43 Folders: Recent comments

Tracking Down the "Embarrassing Memory" Noise

Merlin Mann — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 10:44:18 -0400

Compelled to Blurt… | Ask Metafilter

Like a lot of people in this Ask Metafilter thread, I thought I was the only person in the universe who made an unconscious little noise when remembering something stupid I did or said.

It’s not especially loud, in fact it’s often under my breath. The sound is usually just a quiet grunt, or a word/syllable or two. If I remember an embarrassing conversation, I tend to blurt out a random word of the conversation (as in, I’m replaying the dialogue in my head but then all the sudden one of the words pops out of my mouth). If it happens while I’m reading, I tend to blurt out one or two of the words that happen to be under my eyes at the moment.

For context, my tic (which can also be heard when someone near me does something dumb) sounds a little like the noise Leo Bloom makes after he falls on his keys (00:34). “Ooooooom….”

The Question to You

Anyone else do this? Anybody out there qualified to talk about the psychology or neuroscience behind this apparent phenomenon? I’ll bet there’s a cool, scientific name for it.

”Tracking Down the "Embarrassing Memory" Noise” was written by Merlin Mann for 43Folders.com and was originally posted on July 23, 2008. Except as noted, it's ©2008 Merlin Mann and licensed for reuse under CC BY-NC-ND 3.0. "Why a footer?"

aTV Update Gives AppleTV FTP and USB Drive Support

Merlin Mann — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 12:59:20 -0400

aTV Flash - Ver. 3.2 - Apple Core, LLC

The 3.2 version of Apple Core’s patchstick for the AppleTV is out. And it’s pretty amazing.

If you’ve never heard of the aTV, I’ll point you to the product page for all the feature details that turn your AppleTV into a tricked-out media center that runs an assload of codecs without PitA transcoding. And, yes, you will need to read the detailed instructions on how to make this work — there’s a lot of them and it’s not for the impatient or the faint of heart. For now, I just want to highlight why this particular release of this particular product has scratched such an itch for me.

New GUI installer - UNIX doofuses like me no longer have to fling their key drives against a wall in frustration; the product now ships with a relatively simple wizard for installing the aTV software on your 1GB or smaller USB drive. Much easier now. If you’re even wimpier than me they also offer several options that get you the software pre-installed on an AppleTV.
Vanilla FTP access - I’m with stevenf in general on SFTP, but this latest release of aTV removes the requirement to force SSH1 (and, consequently use of the shell or [ugh] Fugu) in order to SFTP onto the AppleTV. With the introduction of old-school FTP I can use Trasmit for file transfer (yay!). Plus this has enabled me to create basic Automator folder actions for uploading files to the AppleTV automatically (here’s what my Movie uploader looks like). Love this — Transmit is such a nice friend.
USB Drive suport - Using the included NitoTV (and after a quick update with the 10.4.9 Combo Installer and a restart) your AppleTV can now see and access attached USB devices [howto]. Like, say, a Drobo. Yep. Just point Sapphire at your collection, and you suddenly have a pretty rich way to enjoy your legal backups of movies and TV shows. “Boom,” as the introducer of the AppleTV might say.

The usual warnings and admonitions apply with this stuff. Apple Core says installing this product won’t void your AppleTV’s warranty; I have no opinion about that. I will say anything you do here is at your own risk. Don’t blame me if your TV blows up. Also, don’t “steal” anything; always pay retail…preferably at a really big store you have to drive to.

For a while, I was on the fence about whether to use my Mac Mini as a media center (and basically pitch the AppleTV). The power is obviously there with a Mini, but I also didn’t want to deal with a keyboard and the other annoyances of using a proper computer as a TV device.

I’ve been very satisfied with the aTV over the past few weeks I’ve had it, and this new version just takes it to another level.

Even if the AppleTV ends up tanking as hard as everybody seems to claim it will, I’m grateful for the hobbyists and hackers who have made it easy for civilians like me to use this amazing device to its fuller potential.

”aTV Update Gives AppleTV FTP and USB Drive Support” was written by Merlin Mann for 43Folders.com and was originally posted on July 25, 2008. Except as noted, it's ©2008 Merlin Mann and licensed for reuse under CC BY-NC-ND 3.0. "Why a footer?"

aTV Update Gives AppleTV FTP and USB Drive Support

Merlin Mann — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 12:59:20 -0400

aTV Flash - Ver. 3.2 - Apple Core, LLC

The 3.2 version of Apple Core’s patchstick for the AppleTV is out. And it’s pretty amazing.

