I think it's interesting how I wasn't much moved by the feature list Apple unveiled at the 2009 Macworld upon reading until I saw the keynote Phil Schiller delivered.
I gave up on trying to not read spoilers before watching the actual keynote. I am subscribed to too many Mac-related feeds just to do that. And also there are all the social networking sites, blogs, instant messengers that are buzzing with the news. So I read the lists and thought to myself: is that it?
Now even though I'm still quite disappointed by the lack of any Mac mini related announcements I started to like a lot of things just by watching the keynote.
For example the face recognition feature they built in the new iPhoto with Facebook and Flickr integration. Seriously, how cool is that? I'm sure the technology is nothing groundbreaking, but really does any desktop software do anything similar on the current market? Especially one shipping for free with a newly purchased computer? I'm quite eager to try having iPhoto create nice lists of pictures of my family, to check how well the algorithms deal with aging, etc.
Then there is the geotagging, which I guess critics will point out isn't much more than Google maps built in. But the important thing is that as simple a feature as that it is still implemented with such finesse and attention to detail that is an Apple trademark.
The "it just works" is not only a slogan, I can see there is an actual desire by the engineers to make that true.
For example when Norbi left for Hungary he left his printer behind. It was simply too big and heavy to carry or send after him. So I got to use it and I plugged it in the MacBook. I waited, but nothing happened. No bubbles telling me that new hardware was connected, no pop-up questions if I wanted to search for a driver. Little did I know, that the printer was actually ready to use.
I only figured it out after checking the Print & Fax section of the System Preferences: there it was, Canon Pixus iP4200, ready to print. And all I did was plugging it in. Had I tried to print something right after connecting the USB cord, it would have been done. Simple as that.
Another time I recommended gmail to my brother, primarily because of the IMAP protocol. He was using the old black MacBook, the one I almost killed. He later told me he was a bit worried before he tried to set up the gmail account with OS X's Mail. The unfortunate side effect of me being the tech savvy person in the family is that no one else really needs to know computer related things, they just ask me. So he was unsure if he could enter a correct server, select a port to use, etc.
However, the process went quite differently. First Mail asked what kind of mailbox he'd like to set up, where he selected gmail. Then he was prompted for the address, which he typed in. And that was it. Mail started to synchronise with gmail, and his emails appeared in the inbox. Simple, effective.
Apple can be accused of being all marketing, but so far I have a lot more positive first-hand experiences and reliable recounts of Macs being useful and jaw-droppingly user friendly than any other product. There must be something with these white, or lately aluminium-coloured, boxes that fills an auditorium with people just to listen to a speech about them. And I don't think it's just because of fanboys or brainwashed consumers.
WILLOW: I don't know. You've been studying really a lot.
BUFFY: I try, but they're already piling on the reading and, of course, Giles is filling in the little corners of free time with extra training. I'm starting to think this working hard is hard work.
WILLOW: Isn't it crazy like that?
BUFFY: I thought it was gonna be more like in the movies. You know, inspirational music and a montage: me sharpening pencils, reading, writing, falling asleep on a big pile of books with my glasses all crooked because in the montage I have glasses. Real life is so slow and it hurts my occipital lobe.
It's weird not to be home for Christmas and New Year's Eve. These really only mean anything if you are around people. And if we assess the situation honestly, my only acquaintances are online.
Obviously trees are not in fashion here, and why would I want one for just me. After watching a bit on a webcast how my family was decorating the tree at home, I mostly slept through the celebrations.
Now I'm undecided what to do for New Year's. The Japanese custom is to visit a shrine. For instance Kyoto is unbelievably overcrowded this time of the year. But I'm not sure I want to be a "stranger by himself" among a host of people.
What if Mila Kunis was your healer in a heroic, huh? It could happen, if you're alliance... (By the way, why do people choose poser alliance all the time? I mean, Felicia plays a gnome... eww...) What's with the healing? I just have a hunch she's a priest. Maybe a mage. But definitely a clothie. Anyway, if you dear readers haven't already, go watch Forgetting Sarah Marshall. Also raise your hand if you wouldn't notice it's her speaking on Vent.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=41Z0vq6MarU[/youtube]
English classes face a shakeup
A new teaching guideline released Monday calls for high school English classes to be taught primarily in English from the academic year beginning in April 2013.
[...]
However, there is some concern among English teachers about the draft guideline. It is scheduled to be finalized for announcement in February or March.
"This could embarrass particularly older teachers who know grammar well but are not very good at conversation," one teacher said.
Oh god, some older language teachers who can't actually speak the language they teach might get embarrassed. We can't have that, no. Who cares if the kids don't learn how to talk. After all, which idiot uses language to converse anyway...
How considerate:
Tokyo University of Foreign Studies announced Wednesday it will provide ¥100,000 grants by March to 30 exchange students who are paying their own expenses but suffering from the yen's appreciation. (The Japan Times)
Of course this only applies to non-scholarship students. Nevertheless I find it mildly annoying that ever since I came to Japan the tendencies were quite not in my favour. Firstly every single year there was a slight drop in the amount of scholarship I received, kudos to the Japanese government. Secondly the Yen was worth less and less compared to the Euro or HUF. In 2004 when I came here the Yen sold at almost 2 HUF. Just recently it dropped to less than 1.5, making my scholarship worth a lot less. For example the international plane tickets never changed with the conversion, if anything they cost more.
That is before the economic crisis started. Suddenly the Yen-HUF conversion flared up to 2.4. Which is quite typical: in a few months I will stop getting scholarship...