Author: MEC

Pilot Season

I was reading an article in TV Guide (the paper edition) about “pilot season,” the most wonderful time of year in show-biz when hopeful TV producers pitch pilots for pick-up by one of the five networks. The article said that the “shows that continue to influence network execs the most are two of the top ratings-grabbers currently on TV: AMC’s The Walking Dead and ABC’s Modern Family.” So I immediately thought a sure-fire hit pilot would have to be Walking Modern Dead Family.

At the end of the article I learned ABC had beaten me to it with the pilot for The Returned in which “dead loved ones are suddenly alive again.”

That woody flavor you detect is from the scrapings you get at the bottom of the barrel.

35 Years Ago Today

Begun, the potato-chip wars had…

Inspired by the then recently published Lazlo Letters, I thought to try my hand at the game, and wrote to Procter & Gamble (using my Aaron Yodar pseudonym) with a modest request. Though it took P&G years to fulfill my request, it seems that, once the floodgates of “new flavor variations” finally did open, abominations like the Candy Cane Pringle were the eventual result. If only I had known.

For your pleasure, here’s the (not e)mail exchange:

The Pringle Letters

The Lightning Reversion

My new iPhone arrived today, and with it, the new and controversial Lightning connector that replaces the Dock Connector of earlier models. And it has forced me to take a step back in my syncing and charging habits.

Over the years, I have accumulated a handful of power adaptors and Dock Connector cables, so I have scattered them about my digs: one by the sofa, one at my sitting-down desk, and one attached to the iMac at my standing desk. With Wi-Fi syncing and iCloud backup, I could pretty much plug my phone or my iPad in anywhere.

With my new iPhone I only have one Lightning cable, which I have attached to my iMac. That means, of course, my new iPhone gets no benefit from Wi-Fi syncing or iCloud backup. On the other hand, I spend much of my day at my iMac (hey, it’s where I make my living), so it really isn’t much of hardship to plug my iPhone in each morning to charge, sync, and back up as I start my workday. And, it must be said, tethered syncs and backups are considerably faster than those over the air, something I had forgotten in recent months.

So my disgruntlement level with the new connector is low. And I have a birthday coming up: maybe someone will buy me one of those Lightning-to-Dock connector adapter plugs.

Of Supply, Demand, and iPhones

Seems that Apple ran out of iPhones about an hour after online pre-ordering (which is exactly the same thing as ordering, by the way) began.

Immediately, the usual tweets and posts of outrage began, centering on two themes:

  • Apple is incompetent at forecasting demand
  • Apple intentionally constrains initial supply for publicity purposes

Which is true? Neither: Apple makes as many iPhones as it can, as fast as it can. You have to remember that each new model requires many new manufacturing methods, every one of which has to be extensively tested before each can be implemented and ramped up to full production capability—what’s more, this manufacturing QA and implementation has to be accomplished in the very short time between the day the device design is finalized and the day the device ships. And, in whatever time is left in that short period, Apple has to manufacture millions of devices on the brand-new production line. Meanwhile, demand for each successive design far outpaces the initial demand Apple has faced for the previous device.

So: new production methods implemented at scales larger than anything Apple—or anyone else—has done previously. I’m honestly surprised Apple can have as many millions of devices on hand as it does on roll-out day, regardless of the demand.

Getting the Book Invented Properly

In 1992, Douglas Adams’ Complete Hitch Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy was one of the original three Voyager Expanded Books published. A big Mac fan, and a Voyager fan as well, Adams wrote and recorded a short promotional audio for the floppy-disk-based ebook series. Here, in all of its crunchy 8-bit-audio glory, is that recording, Getting the Book Invented Properly.

Bonus: the Literary Platform site recently held a competition for animations to accompany the recording. The entries are here.

In which I commit another reckless act of authorship

I assumed this would be a 75-page ebook, but it turned out to be double that. On the other hand, it was both fun and rewarding to write, and I think it can be very helpful to aspiring ebook authors and publishers: Take Control of iBooks Author, available for $15 from Take Control Books.

Plus, there’s a free Multi-Touch excerpt for the iPad, Take Control of Getting Ready for iBooks Author, that you can download!

The cover of Take Control of iBooks Author