New GUI installer - UNIX doofuses like me no longer have to fling their key drives against a wall in frustration; the product now ships with a relatively simple wizard for installing the aTV software on your 1GB or smaller USB drive. Much easier now. If you’re even wimpier than me they also offer several options that get you the software pre-installed on an AppleTV.
Vanilla FTP access - I’m with stevenf in general on SFTP, but this latest release of aTV removes the requirement to force SSH1 (and, consequently use of the shell or [ugh] Fugu) in order to SFTP onto the AppleTV. With the introduction of old-school FTP I can use Trasmit for file transfer (yay!). Plus this has enabled me to create basic Automator folder actions for uploading files to the AppleTV automatically (here’s what my Movie uploader looks like). Love this — Transmit is such a nice friend.
USB Drive suport - Using the included NitoTV (and after a quick update with the 10.4.9 Combo Installer and a restart) your AppleTV can now see and access attached USB devices [howto]. Like, say, a Drobo. Yep. Just point Sapphire at your collection, and you suddenly have a pretty rich way to enjoy your legal backups of movies and TV shows. “Boom,” as the introducer of the AppleTV might say.

I’ve been very satisfied with the aTV over the past few weeks I’ve had it, and this new version just takes it to another level.

aTV Update Gives AppleTV FTP and USB Drive Support

Merlin Mann — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 12:59:20 -0400

aTV Flash - Ver. 3.2 - Apple Core, LLC

The 3.2 version of Apple Core’s patchstick for the AppleTV is out. And it’s pretty amazing.

New GUI installer - UNIX doofuses like me no longer have to fling their key drives against a wall in frustration; the product now ships with a relatively simple wizard for installing the aTV software on your 1GB or smaller USB drive. Much easier now. If you’re even wimpier than me they also offer several options that get you the software pre-installed on an AppleTV.
Vanilla FTP access - I’m with stevenf in general on SFTP, but this latest release of aTV removes the requirement to force SSH1 (and, consequently use of the shell or [ugh] Fugu) in order to SFTP onto the AppleTV. With the introduction of old-school FTP I can use Trasmit for file transfer (yay!). Plus this has enabled me to create basic Automator folder actions for uploading files to the AppleTV automatically (here’s what my Movie uploader looks like). Love this — Transmit is such a nice friend.
USB Drive suport - Using the included NitoTV (and after a quick update with the 10.4.9 Combo Installer and a restart) your AppleTV can now see and access attached USB devices [howto]. Like, say, a Drobo. Yep. Just point Sapphire at your collection, and you suddenly have a pretty rich way to enjoy your legal backups of movies and TV shows. “Boom,” as the introducer of the AppleTV might say.

I’ve been very satisfied with the aTV over the past few weeks I’ve had it, and this new version just takes it to another level.

Tracking Down the "Embarrassing Memory" Noise

Merlin Mann — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 10:44:18 -0400

Compelled to Blurt… | Ask Metafilter

Like a lot of people in this Ask Metafilter thread, I thought I was the only person in the universe who made an unconscious little noise when remembering something stupid I did or said.

It’s not especially loud, in fact it’s often under my breath. The sound is usually just a quiet grunt, or a word/syllable or two. If I remember an embarrassing conversation, I tend to blurt out a random word of the conversation (as in, I’m replaying the dialogue in my head but then all the sudden one of the words pops out of my mouth). If it happens while I’m reading, I tend to blurt out one or two of the words that happen to be under my eyes at the moment.

For context, my tic (which can also be heard when someone near me does something dumb) sounds a little like the noise Leo Bloom makes after he falls on his keys (00:34). “Ooooooom….”

The Question to You

Anyone else do this? Anybody out there qualified to talk about the psychology or neuroscience behind this apparent phenomenon? I’ll bet there’s a cool, scientific name for it.

Blog Pimping, or: Who Do You Want to Delight?

Merlin Mann — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 13:10:58 -0400

Big Contrarian → Tacky.

My favorite bloggers are great at articulating something I feel in my gut — but they regularly present it better, more clearly, and (on days like today), more succinctly than I ever could. Such is the case with Jack Shedd’s post, “Tacky,” a razor-sharp polemic on the industry of cheese-food manufacturing that “pro blogging” has turned into.

Write top ten lists and whore yourself on many other sites as you possibly can. Don’t be thoughtful, long-winded or interesting. Don’t write about you love, unless what you love is popular on Digg. And for god’s sake don’t even think about writing about more than one topic.

Whether their strategies work or not is slightly beside the point. It’s cheap. It’s marketing driven, instead of content driven. It’s the type of thinking that leads to a sequel to the movie Garfield.

For myself, I think there’s nothing wrong with having a blog and wanting to make money with it. Obviously. But I also hold an increasingly old-fashioned view that you ought to start with something you’re passionate about sharing with people — something besides how to make easy money with a blog — and try to build an audience of people you respect based on producing work you’re happy with or even proud of.

Consequently, I very much agree with Jack’s thoughts on audience-building.

