

@mkayes because SMS was limited to 160 characters. We want to make sure we work on the lowest common denominator: cheap mobile phones9:11 AM Apr 22nd from Tweetie in reply to mkayes

 

@PizzaCones thanks. You too!9:07 AM Apr 22nd from Tweetie in reply to PizzaCones

Hello Jack.. this could be your first tweet from an Iraqi in Baghdad:-) (via @Aziz_RiTS)8:34 AM Apr 22nd from Tweetie

 

@Aziz_RiTS hello! Where in Baghdad are you?8:34 AM Apr 22nd from Tweetie in reply to Aziz_RiTS

 

@robertaw99 extremely hot! Lots of problems wearing a suit here8:33 AM Apr 22nd from Tweetie in reply to robertaw99

 

@davar pretty amazing, huh? Even more is how much people want to participate in gov’t8:33 AM Apr 22nd from Tweetie in reply to davar

 

Met the President of Iraq at his house this morn. Amazing palace and an enlightening conversation #iraqtech7:43 AM Apr 22nd from txt

 

Going on CNN live7:43 AM Apr 22nd from txt

 

@babyglam yes, first time in the mideast7:27 AM Apr 22nd from Tweetie in reply to babyglam

 

Some of the delegation. On the far right is Tony, our lead detail. He’s awesome. http://twitpic.com/3ri1d7:27 AM Apr 22nd from Tweetie

 

In the Presidential Palace http://twitpic.com/3ri0e7:26 AM Apr 22nd from Tweetie

 

Taking advantage of the wifi here and catching up on the rest of the world. Lots going on out there!7:25 AM Apr 22nd from Tweetie

 

@chrissyman not fighting, learning and talking to people7:23 AM Apr 22nd from Tweetie in reply to chrissyman

 

Getting some pizza before our next meeting7:20 AM Apr 22nd from Tweetie

 

Passing a group of Iraqi kids laying in the shade under a tree. They were all texting and smiling #iraqtech7:06 AM Apr 22nd from txt

 

Talked with a great bunch of students & professors at the technology university. Unfortunately had to leave early due to a security issu 7:01 AM Apr 22nd from txt

 

Starting to get a bit hot here. Feels good. #iraqtech4:59 AM Apr 22nd from txt

 

Wow, that man had a coffee cup holster (and amazing coffee to go along with it) #iraqtech4:57 AM Apr 22nd from txt

 

30-40% of graduating university students don’t get jobs in their fields. The other 70% get jobs in the government. #iraqtech3:42 AM Apr 22nd from txt

 

Taking off my helmet and flak jacket2:41 AM Apr 22nd from txt

 

Checking out our transport for the day1:42 AM Apr 22nd from txt

 

Breakfast time. A smokey and hazy morning. Lots of helicopters. #iraqtech1:00 AM Apr 22nd from txt

 

@dberube Learning from Iraqis about how technology is used here, what’s broken, and where help is needed.6:33 PM Apr 21st from Tweetie in reply to dberube

 

@andrewmueller I am talking to troops whenever possible. Sometimes Twitter comes up, mainly we talk about where we’re from.6:28 PM Apr 21st from Tweetie in reply to andrewmueller

 

@maniar Talking to Iraqi’s to figure out if technologies like Twitter can help bring transparency, accessibility, and stability to the area.6:19 PM Apr 21st from Tweetie in reply to maniar

 

My iPhoto Places tab is looking hot. Almost as hot as my passport. http://yfrog.com/0cozkp 6:16 PM Apr 21st from Tweetie

 

@steffhoward there’s a need for a lot. You should look into it. Start at the embassy.6:14 PM Apr 21st from Tweetie

 

@loic believe it!6:12 PM Apr 21st from Tweetie in reply to loic

 

Getting ready for bed in Baghdad. A few stars out, no signs of helicopters for a while, mostly quiet. Sleep tight, Iraq. #iraqtech5:59 PM Apr 21st from web

 

Yo! @Calperry is now on Twitter. Watch how CNN works from the ground. Currently in Baghdad.5:51 PM Apr 21st from web

 

Rerouting one of my flights through Washington DC.5:31 PM Apr 21st from web

People walking the Baghdad streets. #iraqtech http://twitpic.com/3qa5p3:41 PM Apr 21st from Tweetie

 

Baghdad museum. Odd creatures. #iraqtech http://twitpic.com/3q91n3:25 PM Apr 21st from Tweetie

 

