My ideal American city

A list of most stringent and non-negotiable requirements:

• A really huge public park
• Lots and lots of interesting (and preferably, tall) buildings designed by world-famous architects
• Lots and lots of interesting people from all walks of life, and from all over the world
• Great public transportation system (bus, cab, subway, train, plane, helicopter, trolley, boat, etc.)
• Awesome current AT&T 3G network coverage, and soon, awesome AT&T 4G LTE network coverage
• Fantastic public library system (and bookstores)
• Wide swath of strong and stable (and usable) free WiFi coverage
• A Starbucks in every corner (and a whole lot of artisanal coffee shops serving French press coffee)
• Museums and galleries, as well as art centers, art foundations, art colonies
• At least one fabulous emporium of a brick-and-mortar photography store
• Famous and historic landmarks
• Celebrates gay pride month
• A throbbing gay district (bars, clubs, etc.)
• A thriving shopping district (clothes, shoes, accessories, etc.)
• A thrilling entertainment district (movies, plays, concerts, etc.)
• A well-known financial district (banking, finance, etc.)
• An international business district (of all kinds)
• A media and publishing district (of all kinds)
• Four seasons (not the hotel, but the weather)
• Deli shops and stores that are open 24 hours a day
• The best pizza in the world (outside of Italy)

I bet, there’s only one city in the whole of the continental United States that has all these, and more.

The 50 gayest ads ever

David Griner of AdWeek lists 50 gay ads that we don’t mind interrupting America’s Got Talent, The Voice, and, American Idol:

At a time when every other demographic is practically shoehorned into marketing for the sake of diversity, gays and lesbians are still all but invisible in the TV advertising landscape. But while you might not have seen many yourself, gay-themed TV ads are definitely out there.

So, who says we don’t like watching ads?

Andy Baio’s art of copying Jay Meisel

Mike Masnick, techdirt:

Photography, by its very nature, starts with simply copying what’s on the other side of the lens. Yes, there is more to it on top of that. There are all sorts of artistic choices to be made about how to copy. How to frame, how to focus, how to light, how to shade, how to dodge, how to print, etc. That’s what makes it an artform. But it’s incredibly hypocritical to then decry others similarly making a copy, with similar artistic choices, by somehow claiming that that version of copying is “theft.” So, photographers, please don’t be so quick to decry other artforms that also start with copying, but which also then apply additional artistic choices. If Jay Maisel’s photograph of Miles Davis is unique and original artwork (and I believe it is), then so is the cover of Andy Baio’s album.

The new Olympus E-P3

Tim Moynihan, PC World (syndicated in Macworld):

The E-P3 introduces a 3-inch OLED touchscreen, a revamped 12-megapixel Live MOS sensor, and a new imaging engine. The new “Fast AF System” supports 35 individual focus points and touch-to-focus controls while shooting still images; Olympus claims that the camera’s focus speeds are faster than those on any other compact interchangeable-lens camera on the current market.

If you are in the market for a new DSLR camera, something that’s small, but also full-featured, take a look at the new Olympus E-P3.

Choose the best printer for your business

Melissa Riofrio of PCWorld (syndicated in Macworld) helps you choose the best printer for your business:

The classic monochrome laser business printer continues to sell surprisingly well, but the best printer for your business might be an inkjet, laser, LED, or solid-ink; and it might be a multifunction or single-function model.

How do you decide which technology and function level are best for your business? How much can you afford to spend? Take time to think about what you print, how much you print, and whether you need extra features or room to grow. Remember to check the cost of consumables to make sure your ongoing costs will be bearable.

Read the rest of the article here.

Starting the day with a printed newspaper

This morning, I read a newspaper. I read today’s issue of the USA Today–section by section, page by page. While having coffee, I went through almost every headline, and actually read all the articles I happen to be interested in. In fact, I was so thorough that I even dutifully scanned almost all of the QR codes to look at more photos, watch videos, hear passages, and read more news–all from my iPhone. I must say that it has been quite an immersive experience.

And as if it weren’t enough, I even read yesterday’s issue of the USA Today when I finished with today’s papers. I went through it like I did with today’s newspapers–studiously. I even took out and set aside a total of three articles from yesterday and today’s newspapers that I want to read more at leisure later on. I believe the antique word to describe this kind of behavior is called “clipping.” (I read a bit about Vivian Maier yesterday from an official website about her, the nanny from the 50s who was made sensationally famous as a street photographer, who compulsively clipped thousands and thousands of newspaper articles during most of her adulthood and methodically compiled them together in hundreds of ring binders. Today’s digital equivalent of this behavior would be to use Marco Arment’s excellent software called Instapaper.)

