Two Cents and a Thousand Words

Following the IE9 preview at MIX10 (the good stuff starts around 47:30), all the major browsers assembled for a rare meeting to discuss the state of CSS3. This is what they said.

IE9: Hey, guys! I’m IE9.

Other browsers: Oh, hey! We’ve been hearing a lot about you.

IE9: Yeah! And I’m really excited, because now I have CSS3!

Other browsers: Oooh, neat! So you have text-shadow, gradients, font-face, box-shadow, all that stuff we have? This is great!

IE9: Let’s look at border-radius. People love border-radius.

Other browsers: Um, ok.

IE9: Lemme give you a little demo. See, if you have a huge dotted border, you guys all suck. But look at me! There are actual dots!

Other browsers: Hm, yeah, looks like it. But how often do people use huge dotted–

IE9: How the heck can you call yourselves good CSS3 browsers when a huge dotted border is so frickin’ ugly? So what I’m going to do is publish some test suites so that you can fix the CSS3 stuff that you guys don’t do well.

Other browsers: Test suites? Oh, ok. Like Acid3?

IE9: Acid3 is “interesting” and we’ll work on it raising our score. But check out that border-radius thing! That’s just messed up.

Other browsers: I guess we’ll stick with the IE CSS hacks for now then.

IE9: So these test suites will help you guys can fix all this stuff you’re doing wrong with CSS3. Because we don’t want to reach a point where people have to massage code to work across different browsers.

Other browsers: Yeah, that would completely suck. By the way, how’re IE6 and IE7 doing anyway?

I’ve never cared for holidays that divide people. Let’s face it: every year, a lot of people feel sad, lonely, or uncomfortable when February 14th rolls around.

Let’s agree to tweak the aim of Valentine’s Day a bit. Take a few minutes today and remind at least two friends, family members, or associates how much you love or appreciate that they are a part of your life.

Let’s make today a holiday about love that’s accessible to everyone.

It’s been a week since Apple announced the iPad, the product that will either be biggest flop in Apple’s history or the next wave of computing and the solution to all the world’s problems, depending on what you read. For a short time after the keynote I debated whether I’d buy one when they emerge in March… but that quickly changed to the question of which model I’d end up purchasing.

Over on Another New World, I wrote about why user interface will probably be the revolution in iPad development. I truly believe that we’ll see some amazing new concepts from developers. But why wait until the device comes out? Here are five apps I’d love to see available for the iPad.

1. A photo editor

In his keynote, Steve Jobs emphasized that this is a great device for viewing and sharing photos. But what about editing? I would love to be able to sit down on my bed or futon, control iPhoto-like sliders with my fingers, and go through a day’s photos without having to bother with a mouse. If the app seamlessly integrated with my iPhoto library, well, that’d be even better.

I wouldn’t be at all surprised if Apple launches a $10 iPad-based iPhoto with the next version of iLife. But it doesn’t need to be an Apple app – there’s a great niche for a company to become the Picnik of iPad.

2. An in-field photo viewer

Imagine you’re taking photos along the Maine coast. You take a great shot of Bass Harbor Head Light, but sadly the small LCD on the back of your camera doesn’t really allow you to check the quality of the shot. If only you had a larger screen…

But wait! You have your iPad with you. You plug in the Camera Connection Kit with your SD card (or maybe have a 30-pin to USB conversion cable) and browse the photos you’ve just taken.

Related: I’d actually buy Eye-Fi SD cards if there was an app to browse the photos on my camera without having to mess with cards and converters. That would be an awesome app.

3. Twitter and Google Reader

I’m grouping these two apps into one because honestly, it’s a given. I really can’t wait to see how app developers use the large touchscreen interface to navigate Twitter and Google Reader. Twitter on iPad, of course, leads to thoughts of TweetDeck and Seesmic Desktop; apps like NetNewsWire and Byline could similarly create new interfaces for Google Reader. I really hope developers are creative with this one.

4. Hulu

No description needed here. I can haz iPad Hulu?

