I happened to run into Kenji on the train ride to Gifu today and he opened up our typical back and forth with a discussion on the iPhone 5 and the apparent rage people have for the new Apple Maps application, the purple coloration on very bright photos, and who knows what else. All in all, I passed off the arguments on Apple Maps and the purple coloration of photos because, to be completely honest, I couldn't care less. I have never used the Maps application for much more than flying around satellite images of North Korea or old neighbourhoods1, and the camera on my iPod Touch is so awful that I don't take any of the photos seriously. So this brought Kenji to his main question: will I get one? To this I answered so quickly I think he was actually a little offended.
How Much Does Connectivity Cost?
How much is too much when it comes to the monthly operating cost for our ever-connected lifestyles? Some people claim to pay several hundreds of dollars for a household of two. Homes with many teenagers may pay even more. However, are we getting the full value of service for the money we spend? As an interesting weekend study, I thought I'd break down the true cost of connectivity for my household.
Tiered Data At Home
This past week has been a busy one. Not only have I been completely buried with work, but I've also been building a semi-new NAS server for Kenji. Kenji, some people will remember, is a person I met some time ago and would engage in lively arguments time and again about any number of subjects. Just over a year ago I had suggested that he pick up a Windows Home Server solution for his storage and backup needs, and he's been more or less happy with the result. Unfortunately, he needs more storage space. A lot more.
Ubuntu's Partition Magic
Kenji is going to love this the next time we chat:
Nailed It
With the move to Chiba only two weeks away, Kenji and I have decided as of this past Tuesday to set aside some of our rather heated early-morning-train-ride debates to enjoy the last few weeks we might get to chat while commuting on the Meitetsu. We still have email and Skype to belittle each other with, so why spoil a crowded ride to Nagoya?
