The Serial Thinker Blog

Nope. No Instagram

Recently I've been asked why I don't post on Instagram even though I have an account. Over the years I've learned that my thinking can be kind of interesting, but my life really isn't, so why waste anyone's time. 

Confargus Apple!

The other night I updated my Ipad OS to 4.02. I haven't accessed all of the new functionalities yet, but was confounded by one of the unannounced, or underannounced, changes. The task of the switch above the volume control toggle was changed from orientation lock to mute. I checked the Settings to see if there was an on/off button or a switch that I could move to deselect this change but there was none. I looked in the iTunes preferences, the Safari preferences, just about everyplace that I could think of that such a switch could be found.

Finally, I gave in and went to the Apple website and began browsing the Support area. I typed "orientation lock" into the Search box and found the solution fairly quickly. Now the orientation lock is a software function and can be accessed by double clicking the Home Button and scrolling the tool bar at the bottom of the page left until the orientation lock icon appears.

While this is an easy solution, finding it falls far from the intuitive Apple user experience that I am accustomed to. Thumbs sideways on the change, a big thumbs down on announcing the quality of the announcement to Ipad users.

Facebook Newbie

So I've been roped in to the social networking thing. I resisted as long as I could, eschewing what I saw (and to a large extent still see), as a ridiculously self-indulgent, narcissistic waste of time.

The flip side of this is that it is addictively fun. Hooking up with old friends, playing around with all of the gadgets, and flogging one's ego is always a good time.

I have some snark to add, but I'll save that for a later post. I want to keep this one on a more upbeat note.

Zebo Show Number Two

Here is episode 2 of Anthony and Maria's Crazy Web show. 

Ghost of Maria Webshow

I think I'll let the video speak for itself.

I-Tunes Genius

In the new release of I-Tunes, Apple has included a new functionality called Genius which does a couple of things. First, it scans your library to create playlists that it feels are compatible with any song that you select from your library. Second, it can create a sidebar listing songs available at the I-Tunes store, not currently in your library, that compliment the selected song in one way or another.

The sidebar function seems to follow the same logic as the thinking used in creating the I-Tunes Essentials compilations which are now quite a bit harder to find at the I-Tunes store. First there are the "Top Songs You're Missing". For example, I just selected "Hotel California" and Genius offered "Dirty Laundry", "Victim of Love", and "Last Resort" as popular songs by this artist that I do not have in my collection.

The next step is "Essentials", compilations available at the I-Tunes store that contain this and songs like this one.

Finally, there are Genius' recommendations, the "If you like 'Hotel California', then you will probably like  ______________" category. Here is a sample of Genius' recommendations in the search that I just ran: "Welcome to the Jungle", "Sweet Home Alabama", "Layla", "Margaritaville", "Sweet Child O' Mine". There are several others but you get the idea. When I look at the complete list offered by Genius I can see the logic though I can't quite define it. It's genre, but it's not all genre. There is some finesse here which I like.

The finesse element of Genius' music selection algorithm is much more evident in the way that it creates playlists. I currently have about 1600 songs in my library ranging from Soundtracks to World Intrumental Music, to Latin Pop. Genius will scan the entire collection and create a playlist that contains music that actually flows together pretty well. It is a clever tool to use to create a party mix, or compliation without having to hand select each tune.

While its true that no automated music selector will get it right every time, Apple's Genius does a decent job of compiling music that works well together. Not a homerun app (yet), but certainly a convincing double to the gap.

Well done Apple.