Despite the utter-bullshit so much of the Anderson’s long tail has proven to be, the core idea that everything finds an audience should be held up and remembered. Clung to fastidiously; A life raft for the ignored, for the invisible.

If you’re worth reading, someone will read you. If you’re worth watching, someone will watch you. If you’re worth hearing, someone will listen.

Seconded.

If you do not agree with Jack’s or my opinion on building your audience — or if you think this is an unrealistically conservative tactic for simps and losers — consider this: I learned about Big Contrarian from reading a blogger I trust and respect: John Gruber. Today, the chances are good that at least a few of you might visit Jack’s site for the first time because you learned about it from someone you (theoretically) trust and respect: me. If you like Jack’s stuff as much as Chairman Gruber and I do, I’ll bet you’ll tell others about it through your own sites or through emails, IRL conversations, and what have you. And the music goes round. Organically.

Jack didn’t beg a link, he didn’t pretend to be 50,000 peoples’ “friend,” and he didn’t concoct a bunch of tricks, games, and page-padding bullshit in an attempt to increase views and time-on-site. Jack didn’t do anything except write a great blog. It’s up to his readers to do the rest. If what you’re doing is interesting and appeals to someone, that’s all you need. Seriously.

So, yes, if that wasn’t a clear enough recommendation: read Jack’s blog, Big Contrarian, and tell your friends about it. Jack gets this stuff, and his combination of links and commentary is, not coincidentally, reminiscent of blogging’s salad days. When people were more excited about what they had to say than with figuring out how to make it palatable to readers who’d prefer the entire web be re-formatted as a series of retardate lists.

If you watched The Wire, I’ll bet you walked away with the same piece of wisdom that I did — the thread that ran through every episode of every season, and that was articulated by the show’s creator, David Simon, in the DVD narration of the very first scene from The Wire:

It’s about how institutions have an effect on individuals, and how…whether you’re a cop, a longshoreman, a drug dealer, a politician, a judge [or] lawyer, you are ultimately compromised and must contend with whatever institution you’ve committed to.

This is one of the most insightful things I’ve ever heard someone related to the TV business say, and I happen to believe it’s true of any industry, institution, or, for that matter, adult decision: you make decisions and you accept trade-offs. It’s true if you’re the Mayor, or a homicide cop, or a heroin addict, and damn it, it’s true if you’re a blogger in his or her underpants trying to make bank in a competitive marketplace. You make decisions and you accept trade-offs.

You decide whether or not to run ads. You decide whether or not to include Amazon affiliate links. You decide whether or not to edit posts after publication. You decide whether or not to accept free shit like trips and demo units. You decide how black of an SEO hat you’re willing to wear. You decide whether people will notice (or care) when your ten-paragraph link post is spread out over 11 pages (“It’s a Gallery!”). You make, erase, and re-draw lines until you’re comfortable with the mix. You evolve and you struggle to find your place in the system.

No one is perfect 100% of the time, and sometimes we all change our minds, realize we’re dead wrong, or we just try different things for the hell of it. At least that’s been the case for me on every point.

But, ultimately, our most important decision may be deciding who we want to please, and what we’re willing to do, allow, insert, or put up with that potentially will make those people love, hate, or even feel indifferent toward our sites and our work. Not only must we contend with the institution, we also have to figure out who we want to delight and how. That’s where the art is, and it’s arguably the turning point for whether a young blog will get noticed or won’t.

Want to build a great audience, composed of people you respect? Be picky about who you decide to overserve. Then do it with all the skill and enthusiasm you can muster.

While it might seem dim to say “the rest takes care of itself,” it is entirely true and fair to say “smart readers will always bring along their smart friends.” It’s why you’re here, and it’s why I am very grateful that you allow me to try and delight you as best I can. Even when the posts are this long.

UPDATE 2008-07-21 11:08:47: Fixed a dumb typo on Jack’s name.

”Blog Pimping, or: Who Do You Want to Delight?” was written by Merlin Mann for 43Folders.com and was originally posted on July 21, 2008. Except as noted, it's ©2008 Merlin Mann and licensed for reuse under CC BY-NC-ND 3.0. "Why a footer?"

aTV Update Gives AppleTV FTP and USB Drive Support

Merlin Mann — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 12:59:20 -0400

aTV Flash - Ver. 3.2 - Apple Core, LLC

The 3.2 version of Apple Core’s patchstick for the AppleTV is out. And it’s pretty amazing.

