$ cat /var/log/meri

Ask the Hive Mind: priceline and/or hotwire thoughts?

2014.09.17

20140917-rentalcarHave any of you ever used priceline.com or hotwire.com or similar services to book travel (specifically, a rental car)? What was your experience like? Would you do it again? Would you only recommend it to your worst enemy?

I’m attempting to book a rental car for Boston in October, and prices have nearly doubled since the last time I looked about a month ago. The prices are to the point where the whole ‘getting a car thing’ isn’t really feasible, except for the small detail that not having a car isn’t really going to work.

Both priceline and hotwire show some decent-ish deals, from presumably reputable sources. I’m just wary, as I’ve never used either service.

Thoughts?

PSA: Don’t update to iCloud Drive just yet.

2014.09.16

For those of you who sync your iOS devices, this article has a warning:

If you’re upgrading to iOS 8 on Wednesday, you must resist the urge to upgrade to iCloud Drive if you want to continue to sync your phone to your Mac. Why? Well, iCloud Drive only works with iOS 8 and OS X Yosemite. And you all know which OS we’re still waiting on.

Until Yosemite drops, upgrading to iCloud Drive will keep you from syncing devices running iOS 8 and devices running OS X Mavericks. Good news: After you install iOS 8, Apple will ask you if you want to upgrade to iCloud Drive. Tap the button that says “Not Now.” Easy enough, right?

It goes on to use the phrase “file syncing nightmare.” Because that’s what we all need, right?

Has anyone tried Google Keep?

2014.09.12

20140912-google_keepThe subject really says it all. Google, with it’s ever-expanding list of services, launched Google Keep in March of 2013. As often happens, they rolled it out the door with little (if any) fanfare, and I’d never heard of it until today. I’m wondering if any of you have tried it, and what you think of it.

That’s no pillow…

2014.09.08

(To completely steal George Takei‘s subject on the matter.)crocheted-death-star-pillow-1

Since this has been making the rounds, and I’ve already had two requests to make it, I thought I’d post the pattern here for anyone who wants it. It’s crochet, not knitted, and my crochet-fu is kinda weak (despite the best efforts of Fresh Stitches). I made a pretty awesome pig out of crochet a few years ago, but I swear I can’t remember a bit of it.

Anyway, if your crochet-fu (or a friend’s) is up to the task, you can find the pattern for this little bit of awesomeness here.

How long is a scarf?

2014.09.05

I’ve been working on the Lapidarius scarf for Jenn for about three weeks now.  (more…)

PSA: All ORA eBooks & Video Training 50% through 2014.09.09

2014.08.29

This will probably be of interest to many of you:

As the cute little critter below says, there’s a sale going on in O’Reilly land, so if there’s an eBook that you’ve been putting off getting (like maybe that organization book that I posted about a few days ago), now might be the time. Be sure to use discount code B2S4 at checkout, though clicking on the image should do that automatically. (Note: This discount does not apply to printed materials or print + eBook bundles.)

20140829-ora_sale

So tell me, what are you going to buy? (No. Really. I wanna know.)

PSA: Your own personal Apple support profile.

2014.08.28

Apple_logo_largeIn case you weren’t aware of it, Apple maintains a dashboard for you, tracking all of the devices you have associated with your Apple ID, and providing you with information about them.

For instance, for ともだち (tomodachi), my trusty 13″ MacBook Pro, I can see my model number (13-inch Late 2011) and serial number right from the front page. By clicking through, I can also my built-in warranty and Apple Care coverage details, with links to contact Apple support. This is also true of repair coverage, and the ability to set up a repair online. There are even tabs to show me any service or repair cases the product has had. And finally, there’s a tab with a list of FAQs that pertain to the machine in question.

I was kind of surprised to find my very first (5G!) iPod on there. Since I no longer have this device, I took the opportunity to disassociate it from my account. (Oh yeah, the site lets you associate and disassociate items from your Apple ID.)

It’s not a ground-breaking site, but I know a bunch of you have Apple devices (ranging from those of you with an iPhone, to those have consumed the entire flavor spectrum of Cupertino Kool-Aid), so I thought you might find it useful.

 

Ask the HiveMind: What should I add to my RSS feed?

2014.08.21

Having realized that I’ve had the same things in my RSS feed for, oh, 5 or 6 years now, and that I really no longer care about a bunch of it, I’ve largely declared RSS bankruptcy. I pruned the hell out of my feeds, and now I’m no longer thousands of posts behind.

But, I do miss having content that I’m actually interested in. So, tell me, dear friends: What RSS feeds should I be following, and why? Do you have a standalone blog? I’d love to read it! Tell me about it! Favorite comics? (I already have xkcd, natch.) Geek news? Cute things? You get the idea.

Mailbox.app beta coins available.

2014.08.20

If anyone is interested in trying out the OS X version of Mailbox.app, I have three beta coins available. I will need your email address to share it with you.

I’ve tried using this software for all of about 90 seconds, so I am in no way endorsing it, and will not be held responsible if it eats your mailbox, corrupts your cat, or raids your fridge. You have been warned.

Ask the HiveMind: What (books) should I be listening to?

2014.08.13

Thanks to a backlog of reading, less time in the car, a credit sale, and returning three audiobooks (don’t ask), I find myself with 8 credits at audible.com, and a complete lack of inspiration as to how to use them.

(more…)