Archive for July, 2008
A Letter to Safari
Posted by Nirav | Filed under Apple
Look Safari, we need to talk.
Now, don’t get like that; you knew this was coming from when we started browsing together. The thing is–well, I mean, I’ve had fun. We’ve both had fun. And we agreed from the beginning that that’s all this was: just a fling. Just having some fun. And now that I’ve had fun with you, I…well, I think I’m going to go back to browsing with Firefox.
Wait, hear me out! I mean, it was great while it lasted. I can’t deny that you’re better looking than Firefox. Don’t tell her, but honestly, you’re sexier, and you seem right at home on my Mac. Sometimes, when I recall your sleek smooth-scrolling, your feisty WebKit engine, and the delicious native Cocoa that we enjoyed, I wonder if I’m making the right decision.
But the fact is, Safari, you’re high-maintenance: I have to hit three buttons just to switch tabs with you. Just becuase Firefox taught me how doesn’t mean you have to make it so difficult for us to do it. I admit it: I like tabbed browsing! It’s been so long since the days when that kind of thing would give you a bad reputation, though. There’s no shame in it.
Well, that’s just it though; you’re kind of behind the times. I like Google as much as the next guy, but using that as my only search engine? And what’s the deal with not being able to search straight from the location bar? And while I’m at it, why can’t I open links in new tabs when we’re on my iPhone?
Sorry, sorry. I’ve gotten a little overwrought. As you can tell, I’ve been thinking about this for a while, and well, I’m actually writing this with Firefox right now. Please don’t get angry, Safari. We’ll still see each other around on my phone, and possibly even sometimes on my Mac.
I’m just at the point in my life where I need a more stable browser. Someone who lets me organize my bookmarks easily, and change my search engine. Someone with full-page zoom (another thing that everyone’s doing but you!) and with a robust add-on architecture. Someone like Firefox.
See you around, Safari. Maybe we’ll give it another shot when you’re a bit older and more mature; 4, for example. Just don’t tell Firefox.
Sincerely,
Nirav
I’m Featured on the PowerPoint Team Blog!
Posted by Nirav | Filed under Meta, Microsoft, PowerPoint
Ric Bretschneider, a co-worker of mine at Microsoft, has started a series on the PowerPoint blog on the interns with the team for the summer. My post is first, and it’ll be followed shortly by four more from the others. Enjoy!
Errata
Posted by Nirav | Filed under Meta
Some errata:
- I complained on July 10, 2008 about Twitteriffic’s lack of push notifications; little did I know at the time that the service launches in September, so Twitteriffic couldn’t possibly use it.
- In my post about how to hack Boingo WiFi, I forgot to note that you can probably get unlimited access (instead of an hour per day) if you can change your computer’s MAC address. I also later was sent a link with a way to spoof your user agent using Firefox.
- I talked about how to cook potatoes in the microwave, but wasn’t aware of the possible health hazards of using plastic grocery bags for this. Shruti pointed this out to me, and that you can use large ziploc bags instead.
Thanks for reading. More soon.
Video: Ode to Meep
Posted by Nirav | Filed under Miscellaneous
Proof positive that humor doesn’t have to be obscene or edgy to be brilliant. In fact, it doesn’t even need words. All you need is meep.
Big Contrarian, a Much Better Blog Than This One
Posted by Nirav | Filed under Meta, Web Design
How does Big Contrarian look so good? The design is just exquisite; note that posts gorgeously allow for quotes and footnotes, giving the writer more avenues for expression than a simple text box (like this blog). The blurb at the top of the page gives you instant context, and I really like how links and posts are separated by color and the presence of a title in the latter. And of course, Jack Shedd is excellent with words.
It’s both incredibly cool and incredibly intimidating to have awesome role models.