iPad: first 2 weeks

If the Motorola flip phone let you be Captain Kirk, the iPad turns you into Captain Picard, receiving a report in your ready room off the bridge. It's more futuristic in daily use than I expected. A bit over two weeks ago, I got one (wifi only), and took it on the road -- longhaul flights to the Pacific and back.

The verdict: OK, this thing is awesome. I love it. I have grown inordinately attached to it in a very short time. It's not perfect, but for what I most use it for, it's great.

Web: Fantastic. So much nicer for casual sofa browing than a laptop. My laptop usually is driving a big monitor on my desk at home. Not only is it a pain to unhook it just because I want to browse from the sofa, but even opening it and waiting for it to wake up, then logging on, etc., now seems like a real chore. The immediacy of the iPad is striking.

Psuedo-Web Content: Even better. By this I mean online "magazines" and such that have dedicated "apps". The Wired app, for example, is beautiful. They really got it right for a tablet-based magazine. Great touches include side-scrolling to get from article to article, but vertical scrolling to page through once inside an article. Also some interactive animated bits and such. Just ideal. Another example: the bbc news app. Pretty basic still but already superior to reading the BBC news site via the browser (which in itself is perfectly fine). It changes its layout whether you're in portrait or landscape, has intuitive scrolling through stories and topics, very easy to read the major stories. Not ground-breaking, just nicely done.

Book Reading: Excellent. I've been skeptical of e-books. I do still prefer physical ones, but given that, the iPad is a great alternative. Travelling is the perfect use case. I finished two books and started a third while on a single trip. There's no way I would have lugged three physical books along on the trip with me. I've got books via apple's bookstore and via amazon. Amazon's iPad Kindle app works well. Apple's book app is even better. A lot of little details, even things that seem cheesy at first -- the animation for page-turning -- actually make a subtle but powerful difference that is noticeable when I go back to using the Kindle app. The Apple reading is slightly more immersive. And, predictably, the integration with the book store is much smoother. Not to slight the Kindle app -- I gladly use it as it gives me access to all of Amazon's e-catalog in addition to Apple's.

Movies: Fantastic. And renting movies works really well for business trips. Watching movies on this thing is great. I watched a variety of movies. It's 720p HD, but I couldn't tell the difference between normal quality and HD movies. The normal ones looked great. I watched a normal rental from apple, an HD rental from apple, and a DVD I'd ripped myself and re-encoded down to about 1.7GB -- erring on the side of higher quality. I also tried some I'd done at much lower quality (less than half the size), and they were noticeably poor, but the other one was great. (I don't remember the settings, but was something along the lines of 2-pass encoding with avg bitrate a bit over 2000).

Games: have only tried one game, Need For Speed: Shift, and it is really fun. It's a turn-the-pad-to-steer racing game. Lot of potential on this, although I'm not much of a handheld gamer and probably won't be buying many games (maybe chess).

Photos: Beautiful. Photos look great. I just wish I could get an iPad version of Adobed Lightroom (one of my all-time favorite pieces of software). Not for library management, but for basic image editing, the iPad would be great. Multitouch is a natural for cropping, rotating, and adjusting sliders (moreso than the mouse).

Maps: Wow! It's hard to imagine google maps on any other device after this. Not being able to touch-zoom/scroll a map now makes normal computers seem really clumsy and crippled.

Battery Life: Super good. Exceeds expectations. Haven't run it all the way down yet, but have gone 8 & 9 hours with time left. Should exceed 10 hours in normal use. This is excellent for a plane trip with no power adapter -- watch several movies and read a book.

What's bad? OK, typing is awful. It would be good if I couldn't type, and had to hunt & peck with 2 fingers. But I can type, quite well, with ten fingers. And typing means you rest your fingers on the keys. Which doesn't work with the iPad currently, since touching is the same as typing. So you have to hover your fingers in the air above the keypad. You can get a docking or wireless keyboard for it. Don't expect to get much mileage out of typing directly on it. Also, it does get a bit heavy in the hand for reading especially. Usually not an issue as it's lap (or chest-) based, but sometimes noticeable.

