mikemchargue.com

A List Apart Survey 2008

2008-07-30T08:51:00.003-04:00

SkinnyMike 3: Wii mean it this time

2008-06-30T09:41:00.003-04:00

I've been on 3 diets in my life. I originally porked up while Jenny was pregnant with Madison. I joined WeightWatchers and lost it all--getting to the thinnest point of my adult life. Then Jenny got pregnant with Macey and I porked up again. I decided to try NutriSystem and got intense migraine headaches for my troubles. NutriSystem did not work for me.

Now, I have Wii Fit. Wii Fit is a video game that comes with a electronic step. You perform various workout routines and the board evaluates your performance.

It's a real workout, not a gimmick. I've got the typical muscle fatigue one would expect today, and I'm hopeful that this could be a springboard to lasting fitness.

There are a few oddities though, namely:

I wear size 10.5 shoes and my feet barely fit on the board. Those with larger feet could run into problems.
Why aren't there pre-selected workout routines? How is someone as clueless about fitness as I am supposed to know what activities to do each day?
I married. Why can't we use two balance boards at once?

Hopefully I can maintain the motivation to work out and to blog about it. :)

Anti-smoking Campaign Uses Halo-like FPS Game Theme

2008-06-29T13:19:00.001-04:00

Oir spot is on the front page of Digg! Sweet!This video is a product of Tobacco Free Florida, This funny anti-smoking ad uses a first-person shooter game to reach the 11-17 year old demographic.

read more | digg story

http://mike.mchargue Coming Soon?

2008-06-27T09:51:00.001-04:00

I don't know if infinite TLDs is awesome, terrifying or both.

Or is it .awesome ?

Aptera = Awesome

2008-06-24T11:39:00.002-04:00

Just in case you need a last minute idea on what to get me for my 30th birthday:

An Aptera!

Advertising Germs

2008-06-20T09:19:00.002-04:00

Here's a viral video done right. It doesn't look like an ad, but it works well as one.

Plus it makes you want to pass it on.

McDesk

2008-06-02T16:48:00.001-04:00

My desk
Originally uploaded by mike_mchargue

After last week's vacation, I decided to clean and rearrange my desk. I'm giving dual monitors another shot--and so far the 30" display is fun.

lolkitties groove

2008-05-19T12:33:00.002-04:00

This is from Nathan. As you would expect, it's cool and absurd.

mikemcmosso

2008-05-05T13:56:00.002-04:00

For those of you with very little interesting things happening in your life: I've moved the site to Mosso. Sorry for the downtime.

The Rick Rolls On

2008-03-27T22:27:00.000-04:00

xkcd presents the ring.

The Lee Equation

2008-03-26T10:47:00.004-04:00

My friend Nathan Lee was contemplating the MacBook Pro vs. MacBook Air decision that so many of us are facing. He came up with a handy equation that solves the issue perfectly. I'm proud to introduce the world to the Lee Equation:

Z = D - L

D is the number of days in a month your MacBook would be on a desk.

L is the number of days in a month your MacBook will be on your lap.

If Z is a positive number, get the Pro

If Z is a negative number, get the Air.

MacBook Air SSD has taken over me.

2008-03-24T17:09:00.002-04:00

My MacBook Air with 64 GB SSD arrived last week. After pondering its form and dead silent operation, I've decided to use it full time. This hasn't been an easy decision--the Air has a lot going against it for someone like me.

My home directory is 112.59 GB. That's bigger than the Air's SSD or HD options.
I'm a chronic multi-tasker. I have a lot of apps open and many of them are disk, CPU and GPU intensive.
I travel frequently, but not so often my 15" MacBook Pro is cumbersome. I am not a road warrior.

Because of these considerations, Apple's 15" notebook has been my One Machine since the launch of the titanium PowerBook G4. The PowerBooks (and MacBook Pros) have always been a compromise compared to their desktop siblings, but I've rarely felt held back by my computer.

The Air is different. 64 GB is tiny. I frequently use more than one USB port (while traveling), and I travel with a Verizon ExpressCard. The Air shouldn't be a machine I even consider, but then I held one.

It's tiny. It's silent. It wakes from sleep instantly--and it's completely usable as soon as the screen comes on.

Did I mention its silent? You don't know how loud a hard drive is until you have a computer without one.

So, I've ordered a Mac Pro to use at my desk at work and a 24" iMac to use for managing family media at home. The Air will be my travel/meetings/presentations computer.

This will either be fantastic or a total disaster. I'll keep you posted either way.

Never gonna give you up.

2008-02-28T11:15:00.001-05:00

timbearcub_3
Originally uploaded by boyshapedbox

Classic.

YouCare about Qwitter! Honest!

2008-02-17T21:58:00.004-05:00

As part of our ongoing work for the Tobacco Free Florida, we've launched two initiatives that I really want to share. The fact that both of these ideas started as crayon drawings at a lunch with Stratton has nothing to do with it, honest!

