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One of the biggest problems with using the Internet for crucial day-to-day applications is when you can't get connected. On a plane, at a WiFi hotspot you don't really trust, or even in a building with poor data network reception for your phone.
For most desktop applications the answer is simple… your data lives locally and you work with it there not rely on connectivity, and then sync what you need to. At MIX this year for instance we demonstrated a prototype of a Cirque du Soleil application that demonstrated exactly that.
For web applications it's a little harder as they run inside the browser sandbox, and for mobile web applications… well, logic dictates that should be even harder.
Well… turns out it's not that hard for developers to build an off-line version of their site that's able to cache data locally and the really interesting thing for me was discovering how well it works on Windows Mobile. That solution is Google Gears.
I use Buxfer to try and make sense of my personal finances (a pretty major challenge). The reason I'm leaning more to this solution rather than, say, Mint (an otherwise excellent solution) is that they let me take my data offline and access it on my Windows Mobile phone.
Now they could have developed a native Windows Mobile application to do this, which would have given them a rich UI and dynamic synchronization and probably a whole load of other goodness, but they reasoned that they're web developers, they don't really "get" mobile app development and there's probably a dozen different platforms they'll want to support so… why not let someone else do the heavy lifting (and that someone is Google with their Gears API and javascript extensions) – all they have to do is develop the application using the Gears API and they get, for very little additional development overhead, a portable offline solution that runs anywhere Gears does (Windows Mobile, OSX, Windows XP/Vista and various flavors of Linux)
I think it's pretty impressive that Windows Mobile is the first supported phone platform and a testament to how popular it is as a data access device.
Gears is only a 0.2 release so there's probably lots of things that will be added over time. My wishlist for those additions is pretty simple:
Native apps will always have a richer interface and more powerful capabilities because they operate outside the browser sandbox, they have access to the hardware (eg camera) and features like the network stack directly so they are ideal for more sophisticated users. But for simple look-up applications like mobile versions of Buxfer or Zoho this is a great solution
What with my UMPC and my new phone and my laptop I have a lot of places to consume blog posts. The problem is that it's very easy to get very out of sync and confused very quickly - especially throwing in reading on the web on a bunch of machines in various places.
Admittedly with a lot of the blogsphere you're not sure if it's deja vu because you're reading the same post twice or because a meme has suddenly popped and everyone is writing about the same thing!
I've tried a bunch of different solutions over the last year to try and manage it. Google Reader, Bloglines, RSS Bandit, new the Origami Experience (which has such a good RSS reader on the UMPC platform I hate to be without it! It's coming soon Steve), Outlook, IE, Viigo ... and while they're all good in their own ways it comes down to keeping in sync, being able to flag things for follow-up and just making good use of my time and attention.
The other day I saw on Brads blog that NewsGator was making it's clients free. That was the most ridiculously good bit of news for managing my problem! Greg Reinacker explains why they made the change, but it quickly makes it the best solution for Windows, Mac, Mobile and Web users.
I now have NewGator Go! on my phone, Newsgator Desktop on my UMPC to keep that in sync, Newsgator Inbox running in Outlook for when I'm at the laptop and when I'm sitting at someone elses computer... NewsGator Online of course!
I can now read, clip and stay synchronized over pretty much any device I use. The only exception is on my UMPC where I can't clip posts to follow up later - must ask someone about that...
Looking to the future, like Steve I'm keen to see Fav.or.it ... I just hope it supports my mobile, distributed, attention disorder, reading and posting syle!
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The opinions expressed herein are my own personal opinions and do not represent my employer's view in anyway.
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text:
Images: 2012 International Military HIV/AIDS Conference [Image 5 of 5]
Photo by Staff Sgt. Benjamin Wilson
Maj. Gen. Barbara Faulkenberry, U.S. Africa Command logistics director, greets Gen. Paulino Jose Macaringue, chief of General Staff of the Armed Forces for the Defense of Mozambique, before the opening remarks of the 2012 International Military HIV/AIDS Conference, May 7. Military and civilian delegates and subject matter experts from 77 nations gathered for the 2012 International Military HIV/AIDS Conference in Maputo, Mozambique, May 7-10, to share best practices in HIV prevention, care and treatment.
