Why is my TV so complicated to set up?

Posted on 21. Jan, 2012 by in Tech

Here’s how I started a recent Star-Ledger column: “Among your home gadgets and home electronics, what’s the most difficult one to set up and operate?” What’s your pick? Your computer? Your smart phone? Maybe your camera? I doubt it. I don’t know about you, but for me it’s the TV, and I know I’m not [...]

The joy of minimal, easy-to-follow instructions

Posted on 17. Jan, 2012 by in Tech, Writing

The holidays have come and gone, and with them, several weeks of intermittent box opening, toy assembling, and instruction reading. Much fun was had, but I do have a complaint/observation: Why must companies continue to churn out really, really bad instructions? The instructions included with toys, gadgets, and other miscellaneous whatnots are laughably bad. I [...]

Creative agency brings together Instagram and holiday greetings

Posted on 23. Dec, 2011 by in Miscellany

The social media agency Carrot Creative has a holiday card that’s a lot of fun. It combines a live feed of Instagram photos with a holiday background (snowflakes, snowmen, snow scene with trees and the like). You’re able to control the feed of photos to your liking with a pull-down menu of Instagram hashtags, such [...]

Delicious vs. Pinterest: Wondering how I should organize my bookmarks and links

Posted on 23. Dec, 2011 by in Tech

For a number of years, I’ve been using Delicious, the web-based bookmarking service, to store and organize my bookmarks. In fact, it was really more than a bookmarking tool for me. (I saved a lot more than my “favorites.”) I used Delicious to store, as a simple title and URL, anything I came across that [...]

Maybe it’s not too late to send a holiday card

Posted on 16. Dec, 2011 by in Miscellany, Tech

Another year, another set of holiday cards. Actually, judging from our mail, lots of people are scaling back on traditional, USPS holiday greetings. (Uh, I guess it could also be we’re just not that popular.) Certainly the zeitgeist argues against going over-the-top with a lavish, expensive card. But here’s the great thing: With e-cards, you [...]

Book recommendation: “Unpacking My Library: Writers and Their Books”

Posted on 14. Dec, 2011 by in Photography, Writing

I keep thinking I should go ahead and join the e-book revolution, but I haven’t. One reason: I love books as beautiful objects. Now there’s a book that really captures this: “Unpacking My Library: Writers and Their Books.”

Yes, I like the Kindle Fire

Posted on 01. Dec, 2011 by in Tech

Here’s what I had to say about the Fire in the column I wrote about it: “I’m impressed by the Fire, and I think millions will buy it and love it. Apple’s finally got big-time competition for tablet computers.”

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