New GUI installer - UNIX doofuses like me no longer have to fling their key drives against a wall in frustration; the product now ships with a relatively simple wizard for installing the aTV software on your 1GB or smaller USB drive. Much easier now. If you’re even wimpier than me they also offer several options that get you the software pre-installed on an AppleTV.
Vanilla FTP access - I’m with stevenf in general on SFTP, but this latest release of aTV removes the requirement to force SSH1 (and, consequently use of the shell or [ugh] Fugu) in order to SFTP onto the AppleTV. With the introduction of old-school FTP I can use Trasmit for file transfer (yay!). Plus this has enabled me to create basic Automator folder actions for uploading files to the AppleTV automatically (here’s what my Movie uploader looks like). Love this — Transmit is such a nice friend.
USB Drive suport - Using the included NitoTV (and after a quick update with the 10.4.9 Combo Installer and a restart) your AppleTV can now see and access attached USB devices [howto]. Like, say, a Drobo. Yep. Just point Sapphire at your collection, and you suddenly have a pretty rich way to enjoy your legal backups of movies and TV shows. “Boom,” as the introducer of the AppleTV might say.

I’ve been very satisfied with the aTV over the past few weeks I’ve had it, and this new version just takes it to another level.

Tracking Down the "Embarrassing Memory" Noise

Merlin Mann — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 10:44:18 -0400

Compelled to Blurt… | Ask Metafilter

Like a lot of people in this Ask Metafilter thread, I thought I was the only person in the universe who made an unconscious little noise when remembering something stupid I did or said.

It’s not especially loud, in fact it’s often under my breath. The sound is usually just a quiet grunt, or a word/syllable or two. If I remember an embarrassing conversation, I tend to blurt out a random word of the conversation (as in, I’m replaying the dialogue in my head but then all the sudden one of the words pops out of my mouth). If it happens while I’m reading, I tend to blurt out one or two of the words that happen to be under my eyes at the moment.

For context, my tic (which can also be heard when someone near me does something dumb) sounds a little like the noise Leo Bloom makes after he falls on his keys (00:34). “Ooooooom….”

The Question to You

Anyone else do this? Anybody out there qualified to talk about the psychology or neuroscience behind this apparent phenomenon? I’ll bet there’s a cool, scientific name for it.

aTV Update Gives AppleTV FTP and USB Drive Support

Merlin Mann — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 12:59:20 -0400

aTV Flash - Ver. 3.2 - Apple Core, LLC

The 3.2 version of Apple Core’s patchstick for the AppleTV is out. And it’s pretty amazing.

New GUI installer - UNIX doofuses like me no longer have to fling their key drives against a wall in frustration; the product now ships with a relatively simple wizard for installing the aTV software on your 1GB or smaller USB drive. Much easier now. If you’re even wimpier than me they also offer several options that get you the software pre-installed on an AppleTV.
Vanilla FTP access - I’m with stevenf in general on SFTP, but this latest release of aTV removes the requirement to force SSH1 (and, consequently use of the shell or [ugh] Fugu) in order to SFTP onto the AppleTV. With the introduction of old-school FTP I can use Trasmit for file transfer (yay!). Plus this has enabled me to create basic Automator folder actions for uploading files to the AppleTV automatically (here’s what my Movie uploader looks like). Love this — Transmit is such a nice friend.
USB Drive suport - Using the included NitoTV (and after a quick update with the 10.4.9 Combo Installer and a restart) your AppleTV can now see and access attached USB devices [howto]. Like, say, a Drobo. Yep. Just point Sapphire at your collection, and you suddenly have a pretty rich way to enjoy your legal backups of movies and TV shows. “Boom,” as the introducer of the AppleTV might say.

I’ve been very satisfied with the aTV over the past few weeks I’ve had it, and this new version just takes it to another level.

iPhone Apps I'd Totally Buy

Merlin Mann — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 12:30:59 -0400

As I wrote yesterday, I’m loving the new iPhone apps on the iTunes store. Also, as we mentioned on MacBreak Weekly yesterday, it seems likely that we’re just seeing the tip of the iceberg in terms of what people will do with that SDK.

But it got me thinking about the stuff I want — the itches I want to scratch. So, iPhone developer friends. Please make these three apps.

Prime This

Elevator pitch: Scan barcode to instantly order an item via Amazon

Out and about and see something you want to buy? Maybe a book, CD, or DVD that you want, but don’t want to buy/carry/pack right now? No problem.

Take a photo of the item’s barcode, hit one button, and the item is instantly ordered through Amazon 1-Click using your default credit card and shipping preferences. Done.

Yeah, I know; I know. You want price comparisons, and wish lists, and an API for tagging and “mashups.” Well, suck it up; you’re not who this is for. This is for hardcore, mainlining Amazon Prime power users. That’s why it has exactly one button: “Prime This.”

Suggested price: Free (developer will make a killing on affiliate money)

iParked

Elevator pitch: Location-aware parking reminder

Open the app, hit a button, and your location is noted and added to a map. Optionally add an alarm (for the parking meter or street cleaning), notes and photos (“3rd level; Area G”), and other pertinent data (“Closes at 1am; after hours number is….”).

When you’re ready to go to your car, the app reminds you where you parked (with a walking map), and off you go.