Streets of Baghdad. #iraqtech http://twitpic.com/3q8qd3:21 PM Apr 21st from Tweetie

 

Civilization’s first two tweets. ~2009 BC. Hard to follow that! http://twitpic.com/3q8ni3:19 PM Apr 21st from Tweetie

 

Iraqi’s start thier weekends on Friday. Back to work on Sunday. #iraqtech3:14 PM Apr 21st from txt

 

Drinking a glass of wine with embassy folks2:44 PM Apr 21st from txt

 

Saw the real Baghdad today by driving out in the red zone. Lots of work to do, but people are on the street talking and things are moving.2:11 PM Apr 21st from web

 

@rohanjay I’m twittering from a US cell. We don’t have an Iraqi number ready just yet.1:46 PM Apr 21st from web in reply to rohanjay

 

Leaving an amazing conversation with a group of extremely bright Iraqi students. Inspiring. #iraqtech11:35 AM Apr 21st from txt

 

A bit hotter today in Baghdad. So much concrete. It’s everywhere. #iraqtech9:42 AM Apr 21st from txt

 

Met @madeleinep77’s brother Cal today. He interviewed me for CNN!9:38 AM Apr 21st from txt

 

Stores in Baghdad started taking credit cards again a few months ago. #iraqtech6:41 AM Apr 21st from txt

 

We just visited the Baghdad Museum. What a precious experience. So beautiful!6:41 AM Apr 21st from txt

 

Arabic is a really beautiful language3:01 AM Apr 21st from txt

 

http://twitpic.com/3oh4q6:12 PM Apr 20th from Tweetie

 

Soldiers from North Carolina in front of Saddam’s Iraq-Iran War memorial [?]5:37 PM Apr 20th from Tweetie

 

Beautiful night in Baghdad. Clear, crisp, warm, and quiet. Replying to people and preparing for tmrw.5:18 PM Apr 20th from web

 

State department press release on our trip: http://bit.ly/qjAfw #iraqtech3:09 PM Apr 20th from web

 

The embassy has yoga classes. And belly dancing.2:29 PM Apr 20th from txt

 

A question for all reading this (& your followers): what do you think life is like in Iraq today? I had no idea. #iraqtech12:31 PM Apr 20th from txt

 

17.5 million mobiles. 85% penetration. The infrastructure is overwhelmed. Only 0.06% Internet penetration. #iraqtech11:05 AM Apr 20th from txt

 

Cell phone usage here is massive and the velocity is increasing. #iraqtech9:28 AM Apr 20th from txt

 

The weather here is like San Francisco today. #iraqtech4:16 AM Apr 20th from txt

 

@saleemkhan Nothing specific. We want to listen to figure out what works and what’s needed.6:08 PM Apr 19th from web in reply to saleemkhan

 

@bastiancontrari Twitter is what you make of it. Everyone is going to find a different use, & push the product the way they wish.5:46 PM Apr 19th from web in reply to bastiancontrari

 

@Axeluno It wasn’t too bad! The kevlar suits are heavy & awkward. It’s surreal how quiet everyone becomes after 30 minutes in the air tho.5:41 PM Apr 19th from web in reply to Axeluno

 

Scott (@heif) just set up a photos feed: http://bit.ly/wVlEm and we may have the 1st press release with a Twitter search URL tmrw! #iraqtech5:38 PM Apr 19th from web

 

@koslosle We have a really packed schedule of us talking to all sorts of people. Lot’s to explore there!5:32 PM Apr 19th from web in reply to koslosle

 

@koslosle It actually feels a lot like San Francisco at the moment. Kind of chilly. #iraqtech5:23 PM Apr 19th from web in reply to koslosle

 

@bastiancontrari Rather, I’m hoping they introduce it to me. Everyone and every culture will have their own needs and ways of using it.5:22 PM Apr 19th from web in reply to bastiancontrari

 

In Baghdad courtesy of State.gov meeting Iraqi’s from all walks of life. Follow & join the conversation: http://tinyurl.com/d2njem #iraqtech5:02 PM Apr 19th from web

 

@N02R We have to restart somewhere.4:56 PM Apr 19th from web in reply to N02R

 

A picture of me in the c-130 & armor: http://twitpic.com/3l8pe (via @heif) #iraqtech4:25 PM Apr 19th from web

 

Leaving an amazing dinner in Baghdad, Iraq. Such an honor to be here.4:05 PM Apr 19th from txt

 

In a helicopter. Wow.9:44 AM Apr 19th from txt

 

