Gordon Meyer

Curio to Staus Board

I use Zengobi's Curio to manage several side projects, and I very much like Panic's Status Board for iPad. So, I was glad to see this tech note on how to use the two together. Fun stuff.

By the way, if you visit the webpage for Status Board, don't overlook that the simulated display is showing your local time and weather. Darn clever.

See also: A New Curio - Gordon Meyer

Digital vs Print publishing in a niche market

Two years ago, Craig Conley, Fredrick Turner, and I published a book, The JINX Companion. It's a reader's guide for a magazine that is very important in the community of performing magicians.

As you might imagine, publishing books for magicians is a small and specialized business. Although there are very highly-regarded and successful publishers in the field, Conley and I both have publishing experience, so we decided to tackle the project ourselves. Additionally, among our team of four (Michael Warwick is our contributing production specialist), we have technological expertise than is atypical in both publishing and magic.

We sell The JINX Companion in three formats:

• Print-on-Demand: Production and fulfillment is provided through CreateSpace, which as an Amazon company also provides access to that marketplace. Additionally, we sell the printed copy on our own website (via a CrateSpace storefront) and at select magic shops.
• PDF: Order processing and delivery is using Payloadz.
• iBooks: Apple provides order processing and delivery via the iBookstore.

We are releasing the sales and lifecycle snapshot below with the hope that it will be useful to magic publishers who are considering digital releases. (Click to view a larger version.)

Keyboard Maestro: Feel less square with Urban Dictionary lookup

If you come across a word that you suspect is a slang term, but you're not sure what it means, there's no better resource than Urban Dictionary.

I made a Keyboard Maestro macro that automates the process of looking up a term. Just select the word or phrase you want to define, then activate the macro.

A summary of how it works is below, or you can grab it from this gist.

See also: Keyboard Maestro: Look Up a Shorter Synonym on Thsrs

A use case for Keyboard Maestro Web Access

I'm clearly a big fan of Keyboard Maestro. I've known about its built-in web server for a while, but never had a good reason to use it, despite having spent some time considering the possibilities. (And I'm not unfamiliar with remote control over the HTTP, having used X2Web for home automation quite a bit.)

But the other day it suddenly dawned on me; it's a simple way to solve a frequent inconvenience. You see, I live and work in a loft. This means that my computer is basically in my living room, dining room, kitchen, and so on. This is a benefit when I'm waiting for an incoming chat message, or email, or FaceTime call. I can hear the ring tone no matter where I am. But when I'm not expecting an important missive, it's a drag hearing the other beeps and bongs that go off for various reasons. I'm not mindful enough to mute the computer when I walk away, so I inevitably end up having to dash back and silence it when it starting making noise at an inopportune time.

But now that problem is solved. I created a very simple macro that toggles the mute setting. I then turned on web access for that macro, and of course turned on Keyboard Maestro's web server. Now, from any other computer, iPhone, or iPad in the house, I can trigger the macro without walking a step. Ahhh, sweet, sweet silence.

Review: Turning Pro

I have a particular interest in the dualistic approach of having both a professional and amateur career. So Steven Pressfield's book, "Turning Pro: Tap Your Inner Power and Create Your Life's Work" grabbed my attention when Amazon offered it as a suggestion. The reviews were OK and price was low, so I bit.

I was a little disappointed when it arrived, as it seemed to be not much more than a collection of typical self-help cheerleading affirmation-style stories. But it's well-written and eventually I found myself a quarter of the way through the book, but still not convinced. Then Pressfield dropped a reference to Gnosticism and I realized that perhaps we are like-minded after all. (Although, all of his references to Gnosticism are oddly past-tense, as if nobody believes that stuff anymore.)

In one chapter, he relates a joke that has an important message. A brief recap:

Two hollywood producers were talking. "I've got good news and bad news. The good news is that we can rent the location for the big party scene for only $10K, not the $50K we thought it would take. The bad news is they want $100 up front."

The sure sign of an amateur is he has a million plans and they all start tomorrow.

It's not all light-hearted, by any means. Here is another tidbit:

The amateur dreads becoming who she really is because she fears this new person will be judged by others as "different." The tribe will declare us "weird" or "queer" or "crazy." The tribe will reject us. Here's the truth: the tribe doesn't give a shit. There is no tribe.

That gang or posse that we imagine is sustaining us by the bonds we share is in fact a conglomeration of individuals who are just as fucked up as we are and just as terrified. Each individual is so caught up in his own bullshit that he doesn't have two seconds to worry about yours or mine, or to reject or diminish us because of it. When we truly understand that the tribe doesn't give a damn, we're free. There is no tribe, and there never was.

Our lives are entirely up to us.

The last portion of the book is better than the front section. It's there that Pressfield describes attributes and attitudes that separate the person who has made the leap to "turning pro," from the amateur who never gets beyond doing it "someday."

My bottom line is that Turning Pro was an enjoyable read, and there are numerous bits that will make you think or inspire you. (The bits that speak to you, of course, are likely different than mine.) I started out hopeful, became disappointed, then ended as an appreciative fan. Thanks, Mr. Pressfield.