5. Media streaming

The iPad will undoubtedly be a great media viewing experience. Unfortunately, a lot of people have more than 16, 32, or 64 gigs of media in their libraries. Could Apple take the concepts of the Remote app and use them to browse and consume media over Wi-Fi? Imagine having access to your entire desktop media library from anywhere in your home. Maybe Apple could even borrow the Apple TV interface and browse for media on network-connected hard drives.

Of course, there’s always the cloud, too. Maybe the iPad will be Lala’s time to shine. (Conveniently, they’re an Apple company now.)

Apple’s launching a tablet. No big surprise there.

To be honest I’m more excited about this launch than anything in the past from Apple. They’ve been working on this one for so long, and Steve’s been really picky about it. I just want to see it.

Here are a few of my thoughts about what we might see tomorrow.

The name

The name of the product is one of its most widely debated aspects. Its name depends on how they are going to market the device; if it’s dubbed a new kind of notebook, I wouldn’t be surprised to see it called “Mac touch.” If it’s branded as more of a personal device, it’s a bit trickier. “iSlate” doesn’t sound like an Apple product name, but knowing Apple, there’s a good chance they’ll keep the i- prefix. I really don’t want it to be called “iPad;” in some accents, “iPad” and “iPod” sound almost exactly the same. Given that the iPhone started out as “Safari Pad” internally and that Apple has been courting an iPad trademark, though, I think “pad” might end up in the final name somehow. (I don’t think the trademark shuffle necessarily means the device will be called “iPad.” They might just be covering the fact that nobody seems to say product names correctly.)

If I were in charge of Apple, I’d call it Canvas. It’s such a perfect name.

The look

Apple historically has opted for simple designs that are consistent across product lines. I think it’ll look like a 10″ iPod touch. (The aspect ratio is the only real question.)

The price

Up until a couple of weeks ago, my gut feeling about the tablet’s price was $999. It seems like a very Apple-like price. I’m going to stick with that (if only so that I might be pleasantly surprised tomorrow). If the tablet is below $799, we’re looking at a new Apple. Keep in mind that the iPhone itself without AT&T subsidies goes for $499/$599/$699.

The features

I’m guessing that the tablet will have a camera, WiFi, optional 3G (please, please optional), e-reader support, and a whole bunch of sensors, just like the iPhone.

I’ll be honest, though: if I can edit my photos on this thing in iPhoto, I’ll be a very happy Apple user. I bet there will be a ton of killer apps with the device, but that’s my top wish for the moment.

Over time, it’ll be all about the apps. I’ll say it right here: if there’s app support on this device, I’ll be making some of my own.

The dealbreaker

Of course, every Apple product lately has had a dealbreaker for me. With the iPhone, it was the enormously expensive cell contract. With the new iPod touch, it was the lack of a camera. I’m still holding out hope that the tablet will be dealbreaker-free.

I guess we’ll see tomorrow!

As some of you know, I’ve used Delicious as a way to catalog my favorite links for (wow) almost 5 years now. Over that period of time, I’ve saved almost 2,200 bookmarks to the site. I’ve been torn about what to do when it comes to links and my @justinrussell Twitter account; should I post them to both accounts? Should I just leave it to Delicious?

Starting today, I’m trying something new. I registered @justlinked tonight, and it will quite simply be a (somewhat filtered) stream of links from my Delicious account. If you’re interested in what I’m saving but don’t want to check Delicious or subscribe to the RSS feed, it’s an easy way to see what I find. And of course, if you have a link you think I’d like, send me a message or mention either @justlinked or @justinrussell in a tweet.

Oh, and I’ll still be putting the very best links on @justinrussell. Some things I just have to share everywhere I can.

Let me know what you think!

I originally had planned to write a pair of long blog posts about my personal views about last week’s veto to overturn Maine’s gay marriage law and the effects its results had on me personally, but quite frankly, I’ve just been in a volatile and emotional state over the last couple of weeks and couldn’t bring myself to write the post. The combination of the election results with the passing of my grandfather has left me in a state in which I have trouble arguing a point rationally, so I’m going to put my analysis off for a bit.