Landed. That was an amazing flight. Waiting to be picked up.9:02 AM Apr 19th from txt

 

Walking up a ramp into the back of a plane6:47 AM Apr 19th from txt

 

On our way. I’m so excited!2:34 AM Apr 19th from txt

 

Wearing a suit. Getting ready to go to the next location. But first, breakfast!12:55 AM Apr 19th from txt

 

That was a fantastic dinner. Great conversation and planning. Ready for tmrw.5:22 PM Apr 18th from txt

 

Discussing video games over hookahs3:05 PM Apr 18th from txt

 

Sitting down to dinner in Amman Jordan.2:11 PM Apr 18th from txt

 

Everyone applauded that landing. Here for a night then onward!11:20 AM Apr 18th from txt

 

Touchdown in foggy Brussels. Only here to refuel.5:59 AM Apr 18th from txt

 

About to embark on the most exciting & meaniful experience of my life (so far). More soon. For now: bye USA, see you

 

Friday.9:59 PM Apr 17th from txt

 

At JFK airport8:07 PM Apr 17th from txt

 

Triple checking everything.5:40 PM Apr 17th from Tweetie

 

This espresso+grappa smells like hay12:09 AM Apr 17th from txt

 

Getting a bit nervous. Tomorrow is a big day.9:26 PM Apr 16th from txt

 

@ranajune I’ll be here until Friday night, then back on the 24th through the 26th. Sure we can arrange something! Will try to get a tweetup3:21 PM Apr 16th from web in reply to ranajune

 

Wow, turns out lots of people here at bumble&bumble use & love Twitter and just gave me a bag of product! Thank you!

 

Working here for a bit.2:57 PM Apr 16th from web

 

Getting a haircut at bumble&bumble. Wonder if they have Twitter2:23 PM Apr 16th from txt

 

Having dinner at Spice Market10:41 PM Apr 15th from txt

 

@juliaxgulia That’d be fun!8:03 PM Apr 15th from web in reply to juliaxgulia

Start reading here and scroll up…

See my other blogs about twitter

Yes, twitter has found its way into the OR.

How can there be any value to posting tweets which are seemingly random, superficial thoughts limited to 140 characters? There’s lots of debate over this.

I have to admit, I like following people. In a recent blog post, Living in a World of Tweets, I discuss why.

The New York Times article, Putting Twitter’s World to Use, highlights many interesting twitter applications, including…

…an elastic band with vibration sensors that his pregnant wife wore to alert Twitter each time the baby kicked… research into sending home security alerts or tell doctors when a patient’s blood sugar or heart rate climbs too high… surgeons and residents twittered throughout a recent operation.

“A portion of the skull is being removed to allow access to the dura, the lining of the brain,” an early tweet said.

Don’t laugh if you see your OR Doc tweeting as they put you under.

There are many business applications as well.

Mary F. Jenn, of True Massage and Wellness in San Francisco, twitters when masseuses have same-day openings in their schedules and offers discounts. The spa is often fully booked within several hours.

Twitter’s most productive use has been for businesses that want to peer into the minds of their customers, reading their immediate reactions to a product.

Another article in the New York Times, Take 1 Recipe, Mince, Reduce, Serve, reports on the growing use of people who tweet recipes…

Strudel Pastry: cut 2T butter/1c flour/mash tater. Knead w 2t yeast/2T h2o; rise 1h. On flour cloth gently pull 17×25″; trim-1″/butter well.

If you have seen some funny tweets, post them in our comments section.

The biggest opponents to Mac conversion will be with the IT people. Why?

They don’t understand the Mac, and more importantly, it threatens their job security. Macs rarely break, so IT becomes the proverbial Maytag repairman waiting for a support call.

With a Mac, there is no need to understand the mysteries of DLL registries. There are no viruses or malware. But the best reason for convert are the productivity savings.

Another one bites the dust.

Michael Schneider, CEO of Fluidesign, a Los Angeles-based interactive agency, reports for PC World his experience upgrading his operation to the Mac. Some excerpts here…

In the summer of 2006, I upgraded about 80% of my company’s computers to Macs; we’re a design agency, and so most people wanted Macs anyway. I kept hearing about their strengths – how the OS never crashed, how it just worked, how you don’t need to reboot every day – and dismissed them as blind lust from googly-eyed Apple enthusiasts.

But then he converted to Macs.

