Haha … I waS in the MiDDLe oF tyPiNG eMAiLS last NigHt< wHeN my computer JuSt StArteD FreAKiNG ouT> AppareNtLy tHe keyBoArD tHiNks tHAt tHe shift keY is preSSeD at rANdom tiMES … so now everYTHiNG tHat I tYPe makes me looK like I’m onE oF tHoSe KiDs who”s tryING tO Be rEALLy rEALLy CooL.

Combine tHAt wItH tHe yeLLoweD and cracked case, tHe optICAl driVe tHAt doeSN’t reAD diScs and ofteN souNds “hungry”, tHe trAckpad tHat barELy wOrKS, tHe noN-functIONAL left coMmand key, and the fact tHAt tHe BluetootH module soMEtiMES rANDoMly diSappeArS … and I’d say tHAt it’s tiME to tAKe my MacbooK iN to tHe shop foR soME serViCe> GooD tHiNg I’ve got tHe tHrEe yeAR wARranty!

There’s a problem with my MacBook’s power cord, so I can’t really charge the battery right now. And as a result, I can’t get online, do my grad school work, edit my photos, or even watch DVD’s. Sorry, but you’ll have to entertain yourself elsewhere.

There is, however, some good news. Because of the gaokao (the massive test for Senior Three students), my school is closed this Wednesday through Friday. I’m planning to go to Hong Kong … and hopefully I can get the power cord replaced while I’m there!

Apple just received a U.S. patent for an iPod with a touch-sensitive back and a regular screen on the front. If a user touches the back, a corresponding transparent navigation system appears on the screen to control the iPod.

This new interface is actually quite stunning … it’s elegant and simple, it shrinks the size of the gadget, and it allows you to navigate without actually having to touch or block the screen with your fingers. I love it!

[iPod …, by tikigod]

iPod Saves Soldier’s Life

“Kevin Garrad (3rd Infantry Division) was on a street patrol in Iraq (Tikrit I believe) and as he rounded the corner of a building an armed (AK-47) insurgent came from the other side.

The two of them were within just a few feet of each other when they opened fire. The insurgent was killed and Kevin was hit in the left chest where his IPod was in his jacket pocket. It slowed the bullet down enough that it did not completely penetrate his body armor. Fortunately, Kevin suffered no wound.”

Special Note: Welcome to all of you who are visiting from the Land of Broken Hearts … enjoy your stay at webeldotnet!

It’s strange to say it … but one of the big unexpected blessings that I had this year in China was the discovery of podcasts. Essentially, podcasts are regular automatic downloads of audio and video content … I personally receive and organize mine in iTunes.

Because China is so cut off from the rest of the world, it’s been refreshing to have so much firsthand access to media from around the world on a regular basis. So, without further ado, here are my favorites, in alphabetical order.

1. Alive in Baghdad - A grassroots video publication with the inside scoop on daily life in Iraq.
2. Around the Net - Collects the best of the web’s videos with some hilarious (though not always clean) commentary.
3. Ask A Ninja - It’s funny and satirical, but this video podcast does start to get a little repetitive after a while.
4. ESPN: PTI - The best sports roundup out there mixed with some awesome bickering and fantastic opinions.
5. Four Corners Church - Relevant and inspirational messages from my home church in Cincinnati.
6. NBC Nightly News - This daily video news broadcast is the cream of the crop … it includes the top stories of the day and some interesting features as well.
7. NPR: 7PM ET News Summary - A quick download, his five minute audio podcast always starts the day off by keeping me informed about life outside the Great Firewall.
8. NPR: Car Talk’s Call of the Week - You can’t beat Click and Clack, the Tappit brothers … they’re the funniest and smartest car mechanics out there!
9. Strong Bad Emails & More! - The best cartoon podcast, it packages Homestarrunner’s glass-is-half-empty cohort in a geekily satisfying package.
10. SWITCHFOOT Video Podcast - These guys are funny and relevant and their “touring with the band” style works better than any of the others out there.
11. Taking the Walk - Hanson - In this video podcast, these boys are now grown up and trying to take on the music industry by recording and publishing their music independently. Yes, that’s right … Hanson.
12. Talkin’ Funny Videocast - Sasha and the Noob, two fellow Miami grads, host this hilarious weekly public access show in Chicago.
13. The Official LOST Podcast - The creators of this popular ABC show reveal secrets, take fanmail, and generally make fun of each other and the show itself.
14. The Onion Radio News - The funniest of all, this quick download is bound to make you LOL with its hilarious fake headlines and stories.
15. the show with zefrank - This guy’s biting humor, unique style, and amazing ability to generate community on the Internet has made it one of my favorites … even though the show’s one-year expiration date has come, it’s still worth browsing the archives.
16. This Holiday Life - Video Journal - I love seeing how these college friends, who recently signed with 7 Spin Records, develop as people and as a band.

