Author: andrew

Shinn Photo Blog

Shinnfans,
I’ve created another blog. I know what you’re thinking: “How many blogs can this guy maintain? There’s the Andrew and Lisa blog, the secret (Contributions:) blog that he writes with Jon, and now the Shinn Photo Blog!” I assure you that blogging isn’t like a job: it’s more like listening to a radio station. You don’t have to stick with one station all the time. And, believe it or not, each of these blogs has a separate and distinct purpose. The Shinn Photo Blog, found at http://blog.shinnphoto.com, was created for the purpose of chronicling the development of my business. It’s also my chance to try out a new blogging platform called WordPress. It’s a fairly pretty-looking blog. Let me know what you think of the design and aesthetics. I don’t expect it to be nearly as interesting as this blog, because it covers a different set of subject matter. (A tall order, since this blog seems to cover so many areas.) But I’ll let you guys determine for yourselves what you think of it. Then post comments, either here or there, to let me know what you think! That’s (supposed to be) the great thing about blogs: the interactivity inherent in the medium!

BTW, on a separate note: either you all know what Flock is or you just don’t care, because no one has guessed at it yet. I heard Flock mentioned on a Podcast the other day, so maybe it’ll come sooner than I anticipated. But I still maintain that it’ll be 12-18 months before mainstream society is talking about it.

Take Care,
Andrew

Protect Yourself: Don’t buy Sony/BMG CDs!

Shinnfans: It’s come to my attention that the Sony/BMG music company is now putting a hacker tool on every music CD it sells. When you put the CD into your computer, it installs (without your knowledge) what’s called a ‘root kit’ you can’t see onto your computer. It also lets Sony know what CD you’re listening to. If you try to uninstall this, it breaks your computer. This is not cool. This piece of hidden software also gives hackers and other malicious people the opportunity to take over your computer. This is a play to enforce DRM (digital rights management). But it’s mean-spirited and dangerous. Folks, by way of self-protection and protest (of the loss of your right to not have hacker software of your computer), please stop buying CDs from Sony, period. I know I have.
– AJS

Podcasts and Flock

Hey, Shinnfans. Welcome to Today’s Discoveries in Technology with Andrew! I want to tell you about two technologies I’ve been playing with (early adopter, ya’ know).

The first is Podcasting. No, it’s not flyfishing with beans. And no, it’s not from the movie “The Matrix,” either. The word podcasting is a play on the words broadcasting and iPod. It’s kind of like blogging for people who like to hear their own voices. Here’s how it works:

Say I decided to start a podcast. I’d sit at my computer and record an audio file (radio show) about anything I want. Let’s further assume I want to talk about life in a small town or what my belly button lint smells like. I’m sure someone out there in the podcasting blogsphere wants to hear about that. Then I’d post it to a web site or blog (like this one!) where millions of people could search for it, find it, and listen to it. Podcasts tend to be ongoing in nature. If I want to attract a following, I’d have to record a new episode each week or every day. I know what you’re thinking: that’s a lot of lint or Mayberry. But it can’t take any longer than the blog-writing I do for you (The Faithful). People find podcasts through iTunes, the free software Apple ships with every iPod. Once you subscribe to a podcast, iTunes automatically goes out and finds any updates to it on a regular basis. Then when you sync your iPod with iTunes, the podcasts automatically download for you and the ones you’ve already listened to drift away as if into the mists of the sub-ether. Sound complicated? It’s not. Want to know what I listen to? Here’s a list:

  • Podtech: entrepreneurship (a weekly interview with an entrepreneur from the top ranks of the tech world)
  • 2 Minute Photoshop Tricks (actually more like 6-9 minutes, but the tips are decent)
  • Digital Photography Tips from the Top Floor (usually an interview with an interesting photographer)
  • Media Artist Secrets with Franklin McMahon (short business/career inspirations for anyone with a creative career; created by a photographer)
  • NPR: Technology (sponsored by Acura)
  • Photoshop Radio (brough to you by the zany guys at the National Association of Photoshop Professionals)
  • The Secrets of Harry Potter (hasn’t been updated in a long time; a fascinating look at the symbols and mythological connections in the Harry Potter stories by a Catholic Priest in the Netherlands)
  • Well Radio (weekly sermons and other Bible teaching from our church, The Well. I usually listen to sermons twice each week: once on Sunday and once on my iPod. Plus if I’m away for the weekend I can follow along with the sermon series, currently a journey through Acts)

I know what you’re thinking, fair reader: “Andrew, this sounds cool. But I don’t have an iPod.” Well, fear not. You can download iTunes for free from Apple’s web site, and it even works on PCs. And you can listen to your favorite podcasts (how-to-build-a-duct-tape-wallet-empire, anyone?) from the comfort and safety of your own computer. You DO have a computer, right?

The Second new tech item is Flock. Flock is BLEEDING-EDGE new. It’s so new that people won’t even start talking about it for another 12-18 months. That’s forever in Internet Mean Time. So just remember: you heard about it here first! Again, I know what you’re thinking: (crazy how I can read your mind through the computer screen, eh?) “CUT TO THE CHASE! SO WHAT IS FLOCK, ALREADY?!” Well, I’m going to let you guess. What is Flock? Post your guesses (educated or otherwise) in the comments below. That is, if you’re still reading this. I haven’t seen any comments here in quite a while. Are you there? Shinnfans? Fair readers? The Faithful?

Am I talking to myself here?
– Andrew

The World is Flat

Shinnfans, I’m in the middle (page 260) of Thomas Friedman’s landmark book, The World is Flat. I read Blink, which was interesting. I’m reading Freakonomics, which is also interesting. But both are interesting in a merely trivial manner. The World is Flat is riveting because of its relevance. The new shape of the world is something that the young need to worry about in order to stay employable in the future. And it’s something that the old should worry about on behalf of their kids. Shocking, revealing, interesting. Here’s what was happening in the rest of the world while America stared at our collective navel.

Read it soon. If you’ve read it, comment here!

– AJS

My First Published Book!

Shinnfans, my first published book is now available online at www.lulu.com/shinnphoto! Go check it out and buy a copy. It’ll look great on your coffee table, and it’s an interesting insight into my journey this summer.

Let me know what you think about it in the comments below after you order it! Who can buy it first?

Cheers,
Andrew