My hesitance doesn’t mean that I’ve lost my passion for the issue. Have I lost respect for some of my friends’ views over the issue? Yes. Was I disappointed by the lack of real discussion about the issue? Quite a bit. Was I ashamed to see the intolerance and ignorance voiced by so many about the issue of marriage and homosexuality in general? Definitely. Was I saddened to see the Bible used as a justification for a lot of those feelings? Absolutely. And did it infuriate me to see political literature on the pews at my grandfather’s funeral? You better believe it.

There’s no doubt that Question 1 led me to be more emotional than I’d ever been before about a political topic. I find that strange, considering that I wouldn’t personally be (directly) affected by the law in any way. Fortunately, that passion was put to good use; it inspired me to start a new project that I’m currently working to establish. I hope to share with you shortly. I also hope that we can find other ways to put our passion about this topic and others to good and productive use.

Lately you may have noticed that I’ve been somewhat vocal over on my Twitterstream regarding question #1 on next month’s Maine ballot. I understand that many people are turned off when people express their political views online, and frankly, I feel it often hurts more than it helps. On certain issues, though, I feel that it is important to speak about my beliefs in an effort to educate others why I believe in a particular cause.

I’ve found that I fall into one of four categories for almost every political topic.

1. I don’t know enough information about the topic to make an informed decision.
2. I don’t care about a topic enough to have an opinion either way.
3. I have an opinion about a topic, but I can understand the opposition.
4. I have an opinion about a topic, but I don’t understand why anyone could have a reasonable argument for support of the other side.

The first two positions are pretty self-explanatory. The healthcare debate is a great example of the first: the issues just seem to complex for me, and I feel it’s better left to those who know more about the topic. The second actually covers most legislation and, unfortunately, most local elections. (I’ve always wanted to do something about that.)

The last two options are a bit more complicated. Personally I like to think that I’m more politically tolerant of differing viewpoints than most people; sure, I have my own opinions about how things should be done, but I understand that not everyone will agree. Questions 3, 4, and 5 on this year’s ballot fit nicely into this category.

Question 1 falls into the final category. In short I haven’t heard a logical justification to support those who believe this law should not be in place. I’m still looking for someone to explain the other side to me in rational terms. (To his credit, gubernatorial candidate Matt Jacobson came close in an interview with Pine Tree Politics but ended up falling flat.)

I guess I’m vocal about political issues when I have trouble understanding why anyone could oppose the views I hold on an issue. If politics isn’t your cup of tea (or can of Moxie, in this case), sit tight. We’ll be back to regular programming soon.

I received an email from city council candidate Cary Weston today regarding the recent proposal to begin a per-bag solid waste fee for Bangor residents. While this proposal is undoubtedly unpopular by itself, the justification provided in the message seemed downright wrong to me. The email said that many Bangor residents asked the following question:

Why should the majority of tax payers in Bangor subsidize a [curbside recycling] program being used by only a small percentage?

I’ve always been passionate about recycling and reducing waste, but in the interests of keeping this entry relatively short, I’ll focus on a couple of points.

The benefits of recycling

In any society – especially one in which mass consumption tends to be the norm – waste is an unfortunate yet extremely visible consequence. New landfills are passionately debated among nearby residents, and those that already exist are fought by those who see and smell their contents every day.

Recycling, on the other hand, is a clean alternative. Recycling reduces waste by allowing materials to live a second, third, or tenth life, and it delays the growth of landfills by keeping materials in the consumer stream longer. Recycling is becoming easier to do with the adoption of single-stream recycling, in which materials do not need to be sorted before entering the recycling process.

And there’s also a financial incentive: recycling generates revenue and municipalities are compensated for the materials, as opposed to the costly process of traditional solid waste disposal.