Suggested price: $5

That Reminds Me

Elevator pitch: Lightweight, location-aware alarm app

Tell TRM the really mushy kinds of things that fall somewhere between a todo and a wish and a curiosity.

buy a lottery ticket on my birthday
pick up a crazy notebook next time I’m in Chinatown
grab a takeout menu next time I’m at Andy’s

Using functionality similar to OmniFocus’s flexible, location-aware contexts, add new items to your list with optional alarms and start/end dates. Then forget about it.

Next time you’re geographically near where you need to be, you get a reminder and a map to get you there.

Suggested price: $5

The Question to You

What’s the iPhone app you crave? What would take great advantage of Location Services, the camera, SDK features, or what have you? What itch do you want to have scratched?

”iPhone Apps I'd Totally Buy” was written by Merlin Mann for 43Folders.com and was originally posted on July 17, 2008. Except as noted, it's ©2008 Merlin Mann and licensed for reuse under CC BY-NC-ND 3.0. "Why a footer?"

aTV Update Gives AppleTV FTP and USB Drive Support

Merlin Mann — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 12:59:20 -0400

aTV Flash - Ver. 3.2 - Apple Core, LLC

The 3.2 version of Apple Core’s patchstick for the AppleTV is out. And it’s pretty amazing.

New GUI installer - UNIX doofuses like me no longer have to fling their key drives against a wall in frustration; the product now ships with a relatively simple wizard for installing the aTV software on your 1GB or smaller USB drive. Much easier now. If you’re even wimpier than me they also offer several options that get you the software pre-installed on an AppleTV.
Vanilla FTP access - I’m with stevenf in general on SFTP, but this latest release of aTV removes the requirement to force SSH1 (and, consequently use of the shell or [ugh] Fugu) in order to SFTP onto the AppleTV. With the introduction of old-school FTP I can use Trasmit for file transfer (yay!). Plus this has enabled me to create basic Automator folder actions for uploading files to the AppleTV automatically (here’s what my Movie uploader looks like). Love this — Transmit is such a nice friend.
USB Drive suport - Using the included NitoTV (and after a quick update with the 10.4.9 Combo Installer and a restart) your AppleTV can now see and access attached USB devices [howto]. Like, say, a Drobo. Yep. Just point Sapphire at your collection, and you suddenly have a pretty rich way to enjoy your legal backups of movies and TV shows. “Boom,” as the introducer of the AppleTV might say.

I’ve been very satisfied with the aTV over the past few weeks I’ve had it, and this new version just takes it to another level.

aTV Update Gives AppleTV FTP and USB Drive Support

Merlin Mann — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 12:59:20 -0400

aTV Flash - Ver. 3.2 - Apple Core, LLC

The 3.2 version of Apple Core’s patchstick for the AppleTV is out. And it’s pretty amazing.

New GUI installer - UNIX doofuses like me no longer have to fling their key drives against a wall in frustration; the product now ships with a relatively simple wizard for installing the aTV software on your 1GB or smaller USB drive. Much easier now. If you’re even wimpier than me they also offer several options that get you the software pre-installed on an AppleTV.
Vanilla FTP access - I’m with stevenf in general on SFTP, but this latest release of aTV removes the requirement to force SSH1 (and, consequently use of the shell or [ugh] Fugu) in order to SFTP onto the AppleTV. With the introduction of old-school FTP I can use Trasmit for file transfer (yay!). Plus this has enabled me to create basic Automator folder actions for uploading files to the AppleTV automatically (here’s what my Movie uploader looks like). Love this — Transmit is such a nice friend.
USB Drive suport - Using the included NitoTV (and after a quick update with the 10.4.9 Combo Installer and a restart) your AppleTV can now see and access attached USB devices [howto]. Like, say, a Drobo. Yep. Just point Sapphire at your collection, and you suddenly have a pretty rich way to enjoy your legal backups of movies and TV shows. “Boom,” as the introducer of the AppleTV might say.

I’ve been very satisfied with the aTV over the past few weeks I’ve had it, and this new version just takes it to another level.

Chronic Procrastination and the Cost of the "Ding!"

Merlin Mann — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 11:05:52 -0400

Guadian UK: Hi-tech is turning us all into time-wasters

(via Rich Siegel)

A few weeks ago, I pointed you to a startling stat in the New York Times stating that 28% of the average worker’s day gets blown on unnecessary interruptions — helping contribute to a crisis that a company like Intel now considers a $1 billion per year problem. From yesterday’s Guardian comes more numbers on the growing cost of distraction:

Ferrari says that chronic procrastination is now so serious a condition it needs to be recognised by clinicians. In a study to be published later this year, he estimates that 15 to 20 per cent of people are chronic procrastinators. ‘We now have data on 4,000 people, and it doesn’t seem to matter what age you are, or your sex or background.’

