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Do you still remember Al Gore? I just stumbled over a flaming pledge for environmental protection by this former vice-president of the U.S.. It’s not only a stunning example of a well-prepared presentation, but also contains very interesting insights by a man who nearly became head of the american administration – and even if he would talk more moderate if he actually won the election, there is still hope…
In fact the presentation was so good that somebody made a movie around it: An Inconvenient Truth (Trailer on apple.com), which is released in the U.S. these days (unfortunately we still have to wait until September to see it in Germany). [via Presentation Zen: “Al Gore – another presenter extraordinaire?”]
P.S.: Al Gore sits on the board of directors at Apple Computer Inc., which earns him some extra points of course ;)

Yay, my first OSX-application is ready: “ColorThing” – the outcome of the “Interactive Ccocoa”-course in my current studies. The (very creative) title signifies an evenly creative and complex task: Getting some average colors out of multiple source-images and … well, save them (into Photoshop-palettes). I know, it probably won’t be the next Delicious Library, but I sure had a lot of fun doing the interface-design and working with all those cool OSX-technologies. Thanks to Iven, Carsten, Sepp and Emerson for their support! Download ColorThing for MacOSX Update: Iven just told me that the current version of ColorThing was a developer build which does not run on other computers – dammit. New version is attached, as an Universal binary (whohoo). And for all those miserable windows-users: a screenshot ;)

So…what’s an Apple-Geeks first visit in SF? Apple-Store! Nice People, more iPods than actual Macs, a first look on the Mighty Mouse (which seems not so mighty at all…) – check my Flickr-Set!

Apple – Events – MacExpo 2005, 8th image. g Though I’d rather like to appear here, or here or here. Well, someday… :)

Another (previously hardcore-windows) security expert, Winn Schwartau, switched to Mac. Someone seeing a trend here? ;) In his blog he argues about the switch, and unless many Apple-fanboys he’s got some straight-forward, unbiased facts – be sure to read his post “Mad As Hell: Metaphor 1.42”. Intro: “Once upon a time, in a world full of yucky bugs and evil burglars, there was a house named Windows, and it had many doors and many windows. (...)”. gg

Mein Powerbook is zwar weg (doch kaputt, grml), dafür is der Tiger bald da. Und is auch schon im Familypack bestellt, jipee! Hier ein paar meiner persönlichen Highlights (Original nur in Englisch verfügbar, aber schnell mal deutsch kommentiert):

• Adressbook: Contact Import File Formats (wurde auch mal Zeit…)
• Adressbook: Pocket Address Book Printing (super-praktisch!)
• iChat: Bluetooth Headset Support (endlich ein Einsatzzweck g*)
• iChat: Grouping (Proteus adé?)
• Finder Slideshow (unbedingt Preview gucken!)
• Fontbook: Font Libraries (hm, Suitcase ersetzen wär toll – ob ichs mal wieder wagen soll? *g)
• iCal: Birthday Calendar (ein dummes Hilfsprogramm weniger)
• Mobile Home Directories (home on ipod, oder was?)
• Preview: Image Keywords (Cool, weil iPhoto für sowas zu lahm is)
• Preview: Slideshow (Exposé-Slideshow, unbedingt den Add-to-iPhoto-Effekt angucken)
• RSS Visualizer Screen Saver (soll krass aussehn)
• Dashboard (überladene Skins und wenig gute Anwendungszwecke, aber OpenGL deluxe!)

Somehow the mac-gods seem to like me: My powerbook works again! Well, ... after some volume-repairing and S.M.A.R.T.-checking the drive booted again. Though it still makes some awkward noises now and then, it seems to function perfectly. My relationship and trust to my Powerbook is seriously damaged, though ;D

The sound of a dying harddrive – more frightening to every computer-user than any horror-movie. Today my 11-month-old Powerbook-drive died without prior warning-signs, just like that. Thanks to Super Duper I have a week-old backup of my whole drive, which boots nicely on my machine (OSX rocks!). But nevertheless, I’ll have to get this fixed – which means 1-2 weeks without my machine. In study-times this would be hell, but hey…due to my internship I have no time to use it at all. So, what do we learn here? DO YOUR BACKUPS! And do them continously, even if you have a relatively new drive. It saved me a lot of nerves these days :)

Hey, look what the postman delivered today :D White earbuds finally!