Overall: it's great. Amazing content-consumption device. And could be really good for certain types of content-creation, just not typing-based ones. A side-effect of iPad use is that I am now totally spoiled for multitouch functionality. I really want my desktop computers to have this as well, so at any moment I can reach up and start manipulating things "directly" with my fingertips. Someday soon, I suspect. (Imagine a 27" iMac with multitouch glass over that beautiful LED-backlit monitor.)

Accessories:
(1) I got a slipcase (Tuff-Luv iPad Veggie Leather Pull-Tab Case), which works well. I like it, despite the idiotic ring device used to affix the strap. A bit of velcro would've been in order here. Aside from that, does just want I need it to do.
(2) I put a Zagg Invisible Shield screen cover over the front. It worked great for a while. Even the small bubbles, which I didn't notice on install, went away after 2-3 days, just like the instructions said would happen. But near the end of my second week travelling, the edges began to separate in a few places -- almost curling up a bit. Not sure if it was the change in climates and humidity levels and/or the extended a/c use in the hotel room, but it shouldn't have happened. One corner curled up completely and I had to smooth it back down. That looks bad now. The screen part is still good, and looks quite clear and all, but I'm not entirely happy with the ratty look at the corner now.
(3) VersaCharger minisync charger+airplane adapter+etc. worked fine charging the iPad on the plane.
(4) Not really an iPad accessory per se, but used Sennheiser PXC 450 noise-cancelling headphones extensively on various flights. Overall, quite good. Best pair I've had, and I've gone through Sony (a while ago), and cheap JVCs. Sound quality on these is by far the best. My only complaint is that they take a lot of power to drive. Volume can be a bit low in some cases. Could use an inline headphone amp maybe.
(5) Definitely not an iPad accessory, but deserves special mention for being great: Tom Bihn "checkpoint flyer" carryon bag. I love it. Got a "slip" folder to tuck inside. Perfect variety of pockets, excellent laptop solution (too big for iPad, but still worked well), just great to travel with. Very easy. Heartily recommended.

U-S-A: songs for the cup

The biggest disadvantage the US has heading into the world cup is the lack of a rousing chant. "U-S-A! U-S-A!" is as moronic and uninspiring as it is tedious. It's not that US sports fans lack an affinity for music. Students at fall football games chant ("this is our school fight song/and we don't know the words"). University pep bands feed the manic energy inside packed basketball fieldhouses. NBA and NHL arena sound systems have blasted snippets from Gary Glitter to The Fratellis. None of these quite work for soccer, though. For that, we have to turn to baseball. Were the late 70s the golden era of singing in baseball stadiums? The alka-seltzer jingle might not work, but "kiss him good bye" definitely would (yes, Steam's "na na na na/na na na na/hey hey hey/goodbye").

iPad screen shield tip

If you decide to put a Zagg "Invisible Shield" on your iPad, don't strictly follow Zagg's directions. In particular, ignore the instruction to not spray the solution on the device itself. DO spray it on the device. Spray it everywhere. Took me seconds to install it, whereas I've read reviews where people fiddled for minutes on end. The best instructional video is here. Do what he says.

10 Years Abroad

Couple days ago marked the 10th anniversary of moving overseas. When we got in from heathrow, the key to our place was not ready for us. Nothing like a screaming 2-yr old coming off an overnight flight and a 90-minute van ride across London to focus the minds of a roomful of estate agents. The key shortly became "ready". Moved into an empty house. On a business trip prior I'd bought a mattress and scheduled delivery for the day we arrived. Luggage, child, mattress on floor, empty early victorian row house. Went for a walk around the neighborhood and had lunch outdoors at a pub, son finally asleep in the stroller. One more child, a stint in Switzerland, a few houses, a couple jobs, and 10 bikes later, we're still here.

Embrace Cannibalization

Speaking of the iPad, I've seen some hand-wringing about the iPad "cannibalizing" sales of macs and/or iPods. This is a nonsensical worry. Companies should actively seek to cannibalize their own sales. Think of it this way: a new product comes out that people prefer to your company's existing products. Would you rather that new product have come from your company, or from someone else's?

iPad Shortages

Just back from the US. The continuing demand for iPads is astonishing. The release date in the UK has been pushed back a couple times. Now it's easy to see why. In the US, online orders look to be about 2-week delay in shipping. The apple store folks I talked to in CT revealed they have a 1-2 week backlog of reserved in-store customer orders, and it's the same with other stores in the area. I called the 5th avenue store to confirm. Yep, completely out of stock, even wifi-only models, not just the more recent 3G versions. The apple stores are getting new shipments every morning, but not nearly keeping up with the demand. Interesting.

