Carter Parks

My Mac has been out of commission because it is currently a fire hazard. Right now it will run for about 20 minutes before it awkwardly shuts off because the MagSafe cord is so hot.

Apple has this uncanny way to take the internet by storm with every new product release or update. The iPad has been no exception. Giant iTouch? No USB? 100% proprietary app installation via the App Store? Where’s my real tablet? I want something with complete Mac OS X. Do you all really think Apple doesn’t know this?

Apple knows exactly what it’s doing. Apple has clearly put in a lot of R&D into this device. They introduced their first microprocessor, the Apple A4. From what I’ve heard the visual experience on these is unparalleled and the battery life is excellent at 10 hours (1 month standby). Apple knows they can’t build Rome in a day and they know that it is important to release early and release often. Their target audience is Fanboys and eBook readers. They also know that there’s a lot of money to be made via intermediate upgrades… iPhone > iPad > ?

My prediction is look for a much more expensive, more powerful iPad Pro for the holiday season. We might even hear something about it at WWDC because it will require some major changes to how Mac OS X developers work including hopefully voice recognition, handwriting recognition, and gesture systems. And all the people that bought their iPad will cough up the cash for this new beast because they’re fanboys and want the latest and greatest thing even if it doesn’t meet expectations.

People in Laramie often complain about there being nothing to do. The real problem is people don’t know about what’s going on. As a musician that naturally knows many other musicians, I know there is live music in this town. So a few weeks ago I started a new twitter account, @musicinlaramie.

I must admit, I’m surprised.

For the month of January (including New Years Eve), I’ve posted 11 events so far. I’ve got at least 7 more to post in the next few weeks. That’s not bad for a small Wyoming town. The more interesting part is the eclecticism of the events I’m posting… The shows range from folk to reggae to metal to classical to funk to bluegrass. Anybody can find something entertaining to listen to.

I’m encouraging even friends that don’t have Twitter to check out the page and let me know if they know of an event. Many people still don’t get Twitter and say “I care about what you had for breakfast.” @musicinlaramie is a perfect example of Twitter used right.

If I’m at the Buckhorn on Tuesday night and some random touring band stopped by to play a show, I can shoot a txt to Twitter from my phone about the gig. You’re sitting at home watching TV. If you’re wise you’re following @musicinlaramie and have SMS notifications on. Now you know there really is something to do tonight.

Twitter is an excellent platform for staying in the know about local community events. If you’re in another community, I highly suggest you setup something similar. If you’re in Laramie, sign up for Twitter, and follow @musicinlaramie with SMS notifications.

Update: I added a Facebook page that imports the Twitter feed here for all of you non-tweeting Facebook lovers.

It has been far too long since I’ve done any blogging. So I’m attempting to scrape the rust off my blogging brain to entertain my audience with musings on software development (mostly Ruby on Rails), music, crosswords, philosophy, politics, and the outdoors. More likely, however, my procrastination will impair my blog posting and you’ll see sporadic random blogs every 6 months or so. Anyhow, throughout the coming weeks I’ll be writing some real posts and maybe I’ll even design my own theme.

For those that don’t know me, I’m a freelancing web engineer with a focus on Ruby on Rails application development with a concentration on e-commerce, CMS customization, and VoIP. When I’m not sitting in front of my computer I’m probably playing my piano or doing a crossword. I also ramble around the high plains of Laramie, Wyoming and often find myself endangering myself on the rocks of Vedauwoo.

I do have a few other homes on the web you should probably check out:

I play keys for The Neo-Nostalgics.

I also tweet.