Here’s an interesting article on the birth of the iPod. It seems that it was truly a collaborative effort that leveraged some of Apple’s unique technologies to solve existing problems in the digital music world. The stars aligned, money fell from the sky, and good design happened.

“[Apple VP of Industrial Design Jonathan] Ive told the Times that the key to the iPod wasn’t sudden flashes of genius, but the design process. His design group collaborated closely with manufacturers and engineers, constantly tweaking and refining the design. ”It’s not serial,” he told the Times. ”It’s not one person passing something on to the next.”

Here’s an excerpt from a 1986 MacTech review of the hard drive that my family bought for our Mac Plus:

“After using the new Hyperdrive FX-20 for a couple of weeks, I can tell all of you that I am very pleased with it. If the case design doesn’t offend you (about half my friends like it and the other half can’t decide) then this is one heck of a drive.

It retails for $1195.00, and can be had for about $1000.00 at your local store. It is about the same price as many of the other 20 meg drives, but I would suggest this one since GCC is a manufacturer that will be around to support you when the others are gone.”

$1195 for a 20mb hard drive? What a deal!

“It was the Soul Train arriving at platform one.”

– A commuter, watching hundreds of flashmobbers dance silently with their iPods at the Liverpool Train Station

Someone stole my new MacBook today. It’s quite obvious that it’s been pilfered, but I’m not going to compromise the “investigation” by posting details now.

To be honest, though, the laptop itself isn’t really that important. Though it and Louie (my car) are really my only material possession of any value, I could care less about “owning” them. Rather, three things really bother me:

1. That something like this would happen at Pleasant Vineyard. This is a place where I expect more … where the standard of trust should be well above-and-beyond that of the world. Something is drastically wrong if anyone in this place would do such a thing … and something needs to be done about it immediately. Every week, so many people entrust to us the most important things in their lives (their children) … and it is essential that we do everything that we can to safeguard the emotional, spiritual, and physical safety of the precious little ones that we serve.
2. The whole reason why I bought this laptop was to open up communication with the outside world during my next year in China. I want to take thousands of photos and share them. I want to write stories of redemption and embarrassment. I want to video chat with the most beautiful girl in the world. I want to use the Internet to learn about the exciting new culture and language I’ll be immersed in. But now I have to second-guess all of those desires, re-evaluating if this should be a time of isolation and intrapersonal growth instead of experiential teaching and interpersonal growth.
3. This one didn’t hit me until late last night … but I’m quite sad that anyone here would have this little respect for me. After six years of pouring so much into this place, I somehow expect to be automatically given an extra measure of grace, personal safety, and mutual respect. I know I’m a screw-up with some glaring character issues … but I have loved and will continue to love these people with all my heart. So it honestly just hurts to be targeted so specifically and spitefully by someone who really doesn’t understand what this place is all about.

I know, it’s all kind of silly … it’s a laptop. I’m not sulking around or anything, and I’m doing what I can to not make a big deal out of it. But I’m a confrontational kind of guy, and I like a good Sherlock Holmes mystery. I want to aggressively get this done and move on, but unfortunately I’m not really in control of it all. It’s very humbling.

And in the long run, that’s probably the best thing about it.

Ever since Apple released the MacBook, I’ve been on the fence about upgrading my iBook. I can still do a lot with it, but I can clearly see how the MacBook’s 2.0 Core Duo chip, Superdrive, 13.3 inch glossy screen, built-in iSight videocamera, extendable desktop, digital audio in/out, remote, integrated wireless, and fantastic design would be nice in China next year. Ultimately, I need to be able to rely on my computer as my main source of communication with the rest of the world … and the MacBook would really allow me to handle my photos and videochatting with style and ease. But I just wasn’t sure if it was worth the price.

Until now:

So with the educational discounts, Ohio educator tax exemption, and now another $200 back (from selling the nano on eBay, of course), it’d be illogical not to do it. Plus, I should be able to fetch a couple hundred on my iBook too … interested?

Apple really needs to ditch the tabbed menus and aqua interface at the top of its website. They were introduced in February of 2000 (before OS X) and are way out-of-date. Yuck.

So I’m in the middle of the biggest video project of the year (and the last one, at that) … and the optical drive of the PowerMac I’m working on died. Three months out of warranty.