I wouldn’t have read the newspapers were I not staying for a week at a hotel where they are delivered door by door every morning. I suppose I can tell them to stop the delivery if I don’t want it, but I didn’t. I surprised myself because I actually want it. Though I already know most of the gist of the news that’s printed, having been receiving news streamed constantly throughout the day from my computer and smartphone, I must admit that it actually feels nice to read the news from an actual newspaper–for a change. I like the feel of the paper in my fingers, the smell of the ink, and the look of the text and photos in print. I can’t honestly remember when was the last time I read the morning’s papers. The last time must have been from when I was staying at another hotel. So this is how it actually feels for the so millions of people around the world who still starts their day with a newspaper. It feels good. It feels normal.

Now this got me thinking–despite the fact that I like it, will I actually ever want to personally subscribe to a print edition? I know I like my news very much. I even think I’m addicted since I like to get them all the time. I’m one of those news junkies, so to speak. But it seems that I can’t imagine myself actually subscribing to a news source that’s printed on paper. I have nothing against printed pages. As I said, I like the experience. (For what its worth, I still buy and collect lots of printed books, the latest of which is the hardbound edition of “Onward” by Starbucks President and CEO Howard Schultz, which I got yesterday from a Starbucks store despite the fact that I’ve already bought and read the e-book edition almost a month ago, and despite the fact that I’ve actually since fallen into the habit of buying and reading e-book editions for quite some time now.) But when it comes to newspapers, for all its charms, I would much rather get my news whenever I feel like it, and when I have the time and chance, streamed throughout the day, from any of my desktop or laptop computers or from any of my electronic handheld devices. I know I am already comfortable with the idea of giving up the printed edition of the news on paper, despite and in spite of its charms, and I can see myself subscribing and amply plugged, into a motley of digital news services online.

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U P D A T E: Since I’m staying at a hotel for three more days, I called the front desk and asked them if they can deliver the New York Times instead of the USA Today. They said yes they can deliver the New York Times for $2 a day.

The (very) long wait

The Apple fanboy that I am, I’ve fallen into this crazy habit of checking out Apple stores wherever in the world I happen to be. So, I’m at the Apple Store in Galleria, in St. Louis, Missouri. This is the 24th Apple Store I’ve been to. It’s Monday afternoon, at a mall. The store is busy, but not nearly full. In my hands are a couple of boxes I plucked out of the display shelves, an Apple Battery Charger and a Mophie Juice Pack Reserve. And I pulled out my wallet from the back pocket of my jeans, ready. I’ve been at the store almost an hour. And so far, not a single blue t-shirt has approached me, let alone acknowledged my existence. I waited, and waited, and waited. After almost 2 hours, and after taking the humiliating initiative of finally approaching a blue shirt (who I learned goes by the name Barbara), I can now confidently declare that this Apple Store holds the record for the longest time I’ve been in one without anyone saying hello. Congratulations? Even during peak hours at my favorite Apple Store, the one in 5th Avenue in New York, someone invariably finds the time to say hello within minutes of stepping in, almost without fail.

U P D A T E: It was a very strange feeling to be ignored inside a lively place such as an Apple Store. It feels very surreal, lonely, and surprisingly, offensive.

Copy that …

Benjamin Jackson at 90WPM on Jay Maisel against Andy Biao: “… he went for the jugular.”

The Maisel/Biao Incident

Duncan Davidson, Photographer at large, on the Maisel/Biao incident:

The shame of it all is that while copyright is largely a conversation between corporations, the situation here pits creative against creative with legal tools that are mismatched for the case at hand. Nobody really wins.

In favor of Jay Maisel

Mike Johnston of The Online Photographer favors Jay Maisel’s cause against Andy Baio:

I side with Jay in this one. That is, I think the Kind of Bloop cover is indeed a case of infringement and does not qualify as Fair Use … the issue hinges on “derivative” vs. “transformative” works of art. You’re allowed to transform (create something new on the shoulders of the old); you’re not allowed to derive (copy, even loosely—even in another medium). Sometimes it does take a jury to decide which is which. Sad but true.