iPad or iWillAmazinglyPass

There's a few things I love about the iPad. But more things that are missing for me to change my thoughts on passing on the first version of the iPad:

1) No Flash support. The iPhone without it was okay. I could deal. But on this device which is supposed to be better than the iPhone but not quite an iMac. Major fail. Especially when I want to check out the coolness my friends at A&R Media Studio are coming up with these days.

2) No front or back facing camera. So no iChat conferencing. No Skype calls with my godkids. No augmented reality apps.

3) No HD screen resolution. C'mon. The tech is there. It may have cost a bit more to have it included but watching digital copies on this thing will create a pixelated mess on big explosions. And please Apple, use something different than Star Trek in your video pictures. Great movie. Move on.

4) Multitasking. Can't do anything but what is on the top of the screen. Boring.

5) Screen lock notifications. Something I am hoping for in the next version of the iPhone. Seeing upcoming calendar events. Unread emails. Weather app.

6) No SD slot for digital pictures. But we do get silly adapters to tether onto the iPad.

7) Women will giggle when I talk about my iPad. Insert your jokes in the comments.

So in conclusion, this blog is passing on this device. Maybe it'll get better. Maybe it won't. But the difference between iPhone 1.0 and iPhone 3GS is pretty substantial. If there are updates to hardware, display, and abilities of the OS, I'll hop on board. But for now I'll stick with the other 8 Apple products in our house.

What's Happened to the Bruins?

For the past two years you could see the Boston Bruins moving their way up the NHL charts with gritty play, hard hitting, B's hockey. After yesterday's 5-1 loss to the WORST TEAM IN HOCKEY, the Carolina Hurri-Whales, I was left wondering if this was going to become like former coach Dave Lewis' one year behind the bench. A team full of sometimes overpaid players who lacked the heart to pull a win our of their ass. To play hard (especially in front of your own home crowd) and just compete.

We saw what you see in the image to your left. Players "Ole'ing" the cellar dwellers into our end. Some people in the Twitterverse will place a lot of blame on the goalies. Yes, to some degree, they are paid to stop a small piece of black rubber. However when your defense (and not just Wideman) looks like they are paying more attention to what is on their DVR at home, they can't stop everything.

I point more to our forwards, more interested in fancy plays and not getting the gritty goals like in the past two seasons. Hoping for that highlight reel goal versus the pick up league rule of toss it at the net. Getting a body in front of the net (hello Recchi). Slamming people into the boards and then working to get the puck. Anything. Let's face it Kessel, for all his goals, was a streaky goal scorer. What worked for us last season was that other players would get hot when he got cold and then the B's were rolling four lines who were all scoring threats. This season no one is scoring.

No trade (Kovalchuk) will help the B's at this point. We could see a yard sale for this season following the Olympic break. We may squeak into 8th place for the playoffs. Or we will continue to crash and burn. It's not Julien's fault. Nor is it Chiarelli's.

Injuries to top players and a lackluster, apathetic supporting cast are more to blame than lack of scoring. Injuries I will give them a pass on. But in a city that loves their sports teams to wear their hearts on their sleeves, the Bruins haven't shown any. I don't know who said it but they were right when they though Neely should put on the gear again. At his age he'd be more passionate than 99% of this team.

Did you hear? Apple has a new product!!

In case you've been living under a rock for the past two years, there have been many rumors circulating about an impending Apple Tablet. Or iSlate. Or iPhone on Steroids (the iBonds?). Well it now looks like it will be official. From the AllThingsD Blog is the "official" announcement of the Apple event we all have been waiting for.

They even titled it "Come See Our Latest Creation". Hmmm. Will it be about time that we are allowed to see Apple's latest "must have" product? But what will it have? How much will it cost? Why are people trying to predict that it will have everything but the kitchen sink?

Listen, remember the first iPhone launch? Everything that they put into that was so new and exciting. The keyboard, while still QUERTY based, was still new and people hated it. Millions of phones sold later and everyone can do it. Applications was a new concept. And the list can go on.. The same will happen with the iSlate (a name I really like). New ways of interacting with the screen outside of the iPhone type of interface. New/multiple input methods.

But mostly its what else it can do. I'm sure there will be many bells and whistles that we never thought of. Or there will be ones that we know of but they do it in such a way that every Apple fanboy/girl will fawn over.

I like the speculation and rumors. But I also know the showmanship of Apple (and hopefully Steve Jobs). They know what the blogosphere is talking about. They are tracking your Tweets. They will still show you something new and...blow your mind!

Wednesday, January 27th. We'll all know. (Via webcast but I didn't get invited..)

He's Baaaaacck!

Yes true believers. Webster Street Minutes is returning as version 2.0. New. Improved. And now with 100% more sugar, spice and everything nice. While 2009 was a fantastic year in the Webster Street household/condo, 2010 is guaranteed to be one of my largest years of my life.

I will take you along the path of technology, social media, my wedding, and, of course, all things East Boston (Eastie if you're nasty!), and Boston. Just like my 1.0 blog from 2005 - 2008, 2.0 blog will be enough inane babble for you to drink your coffee to during your day.

If you're back here cause I wasn't here for a while, I have removed all my old posts. They reside presently in a bunker under a mile of earth for posterity and any alien invasions that may occur so they may learn about the awesomeness of Boston.

Let's get cracking!!