UK Elections

Unfortunately I can't vote yet. I tried to get worked up about taxation without representation, but it's so hard to buy guns here, let alone tri-corner hats, I just grumbled a bit instead. But the election happened this week, or is still happening, sort of, and it's been pretty interesting.

First, all due props to the BBC website for

1. a truly fabulous comparison of where everyone stands [seriously, check it out for an example of the way political coverage should be]
2. a nice explanation of hung parliaments, that they've kept updated with specifics now
3. clear and well-updated results

I feel bad for the UK Independence Party, amassing well over 900k votes but not a single seat, whereas the Democratic Unionist party punches well above its weight with 8 seats on a mere 168k votes. I have no idea how districting works, but seems a bit favorable there for those unionists. I'm not quite sure what the UKIP is about, but they've described themselves as "non-rascist libertarian". If you have to disclaim your non-rascistness from the get-go, probably a bad sign. Maybe this is their way of saying, "we're not the BNP". For any Americans reading this, note that even the self-proclaimed "libertarians" of the UKIP are in favor of free public healthcare via the NHS. I guess this means they are either really crap at the libertarian thing or really evolved at it, depending on your viewpoint.

I don't like so-called "proportional representation" (PR), but it's big on the agenda for lib dems, and it's easy to see why. Labour gets 4.5x the seats as lib dems on only 1.26x as many votes. On the other hand, PR would give the BNP 12 seats instead of zero. Zero is a good thing.

If you look at number of votes required per seat, putting aside the UKIP and others who came up empty (BNP second with 564k votes and no seats), the ones who had to try hardest were the greens, securing a single seat on 286k votes, and lib dems second at nearly 120k votes/seat. Labour and conservatives were in the same range of 33-35k votes/seat, while the dem unionists got away with a mere 21k votes/seat.

Normalized by MPs per 100k votes (just because I like the sound of "mp100k"), the order is:

(dem unionist 4.8)
labour 3.0
tories 2.9
libdem 0.8

Or, normalized by taking the average number of voters per MP elected -- 29,653,638 total voters for 649 seats -- 1 seat left because a candidate died recently, election for that seat deferred, yielding one seat per every 45,691 people who voted. "mp45.7k" doesn't have the same ring to it, sadly:

labour 1.4
tories 1.3
libdem 0.4

So as you can see, labour and conservatives yield better than average return on votes, whereas libdem votes are a bad investment. (Although not really, because they now have more power than their overall showing might warrant because they are desperately needed by whomever attempts to setup a government.)

If PR were adopted, the biggest beneficiaries would be, of course, the UKIP and the BNP. But of parties who actually got seats in the election, percentage impact would be highest for greens, then lib dems, then SNP and plaid cymru, whereas biggest losers would be tories, then lab, then alliance party, then dem unionists.

My chart of fun facts & figures can be found here.

City Bike P.S.

So Trek is already making a good-looking and well-reviewed belt-driven city bike. I would prefer the sram over the shimano rear internal gear hub, for no reason other than I like sram. On the front hub I would go with a dynamo hub for an LED front light. And I would much prefer single disc brakes up front rather than drum brakes front & rear. But looks mostly spot-on for a city bike.

Given that as a utility bike, the recreational bike would likely be something along the lines of a cyclocross bike -- ok for long road rides as well as path and off-road. I still feel suspension should be in the mix somewhere, though. Hm.

Radishes at the Market

Nice radishes at the market today. Favorite way to eat them: with good butter and flakes of sea salt. Then toss the leaves with peppery olive oil and a splash of lemon juice.

Also got some cheerful young asparagus, a pint of garlic-stuffed olives, and a pot of pate (top 3 ingredients: chicken liver, bacon, double cream....). Sustenance for a cold and grey May Saturday.

City Bike

Went out for a nice ride for the first time since my triple-puncture week back in December. Now I've got both front and rear tires fitted with schwalbe marathon plus tires. These prevent punctures on the road first by being impossible to put on, so you can't ride at all, then by nearly guaranteeing pinch-flats, so you can't ride at all, and lastly, if you somehow manage to correctly install them, by being nearly impenetrable. Definitely tarmac tires, though. I did managed to put myself down in some mud at one point after the bike went sideways on me.