The benefits of a per-bag fee

Solid waste disposal is costly. Trash must be collected, ideally transported to an incinerator to reduce its volume, and then shipped to the landfill. The landfill must be monitored and supervised over its extensive lifetime, and the area feels its effects long after its closure.

Municipalities take on this cost and pass it onto residents through taxes. The per-bag fee system is a much more reasonable way to distribute costs; those who generate more trash in turn pay a larger portion of the collection and disposal fees for the municipality. Those that only generate a small amount of waste are charged less. The municipality, in turn, covers a larger portion of its disposal fees while encouraging its residents to find alternate means of disposal.

Charging a disposal fee may also lead consumers to make more environmentally responsible choices when they buy, including everything from buying in bulk to using reusable bags when they shop.

What should the question be?

What would be a better question instead of the one proposed at the top of this post? The answer is pretty simple: why aren’t more people recycling? In many cases, people don’t recycle due to the relative ease of throwing something away versus sorting it in some sort of receptacle. Most people don’t understand the complete environmental and financial benefits of recycling, and as a result they choose the easiest path for disposal (the trash bin) over the more sensible one.

In addition to being a fairer option for residents, a per-bag waste fee offers an incentive to consider recycling as a way to save money, and the “program being used by only a small percentage” will be used by a larger portion of residents over time. As they do, the municipality not only slows the growth of local landfills but also saves money by shifting a larger portion of its waste from a costly disposal option to one that costs much less money (and may even generate revenue).

I know which option I’d choose.

Update: In my original post it was not entirely clear who had asked the question at the top of this post. I went back and changed the first paragraph to clarify that the question at the top was an opinion voiced by some Bangor residents.

I love to meet new people. I talk with a lot of people online as a result of comments on blogs, photos, videos, and more, and I’ve had the chance to meet some great people through this kind of exchange.

Over the years I’ve tried to find questions to ask new people that don’t follow the normal “where are you from”/”how’s the weather there” flow. Here are three of the questions I ask just about everyone I meet, why I think they’re important to know, and how I’d answer them.

What’s your passion?

Passion is a weird beast. I’ve found that people often don’t even mention their passion outside of their close relationships, and it’s often something you wouldn’t expect. (I think it’s really unfortunate that people don’t follow their passion more; I mean, I can understand if it’s not your main job in life, but I don’t think you should hide your passion.)

I have two major passions, really. The first is pretty obvious: photography. The second is a little deeper: I enjoy looking at how new advances in technology are affecting society, and I like attempting to explain and use that in a way that people can understand. (That’s why I love working on datAvenger, and that’s why I occasionally keep up with writing at Another New World.)

Which photo of yourself do you like best?

When I first started asking this question, I was afraid people wouldn’t really want to answer; I thought it’d be limited to people who actually did photography themselves. I was surprised, though, that people really seem to think about the question and look for a photo they really like.

The choice really reveals a lot about the person. Do they like the photo because they look really good in it? (That happens a lot.) Is it because of the people with them in the photograph? Is it because of where they are? Photos speak to memories, and I think that tells a lot about a person without having to explain every detail about the choice.

Here are three of my favorites:

The first was taken by my good friend Cait on our trip to the Rockland Breakwater. The second is the work of Jeff at the AFF, and the third is my own right around college graduation time.

What do you like most about yourself?

This, ladies and gentlemen, is my go-to question. I ask this to everyone. It’s such a simple question, but it often makes people think much more than I expect.

The two most common responses? “I don’t know” and “physically or personality-wise?” I don’t accept “I don’t know;” I keep asking until I get a real answer. At the same time, I purposefully leave the question completely open; I don’t put any limits on it. It’s amazing what you learn about a person from the response, and it’s amazing how some people really do start to fit into a couple of pretty broad categories after you ask the question enough.

Personally, I like that I’m a good listener. I might not be the most talkative (more on that later), but I’m always there. I also like that my mind’s always active and thinking about what else is possible.

What are your thoughts? Do you have any questions you tend to ask new people you meet? How would you answer my three? I’d be interested to know. If you haven’t answered them already, tell me what you think sometime!

