Brian Short

    Gimmie Something Better

    So, as I blog this from my Treo, I just got done looking at the iPhone and the Nokia N810, and I'm thinking about what mobile computing needs these days.

    The iPhone is nifty, and is exactly the right size for my hands, but the lack of a physical keyboard is frustrating, at least on the first impression. People I know that have one assure me that you get used to it, but I'm skeptical. I'd probably spend more time browsing sites from my mobile FarFetch, and less time writing emails (and blog entries) on the go.

    The Nokia N810 is a sweet little device, and it has a keyboard that slides out, but the software is really bad. You really have to use the stylus to tap around because trying to use my fat little sausage fingers on that screen just doesn't work. If only Nokia and Apple would team up...

    Really, though, I'm very happy with my Treo. It has an excellent keyboard, and if they would just increase the screen resolution, remove the antenna, add WiFi, and make it thinner, it'd be the perfect device.

    At this point, though Palm is in such dire straights, with a dwindling marketshare, falling sales, and imminent layoffs, I'm doubting they'll be around long enough to release my ideal Treo. I'm hoping the HTC - Google partnership will pick up where Palm has been stagnating, and do something interesting with Android.

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    posted by bshort December 14, 2007 @ 1:31 PM   0 comments

    Stockhausen: R.I.P.

    Karlheinz Stockhausen died today.

    Stockhausen, who gained fame through his avant-garde works in the 1960s and '70s and later moved into composing works for huge theaters and other projects, died Wednesday, Germany's Music Academy said, citing members of his family. No cause of death was given.

    He is known for his electronic compositions that are a radical departure from musical tradition and incorporate influences as varied as the visual arts, the acoustics of a particular concert hall, and psychology.


    Here's an interview from what looks like the late 90's:




    And a performance of one of his works:

    posted by bshort December 7, 2007 @ 3:36 PM   0 comments