The Scoop coffee maker: More tips and tricks

I continue to dig my Hamilton Beach The Scoop coffee maker. After a year's use, I have a couple of tips to pass along:

If a cup comes out weak or light, it's likely because the grounds were not evenly distributed in the scoop. To prevent this, give the scoop a little shake after filling it so that the coffee is level across the entire surface. If it's not level, the water runs down the hill and only soaks through part of the grounds. (You can verify this problem if you empty the grounds and some of them seem unused.)

If you're using a filter, as I suggested in Hacking the Scoop Coffee Maker, try putting the filter in the middle section (so that it sits on top of the built-in filter) for an even stronger cup.

Soda Stream: Tips and Tricks

I've had a Sodastream home carbonator thingy for a couple of years now. I love it. I really enjoy carbonated beverages, and the Sodastream is an easy way to inexpensively have a lot of variety of pop (or, soda, if you're from the West) at hand.

I have to admit that I approached the whole idea with some trepidation. But my fears were unwarranted as the Sodastream is easy, clean, and fast to use. Dare I say it is even a little fun? Even if you don't enjoy it, you will enjoy learning just how little materials are used in making soda and how much price-gouging the big guys engage in.

The Sodastream model that I have is pictured below. I don't know exactly which one this is because they make a dizzying array of seemingly barely distinguishable models. (Seriously, wtf?) Presumably they all work the same, and aside from some unnecessary accessories, the models are interchangeable. If I were buying one today, I'd probably get this one.

Now on with the tips!

• For the first year or so, Sur La Table was the best place to buy refilled gas canisters. But Sodastream seems to have really expanded their distribution so there are a lot more places now. Nonetheless, Sur La Table will often let you sample flavors so it's worth stopping by a location near you.
• Now that you can find Sodastream consumables in lots of stores, you might not need to ever visit the Sodastream website, but it's still a great place to buy syrup. The selection is better, and if you sign up for their email newsletter, they often have coupons to save on shipping.
• Although the Sodastream instructions say to carbonate your bottles until you hear three "buzzes," I found that two buzzes is sufficient. You might like more, or less, carbonation. Experiment, and if two works for you, your gas canisters will last longer.
• Similarly,experiment with how much syrup you use. The fill-lines inside the cap are just suggestions (if you can even see them, I find them rather inscrutable) and keep in mind the "best" amount of syrup will vary by flavor. For example, I prefer less Ginger Ale syrup than I do Root Beer.
• My friend Nate understands physics better than I do, and he suggests that chilling the water before carbonating it will use less gas. Subjectively, I agree.
• Also courtesy of Nate, be sure to heed the warning that you must add the syrup after carbonating the water. If you do it before, you'll regret it. Although I understand the resulting geyser is spectacular.
• If you enjoy a cocktail on occasion, you need a Sodastream. Period. Keep a bottle of just soda water and your home libations will never be the same. Trust me.
• Buy an extra canister of gas if you can afford it. It's a lot more convenient to have a spare on hand.

I might periodically update this list as I discover or learn of more. (Please let me know of your own!)

Review: Fake TV

Although the Fake TV is advertised like it's infomercial junk, it turns out to be a nice product. In brief, it's a small sophisticated LED light that emulates the patterns and colors emitted by a television. It's sold as a burglary deterrent, because it makes it looks like a home is occupied by someone watching the boob tube.

The device is smaller than I expected; about the size of a medium coffee cup. This turns out to be an advantage when it comes to proper placement of the device, but it was a surprise when I opened the box.

Fake TV really does generate a convincing illusion. But there are a couple of things you should be aware of, both positive and negative. On the plus side, because it's LED powered, it should last for a very long time and is inexpensive to operate. Although I use it with a timer so my neighbors don't think I"m an insomniac, it would be safe and efficient--but perhaps less convincing--to leave it turned on all the time. (There is no off switch, you have to unplug it to turn it off.)

On the negative side, the lights aren't very bright. This means that the Fake TV has to be positioned close to an uncovered window; it definitely isn't bright enough to shine through most window coverings. I also ended up putting the Fake TV on the inside window sill because my windows are covered with a UV-filtering film that has a slightly dark tint. The Fake TV's small footprint and light weight made this easy to do. (Just make sure that outsiders only see the light from the device, not the unit itself.)

The bottom line for me is that Fake TV is a useful and inexpensive home security addition. Amazon has the best price by far, and check out the reviews if you want more opinions. It has a large number of mostly 4 or 5 star reviews.

Update: After writing this review I noticed that there is now a brighter model, the FTV-11. I have the FTV-10. It costs about $10 more, but I'd get that one if I were buying today. The new one also has built-in timer and dusk options. The timer options remain unchanged from the first model.

Evoz and Belikin team up for audio-only monitoring

A follow-up to my post Audio-only monitoring of your pet. I recently learned that the Belkin WeMo Baby Monitor uses the Evoz service to do its work.

According to the listing on Amazon, there have been a number of recent firmware updates that, hopefully, address the reliability problems cited by many customers. This is similar to the problems I had with the WeMo switch, but after several updates the switch is now reliable.

Emptying my sleeves

Almost 10 years ago, I launched with website with the name "Nothing Up My Sleeve." Soon I'll be retiring the name, but I'll continue to post new content here. Please pardon the dust over the next several weeks as we remodel to better serve you.