Of course, as the Inbox Zero guy, I think a real eye-opener sneaks in with this passing note about the cost of all those noisy email notifications you created:

Even the beeps notifying the arrival of email are said to be causing a 0.5 per cent drop in gross domestic product in the United States, costing the economy $70bn a year.

Although the headline wants to point the blame squarely at “hi-tech,” the last graf talks about your brain’s own role in how that nasty new technology is allowed to be abused:

It appears that the brain is divided into two parts. One triggers ‘automatic responses’ which take precedence over everything else - such as fleeing sabre-toothed tigers. The other governs ‘deliberate responses’ - writing that report due next week or booking a visit to the optician.

Do yourself (and your company) a favor this morning: try just briefly shutting off the “Ding!” and give yourself authority to schedule your next email dash.

Just for one morning, see if you can’t get a bit more actual work done if you’re not mentally scanning for sabre-tooths.

”Chronic Procrastination and the Cost of the "Ding!"” was written by Merlin Mann for 43Folders.com and was originally posted on July 21, 2008. Except as noted, it's ©2008 Merlin Mann and licensed for reuse under CC BY-NC-ND 3.0. "Why a footer?"

Blog Pimping, or: Who Do You Want to Delight?

Merlin Mann — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 13:10:58 -0400

Big Contrarian → Tacky.

Write top ten lists and whore yourself on many other sites as you possibly can. Don’t be thoughtful, long-winded or interesting. Don’t write about you love, unless what you love is popular on Digg. And for god’s sake don’t even think about writing about more than one topic.

Whether their strategies work or not is slightly beside the point. It’s cheap. It’s marketing driven, instead of content driven. It’s the type of thinking that leads to a sequel to the movie Garfield.

Consequently, I very much agree with Jack’s thoughts on audience-building.

Despite the utter-bullshit so much of the Anderson’s long tail has proven to be, the core idea that everything finds an audience should be held up and remembered. Clung to fastidiously; A life raft for the ignored, for the invisible.

If you’re worth reading, someone will read you. If you’re worth watching, someone will watch you. If you’re worth hearing, someone will listen.

Seconded.

It’s about how institutions have an effect on individuals, and how…whether you’re a cop, a longshoreman, a drug dealer, a politician, a judge [or] lawyer, you are ultimately compromised and must contend with whatever institution you’ve committed to.

Want to build a great audience, composed of people you respect? Be picky about who you decide to overserve. Then do it with all the skill and enthusiasm you can muster.

UPDATE 2008-07-21 11:08:47: Fixed a dumb typo on Jack’s name.

Apple Device Security: Big Temptation to Dumb-Down

Merlin Mann — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 13:42:33 -0400

Chairman Gruber recently discovered (via his sharp-eyed reader, Earl Misquitta), that the aforementioned iPhone Remote application can also be used as a virtual keyboard for entering search text, login information, and what have you on your AppleTV. Seeing the typed characters appear on the TV screen as you type them is simply magical. So, if, like me, you’re in the amazingly tiny sliver of the Venn diagram for people who own both these products, this is hugely convenient, and what a welcome trick it is.

As I’ve alluded to before, the AppleTV’s torturous keyboard entry (via the hardware Apple Remote’s 4-way joystick) is abysmal. In 21 uninterrupted years of using Apple products, it’s probably the most consistently frustrating and poorly-designed interface I’ve encountered. I literally hate using it.

The ability to enter text via the superior (but far from perfect) iPhone keyboard is wonderful but it doesn’t and can’t address a deeper problem with the keyboard-challenged devices Apple are focused on vending right now: assy and annoying text entry encourages the use of crap passwords. This is bad, and here’s why.

Sliding backward

We’ve all heard the lectures about not using your ferret’s name as The Single Password™ for everything you do, and my sense is that, over the years, a lot of us have tried to get better about password hygiene — especially as more of our stuff moves into an online cloud.

But my entirely anecdotal opinion is that the iPhone, the iPod Touch, and the AppleTV each tempts their users to slide back to dumbing-down their passwords in exchange for better ease-of-use. The most annoying device in your chain ends up driving the passwords you use for everything. Right now, it’s such a pain to enter a secure password on a device like the iPhone or the AppleTV, that I’m betting a few of you have already fallen back on your ferret. Or “pencil.” Or your ATM PIN.

This is an unbelievably bad idea, but what are the options if this is a device you need to use a lot?

A real-world problem

I’m a fervent 1Password user and (unpaid) evangelist, so I don’t suffer from this conundrum quite as badly when using Safari on the iPhone. 1Password generates and remembers secure passwords for me, then lets me enter them on my phone in a few seconds via a password-protected bookmarklet. Imperfect, but a big step up over nothing.