But something changed. People started doing things quicker. Work started flowing faster (I estimate by about a third)… Words can’t describe how much productivity rose, including my own. The same machine, two years later, sits on my desk and operates flawlessly every day.

This is one of many positive reports of PC to Mac conversion. And where do you read about people converting from a Mac to a PC?

See the full report here in PC World…

PS- About the only reason left to stay with PCs is managing mail with Microsoft Exchange. Apple reportedly will have this neutralized by the fall of 2009. The other reason is if your IT pros have managed to build their server apps on the proprietary Microsoft standards. Woops, more job security.

I love it. Why? I have been using the Mac since 1984. Those early days were glorious as we Mac users found a “PC” that was usable and practical, especially if we were right brained creatives. Meanwhile, Microsoft was selling gazillions of left-brained DOS (non-Windows) machines into the corporate market. Whether you were left or right brained, that’s what they made you use. Then, in about 1987, Windows 1.0 was finally shipped (late as usual). Over the years, the corporate users drove us into the hills. We spent the years of the late 1990’s and early 2000’s living in caves, not seeing the sky.

Now times have changed. The Mac is cool again, and actually recognized as a great platform. We are out of the caves and back in the green grass, with sunny skies. We can now proclaim openly, without derision, Long Live the Mac!

I have posted one of the new ads I especially like, called Time Traveler.

You can find the other ads here at the Apple site.

Yes, if you use facebook.

That makes just about everyone, especially if you use the facebook wall, post tweets or write a blog (I admit, I do all three).

Lifecasting is defined by wikipedia as the continual broadcast of events in a person’s life through digital media. People capture daily routines and provide interactive communication with their audience.

Is it really just a compulsion?

USA Today has an excellent article, The popularity of Twitter has some relationships in a twist.

The fight between pop-music couple Rihanna and Chris Brown started because, according to the police report, she saw a text message from another woman on his cellphone and got upset.

For Justine Ezarik, 25, lifecasting has become a great opportunity. She is a real pro at this, currently ranked #27 in the all time list of twitter followers as reported by twitterholic. That puts her at just over 423,000 followers. Her bio: New media chick and Apple fan girl. I make funny videos and blog about everything from technology to pop culture. She posts commentary, which is mostly all about… her. But it’s entertaining and to her credit, tasteful. She is smart and has talent. Back to the USA Today article…

But even iJustine is getting fed up with Twitter twits. “You realize you might be with a person but they’re completely thinking something else — and they’re Twittering it,” she says. “My sister came to visit me and she would not get off the phone, she was constantly texting. I was, what are you doing? I never see you, can you just put down the phone?!“

Explore Justine’s online world and you will see lifecasting done right. This girl has talent, not just in front of the camera, but as a producer and writer and marketing maven. She has several sites from her Tasty Blog Snack at  iJustine.com to her own channel on youtube.com. If you want to join the minions who follow, including me, her twitter name is iJustine.

…iJustine, for instance, has learned her lesson: She stopped the live streaming of her life 24/7 online (yes, she wore a camera on her head) because it was upsetting her friends and business partners. Her best friend moved out…

Well, at the time, it probably seemed like a good idea.

I am a serial idea generator.

I have been using a tasty little iPhone app called Evernote for about eight months. It makes it easy for me to capture, organize and develop ideas into usable form.

Evernote makes it incredibly easy to capture all your ideas, notes, pictures and even voice recordings. They are automatically stored at your account at Evernote. It’s all automatic, no tech required.

Use it anywhere on any platform.

I can be taking notes in a sermon in church, a meeting at Starbucks or working at home. I can type a note into my iPhone and it automatically syncs to my account. I can also access and edit my posts through my browser or a robust, dedicated application. If I am writing on my MacBook, I can see and update from there, too. It really doesn’t matter where I am or what platform. It also runs on Windows and Blackberry. BTW – iPhone text syncing is fast, even on the slow AT&T Edge network.

It’s now easy to capture my mind. I am a spatial willy-nilly thinker, so I can easily find my posts by keywords, tags or notebooks. It’s lightning fast. Posts can be any length from a tweet to a book.

Did I say tweet? Yes, they have just introduced integration with Twitter. Any or all of your tweets can be posted to your notes. Just put “@myEN” anywhere in your tweet and it gets put into your notebooks. If you send yourself a direct message, the post will be private. Sweet!

Evernote is feature rich, bulletproof and FREE! It’s so rare to find something so well designed. The best I can say about anything, including Evernote, is the more I use it… the more I love it!

Go to Evernote for even more features and the downloads…