Thinking a lot about what I would want for a city bike in London. Ideally it would be fully suspended. I like my suspension stem, but it's starting to go wobbly and they stopped making them years ago. So a suspension fork and frame then. But most suspensions are made for mountain biking and downhilling, not the kind of constant vibro-pounding your spine takes on the rough pavement, tarmac, bricks, and cobblestones of London streets, parks, and towpaths. The hardpack on some of the towpaths is the smoothest surface to be found. Add some grass, wet leaves, potholes, glass, rubbish, curbs of all manner of height and state of disrepair, along with some rutted muddy bits, and it's your basic challenging urban environment. I want a full suspension tuned for the constant vibration, not tuned for huge travel when I catch air coming down off of boulders.

I'd like something fairly simple and low-maintenance and able to withstand the near-constant drizzle. Ideally internal gears in the rear hub, something like sram's 9-speed internal gear rear hub. Add truvative hammerschmidt cranks and you get 18 gears with a single ring on front and a single on back, no derailleurs. Of course, I don't think this wouldn't work well with a fully suspended bike without having to either add a rear derailleur or adding a chain tensioner. But with a hardtail this would be an attractive setup. Very simple, low maintenance, durable, never drop a chain, and change gears, front or rear, even at a dead standstill.

On the front, an internal generator hub (schmidt or sram) powering an LED front light. For brakes: I hate v-brakes. Either old-school calipers or, more likely, go with disc brakes. Possibly overkill on a road-ish bike, but definitely nice to have considering the amount of time spent riding in the wet here. Front only. I can live without rear brakes on a city bike. Red LED on the back. Lightweight clip-on fenders. Depending on commuting needs, either backpack (my choice), or rack with panniers.

Ha Ha Tonka

Purely by chance, saw Missouri band Ha Ha Tonka at the Doug Fir in Portland last month. Fantastic show. I was really taken with the band. Bit like Jayhawks crossed with East of Eden, maybe a touch of Uncle Tupelo. They can dial up the big rock as well as the harmonies and the wide-open spaces. Unfortunately their studio work doesn't fully do justice to their energy and dynamic range [I may, fundamentally, simply want Steve Albini to record every band I like], but the CDs are still worth a listen. Heartily recommend catching them live if you can.

Plants & Plausibility

Are plants protective for cancer? The evidence has been mixed, to say the least. Evidence, that is, in the form of specific human interventions. And it's fairly ambiguous observationally. Recently yet another result from EPIC was published, looking at correlation between fruit and vegetable intake and cancer. Basically there was no difference. The best-case hazard ratio was only down to 0.97 (compared with a more encouraging HR of 0.72 for, um, eating lots of cheese ... oops!). Given uncertainty in figuring out what people actually ate over the period, and given uncertainty around "correcting" for variables (these corrections are built upon pyramids of observational studies, it's not an exact science, although it pretends to be), this is probably meaningless. The biggest worry for the pro-plant brigade should be that even with the flaws, we could expect a more dramatic difference in hazard ratio simply (or solely) from healthy user bias. So it's possible plants are causing cancer. Who knows. If you're choking down foliage by the bucket in the belief you're saving yourself from cancer, there's not much evidence for that. Eat them if you like them. Or maybe to foster a diverse ecology of gut flora, or to poop a lot.

In any case, lots of smart people are absolutely convinced that plants have magical health benefits. I think this stems from a problem that Pauling succumbed to -- the plausibility peril. In the lab, we can see specific interplay at the molecular level, and this builds up a promising avenue of research. The plausibility peril: once we come up with a plausible explanation for how something could or might work, the plausibility itself acts as evidence in support of the theory. Not even deliberately or intentionally, but nonetheless it becomes a bit of a trap. E.g. you sneak up on some cancer cells in a beaker, minding their own business, and hose them down with tocotrienols. They stop growing. Well, that's certainly promising. Tocotrienols are in plants, thus eating plants might slow or stop cancer growth. And freebasing vitamin C might cause immortality (sorry, Linus). But when you try it out in humans it actually has to work. And often it doesn't, no matter how plausible the story.