Of course, I’m still SOL when the iTunes App Store wants me to (again again again) manually re-enter my password in order to download apps on my iPhone. I’m not made of stone. This sucks. I’ll even be the first to admit — solely on the basis of how vexing the AppleTV (and non-Safari on iPhone) password entry is — that I’ve been sorely tempted to move to a more trivial password. But I’ve held out.

If you’re using MobileMe, or Google’s apps like Gmail, or any of the other myriad cloud functionalities that store a lot of personal information, it’s just not worth assuming the risk in return for a bit of convenience.

”Four digits? What a pain.”

To make this nuttiness even more frustrating, every day I watch friends entering 4 or 5 character passwords over an iPhone that they don’t even bother to auto-lock (“Meh, I use it too much. It’d be a pain.”). Understand: this is a portable device on which all their email, contact information, and logged-in web accounts live. They’re one drunken taxi ride away from a potentially significant privacy crisis.

While leaving a phone unlocked in public does blow my mind, I think I understand how we got here. For 30 years now, banking customers have tolerated four-digit ATM PINs because a) they’re convenient, and b) our bank assumes some of the risk associated with replenishing a generic pile of money whenever anything goes wrong. After all, it’s not your money that gets stolen; it’s the bank’s electronic representation of your money. And that’s easy enough to replenish.

But is four digits (or a trivial password) enough to protect your irreplaceable private data? Are you willing to assume that risk? It’s unbelievable that the question even needs to be asked. But, I’m going to say, no. But, that’s where we are right now. In a place where ease-of-use is trumping the good sense we’ve developed to take this shit seriously.

Help a brother out, Apple

I think it’s time for Apple and its users to start treating a device such as the iPhone like the powerful little computer that it really is. That means having to risk introducing some inconvenience and complexity by looking at things like:

Default automatic iPhone locking - make the default an auto-lock of 15 minutes
Make iPhone unlocking easier - consider adding a complex gesture or other “secret knock”
Integrated password management - 1Password is great (I’d say it’s even essential), but Apple should step up to help with the heavy lifting from the moment a device is activated. They made the Keychain; they can make it easier to use on an iPhone
Look into novel text entry - Is QWERTY keyboard entry the only option people will understand? Are those alphabetical monstrosities on the AppleTV really the best they can come up with? Can the boffins in R&D not scare up some less soul-crushing options?
Empowering power users - Even if Apple’s devices ship with the current features exposed in the current default state, I’d love to see Advanced options that can be flipped on by nuts like me. I have to imagine that UNIX nerds, security gurus, and enterprise paranoiacs would welcome the introduction of tougher security. The best and easiest start would be the ability to allow an entirely user-configurable passcode for unlocking. Quick win.

How to Auto-Lock your iPhone

If you’re out and about right now consider doing this on your iPhone:

Go Home, then hit Settings > General
Hit Password Lock and Enter a memorable 4-digit code (then re-enter)
On the Passcode Lock screen set Require Password to After 5 Minutes (or whatever suits you)
Back in General hit Auto-Lock and set it to 5 Minutes (or, again, whatever you prefer)
You’re done; your phone will now lock itself automatically

At least now your screen door is latched. Go, moblog, and prosper with at least a bit more security in your life.

The Question to You

Has iPhone or AppleTV changed your practices around passwords? Any features you’d like to see to make your Apple device more secure?

”Apple Device Security: Big Temptation to Dumb-Down” was written by Merlin Mann for 43Folders.com and was originally posted on July 22, 2008. Except as noted, it's ©2008 Merlin Mann and licensed for reuse under CC BY-NC-ND 3.0. "Why a footer?"

Tracking Down the "Embarrassing Memory" Noise

Merlin Mann — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 10:44:18 -0400

Compelled to Blurt… | Ask Metafilter

Like a lot of people in this Ask Metafilter thread, I thought I was the only person in the universe who made an unconscious little noise when remembering something stupid I did or said.

It’s not especially loud, in fact it’s often under my breath. The sound is usually just a quiet grunt, or a word/syllable or two. If I remember an embarrassing conversation, I tend to blurt out a random word of the conversation (as in, I’m replaying the dialogue in my head but then all the sudden one of the words pops out of my mouth). If it happens while I’m reading, I tend to blurt out one or two of the words that happen to be under my eyes at the moment.

For context, my tic (which can also be heard when someone near me does something dumb) sounds a little like the noise Leo Bloom makes after he falls on his keys (00:34). “Ooooooom….”

The Question to You

Anyone else do this? Anybody out there qualified to talk about the psychology or neuroscience behind this apparent phenomenon? I’ll bet there’s a cool, scientific name for it.

iPhone Apps I'd Totally Buy

Merlin Mann — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 12:30:59 -0400

But it got me thinking about the stuff I want — the itches I want to scratch. So, iPhone developer friends. Please make these three apps.