Say what you will about the 2009 American Folk Festival: it was rainy on Saturday, it messed up traffic, there weren’t as many people… I thought it was amazing. This year, instead of learning just about music and culture, I also happened to learn a bunch about people and myself.

I’d volunteered for the Festival in 2007 as one of the people who set up the stages and food areas. I had a lot of fun, and it allowed me to feel more like I was really a part of the festival I attend every year. Unfortunately, my pesky hernia prevented me from volunteering last year, and I didn’t really want to do any heavy lifting this time around. Instead, I decided to push my own boundaries a bit: I volunteered for the public survey and for the legendary Bucket Brigade.

The public survey is an interesting gig. UMaine’s Center for Tourism Research and Outreach produces a 10-ish question survey that combines demographic and festival information. Volunteers from the festival (as well as CenTRO researchers) hit the crowd individually and find people to take the survey by doing nothing more scientific than asking people if they mind being surveyed. The process takes about 5-10 minutes, and the participant is entered to win a festival t-shirt. If they provide their email address for a follow-up survey, they’re entered to win one of six L.L. Bean gift certificates at the completion of the follow-up survey.

Those who know me well may be saying, “wait, Justin did that?” Although I don’t seem it from my presence online, I’m a pretty strong introvert in person. I have trouble joining conversations, and I can never go up to someone randomly and ask a question for fear of interrupting whatever they’re doing or of being denied. But yes, I signed up to be a surveyor, and I found that people were overwhelmingly receptive to going through the process with me. I met some great people of all ages and of all walks of life, and I was able to see a view of the festival that I had never seen before.

Unfortunately, by the end of my shift on Saturday morning, I was so soaked by the remnant rains of Hurricane Danny that I decided to call it a day and go home. Over the course of the festival I put my body through a lot – too much, really – and I’m still somewhat sore from the weekend.

For the past few years, the highlight of the festival for me has been the photographic opportunity it presents. There are tons of great shots just waiting to be taken there, and I love to see how many I can capture. I didn’t take as many photos this year, and I took even fewer photos of the artists than I’d expected. I’d taken some shots on Friday night (including some fun chances to capture some of my favorite UMaine dancers in the parade), but I scheduled Sunday as my best chance to take some good festival photos.

After doing the surveying, I’d decided to push myself just a little bit more and ask people attending if I could take their portrait. That limitation had been the one thing I’d always thought held me back from being the best photographer I could be; I’ve passed up a lot of opportunities because I was too shy or apprehensive to ask if I could take a picture. The surveying changed everything. On Sunday it was easy for me to go up to someone and ask if I could take a portrait, and to my surprise nobody I asked refused. I ended up with some photos that make me quite happy, and the knowledge that I’d grown as a photographer pleased me as well.

(After the festival I received some wonderful compliments about my photography by both old and new friends. I’ve never been able to accept compliments well, but I really do appreciate everything that people say about my work. I’m so glad that people enjoy it.)

For the final hours of the festival, I’d signed up to be part of the Bucket Brigade, the volunteer force that goes around the crowd with buckets asking for donations. This was the highlight of my weekend. The generosity of the people there was overwhelming for me, especially considering the economic situation we’ve experienced lately. As people dropped $1’s, $5’s, $20’s, and checks into my bucket, I smiled and thanked them for coming to the festival. It was incredibly rewarding to watch everyone – everyone – there contribute to the festival’s success, from toddlers in strollers with money from their parents to elderly people determined to move their trembling hands close enough to put a couple of bills in the bucket’s hole.

As I swam against the current of the sea of people walking on Front Street, I noticed the rainbow of blue, yellow, orange, and purple “I kicked in!” stickers dabbling almost every shirt I passed. Over the last few years I’ve had the opportunity to attend the festival, donate to it, volunteer for it, take photos of it, create websites for it, work for a sponsor company of it, and sing its praises anywhere I can. This weekend I realized for the first time that this festival really is about much, much more than just the music that graces the Bangor waterfront each year.