27
FebI have decided to retire my old photoblog (http://radiance.atfgame.net). So from now on please visit my flickr site instead. The main site was updated to accomodate the change.
31
DecHappy New Year!
I won't go into the details, but I recently found videos of Horowitz performing Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2 and Stars and Stripes Forever. It is my understanding that Horowitz only performed these once in his lifetime. He played Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2 at the Carnegie Hall in 1953 and played Stars and Stripes Forever at the Central Park in New York in 1945. (He played part of the latter in an interview some 30 years after but that doesn't really count.)
Anyway, these records are rare - so enjoy!
12
OctI've been quite busy lately.
First of all, as you may have heard, Microsoft HealthVault launched! It's been a lot of fun working in the health solutions space and I am truely excited at what we are building. The New York Times did a pretty good job of covering what Microsoft is doing with HealthVault so check it out.
Also, after nearly two months of searching, I finally bought a townhouse in Redmond. In the next few weeks I'll be busy closing on the purchase and finally moving into my new home. I am absolutely thrilled and excited!
Life can't be all about work, however :). (Yup, buying a house is all work!) Last weekend, I drove to Leavenworth with a group of friends. And I must say, the drive was absolutely beautiful! I do not have any photos from the drive, but the fall colors and fogs made for stunning scenery. If you live in the Seattle area, I would highly recommend that you drive there via highway US-2. For your convenience, here are the driving directions to Leavenworth. (Click shortest distance.)
Here's an obligatory group photo:
03
OctI think the updated Zune devices are pretty compelling. Reading about the device reminds me of when the XBox 360 was released after a mostly disappointing XBox launch.
I won't go into details about the Zune. I mostly agree with the Zune write up at Arstechnica. But there are two things I want to mention.
First of all I think Wifi syncing is a great idea. This is a feature that I would make heavy use of. For instance, I would keep a Zune in my car and sync music to it while the car is parked. It's apparent that Microsoft put some thinking into how Wifi syncing should work too. I like the fact that the device only auto syncs with AC power on. I hope Apple decides to implement WIFI sync as well. I don't see why the iPhone/iTouch can't implement Wifi syncing via firmware update.
When I first saw the new Zune 4/8, I couldn't help but notice that they look a lot like second generation iPod nanos. I actually think this is a good thing. I suppose there are only so many ways you could design a simple, elegant looking music player.
Anyway, recently some writers have put Apple under the gun after Microsoft decided to implement all of the new Zune's features on the older Zune 30 via firmware update. I think this is a great decision on Microsoft's part. But I also want to laud Apple for their excellent customer service.
A week ago, I dropped my iPhone. Unfortunately, the phone hit the ledge of a coffee table which made a small dent on the volume control button. This permanently depressed the volume decrease button which would cause the volume to go all the way down every now and then. (Sometimes it would just work - perhaps the button got damaged and the connection got loose?). Anyway, I managed to work around the fact that I didn't have complete control over my volume, but this also appeared to cause some syncing issues.
I made an appointment and walked into the Apple store. I fully expected to pay to repair the phone. I also expected to pay for a rental phone while my phone was being repaired. After waiting at the Genius bar a little bit, I fully explained my situation to the Genius.
At first, the Genius couldn't reproduce my syncing problems. I explained that the problem is intermittent, perhaps related to the button connection. She examined the phone, thought for a moment, and then told me,
"Well, there's very little visible outward damage on the phone. You are also one of the very few people that came up and didn't lie to me about damaging your phone (yourself). So I will replace your phone with a new one under warranty."
It was hard not to smile. Thank you Apple :)
16
SepI would like to thank Robert Jordan for writing his most excellent fantasy series, "The Wheel of Time." I spent quite a lot of time reading through the first ten books in the past few months, and I can easily say that I owe a lot of precious moments of life and friendships to the books.
Robert Jordan has been struggling with a most dispicable disease, Amyloidosis, these past few years. But even while fighting the disease he stayed commited to finishing the last book of the series, "A Memory of Light." Despite his efforts and the thoughts and prayers of his fans, Robert Jordan has passed away today. As is written in his biography at the end of his books, "he has been writing... until they nail shut his coffin." May he rest in peace. My thoughts are with him and his family.
"Till shade is gone... till water is gone, into the Shadow with teeth bared, screaming defiance with the last breath, to spit in Sightblinder's eye on the Last Day." - An Aiel Oath