The first thing is Qwitter. Qwitter is a social tool designed to help people stop smoking by making it easy for them to keep track of how much the smoke and share that information with others. It's powered by the Twitter API, and as such offers some really potent SMS and IM integration. If you're a smoker, Qwitter is free and worth a shot.

Secondly, we've just launched a contest on YouTube. We're asking people to make videos about why they don't smoke. As a nice perk, we're giving away an iMac and a bunch of iPods to the winners--and all the good spots are going to air on TV in Florida. If you're an aspiring video-maker, here's an excellent shot at beefing up your portfolio.

MSFT + FLICKR

2008-02-05T11:06:00.001-05:00

Welcome to Flickr!
Originally uploaded by twisted intellect ❧

This is too insightful. I had to share it.

TobaccoFreeFlorida.com Super Bowl Ad

2008-02-01T11:05:00.000-05:00

Hey friends, family, and random readers. I need help. My company is running a spot for the Florida Department of Health during the Super Bowl. We've posted the video on YouTube and we'd like to get it off the ground a little prior to the game.

If you have a moment, just watch the video.

Proof I am a Nerd 3

2008-01-24T16:50:00.001-05:00

Proof I am a Nerd 3
Originally uploaded by mike_mchargue

So THAT'S how the Internet works!

Sarah Mac Band Open Fire EP now available on iTunes

2008-01-23T09:08:00.000-05:00

The Sarah Mac Band's new EP, Open Fire is available now on iTunes. Click the iTunes button below to see the record, and then click "Buy" once iTunes opens.

Macworld pictures

2008-01-14T18:09:00.000-05:00

If you want to see my pics of Macworld as I take them, use this link.

I'll be posting lots of pics leading up to the keynote tomorrow. As part of ritual, I plan to hop in line by 4 AM.

Trailers outside Moscone West

2008-01-14T16:15:00.001-05:00

Trailers outside Moscone West
Originally uploaded by mike_mchargue

AV rigging or RDF generators?

@Macworld 2008

2008-01-13T18:42:00.000-05:00

I'm in San Francisco again for MacWorld. The weather in San Francisco is incredibly beautiful today.

I was entertaining the notion of doing a photostream, but then I realized that 1,000 other people will do better ones than I could.

Here's a few random thoughts.

Registration starts at 8 AM tomorrow. My first session is at 9 AM. Huh?
If you wear a *really* loud Hawaiian shirt in San Francisco, everyone will stop to talk to you. This is in a city where there are some truly colorful characters everywhere.
If you're in SF for Macworld, there's a restaurant next to the Pickwick on Fifth. They have inexpensive and nicely edible food of the sandwich and pasta variety. Folks on a tight per diem should check it out.
There are two substantial tractor trailers attached to Moscone West. One of the Apple security guard stopped me (to talk about my shirt) and mentioned they were for the keynote. The trailers are here every year, but for the first time I've stopped to think just how much money Apple spends to do a keynote.
John C. Welch is a cool dude. Yes, I'm sucking up.

Boot Camp, WPA2 and Windows XP

2008-01-04T11:11:00.000-05:00

I'm hoping Google will index this and save the next poor sap who runs into this issue a few minutes of frustration.

If you install Windows XP SP2 on a Mac via Boot Camp and then attempt to connect to a WiFi network that uses WPA2 authentication, it will not work. XP SP2 does not have support for WPA2 without a hotfix which is found here.

Kindle's almost amazing

2007-12-01T21:09:00.001-05:00

I don't have a Kindle yet, but I do plan to get one soon. After reading far too many blogs and magazine articles about the device, I almost got the fever. Despite the fact that there seems to be a pretty even split between those who love the device and those who loathe it, I'm still really excited about the potential of the technology.

I'm an avid reader, but I don't have the time to go browse bookstores. My favorite time to read is when I travel, but books are a drag in terms of bulk and weight when I'm hoping from plane to plane. The idea of carrying--and adding to--my library on a reasonably sized device is very appealing.

The Kindle as it stands is far from perfect. It's expensive, the e-ink could be better, and for goodness sakes it needs multiple fonts. I still think something like the Kindle will one day to do books and magazines what the iPod is doing to physical music media.

Or at least I did until 30 minutes ago when I pulled a beautifully illustrated, large format, color children's book off the shelf to read to Madison at bedtime. We're a LONG way from matching that experience with an e-reader.

Books are really not great in terms of environmental impact, they take lots of space and they're prone to wear out--but they'll be with us a long, long time.

The greatest thing on the Internet

2007-11-28T12:57:00.000-05:00

Clearly, nothing tops Zero Punctuation.

Nothing.

I should mention there's an f-bomb or two.

219 MPH on a public road?

2007-11-27T17:39:00.001-05:00

This guy clearly has a death wish, both for himself and his fellow man. That said, it's still amazing to see what a car going 200 MPH looks like.