Prime This

Elevator pitch: Scan barcode to instantly order an item via Amazon

Out and about and see something you want to buy? Maybe a book, CD, or DVD that you want, but don’t want to buy/carry/pack right now? No problem.

Take a photo of the item’s barcode, hit one button, and the item is instantly ordered through Amazon 1-Click using your default credit card and shipping preferences. Done.

Suggested price: Free (developer will make a killing on affiliate money)

iParked

Elevator pitch: Location-aware parking reminder

When you’re ready to go to your car, the app reminds you where you parked (with a walking map), and off you go.

Suggested price: $5

That Reminds Me

Elevator pitch: Lightweight, location-aware alarm app

Tell TRM the really mushy kinds of things that fall somewhere between a todo and a wish and a curiosity.

buy a lottery ticket on my birthday
pick up a crazy notebook next time I’m in Chinatown
grab a takeout menu next time I’m at Andy’s

Using functionality similar to OmniFocus’s flexible, location-aware contexts, add new items to your list with optional alarms and start/end dates. Then forget about it.

Next time you’re geographically near where you need to be, you get a reminder and a map to get you there.

Suggested price: $5

The Question to You

What’s the iPhone app you crave? What would take great advantage of Location Services, the camera, SDK features, or what have you? What itch do you want to have scratched?

aTV Update Gives AppleTV FTP and USB Drive Support

Merlin Mann — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 12:59:20 -0400

aTV Flash - Ver. 3.2 - Apple Core, LLC

The 3.2 version of Apple Core’s patchstick for the AppleTV is out. And it’s pretty amazing.

New GUI installer - UNIX doofuses like me no longer have to fling their key drives against a wall in frustration; the product now ships with a relatively simple wizard for installing the aTV software on your 1GB or smaller USB drive. Much easier now. If you’re even wimpier than me they also offer several options that get you the software pre-installed on an AppleTV.
Vanilla FTP access - I’m with stevenf in general on SFTP, but this latest release of aTV removes the requirement to force SSH1 (and, consequently use of the shell or [ugh] Fugu) in order to SFTP onto the AppleTV. With the introduction of old-school FTP I can use Trasmit for file transfer (yay!). Plus this has enabled me to create basic Automator folder actions for uploading files to the AppleTV automatically (here’s what my Movie uploader looks like). Love this — Transmit is such a nice friend.
USB Drive suport - Using the included NitoTV (and after a quick update with the 10.4.9 Combo Installer and a restart) your AppleTV can now see and access attached USB devices [howto]. Like, say, a Drobo. Yep. Just point Sapphire at your collection, and you suddenly have a pretty rich way to enjoy your legal backups of movies and TV shows. “Boom,” as the introducer of the AppleTV might say.

I’ve been very satisfied with the aTV over the past few weeks I’ve had it, and this new version just takes it to another level.

First Look: Evernote for the iPhone

Merlin Mann — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 13:31:14 -0400

(Oh, man. I’ve got a crazy busy day today, but it just got a lot busier thanks to an intoxicating morning with the iPhone 2.0 update and the iTunes App Store. I’ll try and sneak in a few little posts today on the amazing new apps as time permits)

Evernote (iTunes App Store Link)

Free
works with Evernote web and desktop apps

I need to do a full post on Evernote here some time soon, because it really is a nifty little application for collecting, storing, and organizing practically any kind of information you can throw at it. The iPhone version is a stripped-down, all-business version of the app that will scratch an itch for Evernote fans who are fatigued by having to email everything to the mothership.

More after the jump, including how to take screengrabs like this on your iPhone 2.0…

The Evernote iPhone app is crazy-simple to use, and rightfully focuses on mobile capture. Photos, voice, and text can be sent directly into your Big Evernote Database — including the handy inclusion of location data which will show up in Evernote as Lat/Long, all thanks to iPhone’s 2.0 location magic (and yes: the location stuff works fine without GPS; I do wonder how that will affect sales of what’s starting to look like a costly 3G iPhone I can personally do without).

You can also access your existing stuff in browsable list form, or by searching, And, yes, once the photo you take in Evernote has synced with the EN site, the OCR makes any readable text in the image searchable from the iPhone app. Very nicely done.

Cool New iPhone Feature: Built-in Screen Capture

Nota frickin’ bene: How did I get screengrabs on an uncracked 2.0 iPhone? Easy. Click the Home button and the top (Power) button at the same time to capture a PNG of the current screen to the Photo Viewer (grabbable later via iPhoto). Hat tip to Jason Snell for this awesome little bit of magic.

”First Look: Evernote for the iPhone” was written by Merlin Mann for 43Folders.com and was originally posted on July 10, 2008. Except as noted, it's ©2008 Merlin Mann and licensed for reuse under CC BY-NC-ND 3.0. "Why a footer?"