This work, 2012 International Military HIV/AIDS Conference [Image 1 of 5], by TSgt Benjamin Wilson, identified by DVIDS, is free of known copyright restrictions under U.S. copyright law.
Date Taken:05.07.2012
Date Posted:05.07.2012 10:49
Photo ID:574316
Size:3.23 MB
Location:MAPUTO, MZ
Gallery Images
Associated News
77 nations share HIV, AIDS best practices at IMilHAC

subset: commoncrawl


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Don't let the title fool you. There isn't a single sour note on The Lemon Squeeze, the latest from beloved Canadian singer-songwriter Jeremy Fisher.After developing a devoted fan base through five folk-influenced releases, Jeremy boldly ventures in a new direction with The Lemon Squeeze. This is clear from the opening track, "I Love You…So"; a tight pop tune owing more to Ben Folds than to any folk artist.The decision to make a pure pop record was solidified after a discussion with producers Gus Van Go and Werner F. "When we first sat down, we batted around the idea of a pop record that would stay true to my typical, acoustic guitar-driven solo show. But when I started to write, the songs just weren't coming on guitar.""I reached out to Gus for some encouragement, and we started chatting about albums that we were both into." Enter Randy Newman's seminal 1972 album, Sail Away - "Newman's quiet masterpiece" according to Rolling Stone Magazine.
"The first album we really hit it off over was Sail Away. I told Gus that I had always wanted to record a piano-based album and he persuaded me to follow through on that. I started practicing piano in a very deliberate and disciplined manner. I think the joy and novelty of spending time on a different instrument made space for new music in my brain, and I ran with it.""I would set up my recording equipment every day and lay down ideas. If a lyric wasn't coming to me, or I felt like I was meeting some resistance, I would take a break and throw on a record in the kitchen."The end result was everything from Randy Newman-inspired piano ballads with strings, to Queen-esque guitar licks, to Billy Joel-styled pop. "I am definitely wearing my influences on my sleeve with this record," admits Fisher quite openly.Despite the fact that Fisher was inspired by albums on wax, The Lemon Squeeze doesn't have that traditional flow. For this, Jeremy makes no apologies. "I grew up with albums and I feel driven to make albums as an artist. The way we listen to music is changing though and as much as I tried to create a cohesive body of work, The Lemon Squeeze plays like an album of singles. It was liberating to make every song on the record unique."
Jeremy Fisher Milestones:2001: Jeremy promoted the independent release of his 2001 debut record Back Porch Spirituals with a bicycle tour that started in Seattle, WA and ended six months later in Halifax, NS.
2004: The release of Let It Shine on Sony BMG Canada. The second single from the record, "High School" received extensive radio and television airplay. Jeremy supported Bedouin Soundclash and Xavier Rudd on tour, and opened for Alanis Morissette at the Expo World Fair in Nagoya, Japan.
2007: Jeremy's third full-length effort, Goodbye Blue Monday, was released. Produced by Hawksley Workman, the single "Cigarette" became another hit for Jeremy, as his self-made, claymation video racked up more than two million views on YouTube. This record led to an appearance on The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, and tour dates with The Proclaimers, Blue Rodeo and Great Big Sea. On the success of this album he garnered two Juno Award nominations for Best New Artist and Adult Alternative Record of the Year.
2010: His fourth record, Flood, was released in the fall of this year. Standout track "Come Fly Away" was placed heavily on film and television including an American Airlines commercial and the soundtrack of the major motion picture "The Big Year", starring Steve Martin, Owen Wilson and Jack Black.
2012: Jeremy released Mint Juleps, a record of folk originals and acoustic covers that have made their way into Jeremy's live performances. In the fall of 2013 he supported the Indigo Girls across Canada.
2014: The Lemon Squeeze is the sixth studio release from Hamilton-born/Ottawa-based singer/songwriter Jeremy Fisher. This is his second album on indie label Hidden Pony Records.