Wyszdom

A small challenge of going by two names:

Every time I send an email, I have to consider the recipient and remember if I’m supposed to sign as “Michael” or “Wysz.”

I’m out in Colorado right now and have been recording nearly all of my travels with an Amod AGL3080, a portable GPS logger which you can pick up for well under $100. It uses AAA batteries (including rechargables), and uses a standard USB connection to retrieve the log files. It’s tiny enough to fit inside the same pocket as my Canon SD1000, and also has a belt hook/strap allowing it to hang out of the pocket and easily accessible for explicitly marking waypoints.

To start logging, it’s pretty easy: simply turn it on. To stop, turn it off. A separate log file is generated for each power cycle. The batteries last long enough for an all-day excursion, so it’s probably best to just leave it on for the day.

The way it syncs up with photos is pretty similar to a lot of devices. You go around and take pictures. Your camera records what time they’re taken. At the same time, the GPS logger is in your pocket, and records where you are at particular times. Then, you put it all in the computer, which looks at what time a picture was taken, and where you were at that time, and figures out where the photo was taken. You can then add this location data to the EXIF data on each photo, which is understood by many popular photo services, allowing you to view your photos on a map.

What I need your advice on is software. The great thing about the Amod device I use is its flexibility. It shows up as a USB drive on any computer, and the log files are in the standard NMEA 0183 format, so it’s not tied to any specific software. The disk that shipped with the tracker came with JetPhoto Studio, and I upgraded it to the “pro” version to get all the features that make it actually usable, like the ability to write EXIF data. It’s fine and gets the job done, and even generates KML and KMZ files for Google Earth. However, the interface is a little confusing (and whoever wrote the messages isn’t fluent in English), and I haven’t found a great process for managing my files yet, since in the end I am importing them into iPhoto and/or Picasa Web Albums. Has anyone else used a Mac to geotag photos from a GPS log? I want the process to be as quick as possible so it doesn’t stop me from keeping up with organizing my photos, and I’m willing to pay for software. If you have a suggested workflow for JetPhoto Studio, I’m open to that as well.

Even though the process is a little annoying right now, I still love the idea and have already tagged nearly 250 photos from the past few days. It’s addicting.

This morning, I could not find my keys. I searched my entire apartment before giving up and grabbing the spare key, which fortunately is no longer on the same keychain as my other key. Here’s what I found on the other side of the door:

Just testing you, Sunnyvale. I wanted to see if you’ve cleaned up your act. Congratulations, you passed.

Submitted via the Personal Wyszdom request:

From: Leah
Is your favorite drink still a Gin and Tonic? You used to love them, as I recall.

I don’t really enjoy mixed drinks that much, but a gin and tonic is can be nice. If I’m drinking alcohol, I prefer red wine. Otherwise, I’m happy with Pepsi, water, or orange juice.

You didn’t ask for advice, so I’ll just give some anyway. If you’re at an event and you don’t want to drink alcohol, there’s an easy way to prevent the constant offers from people who want to get you something. Just go to the bar, ask for a Coke (or other soda), and have the bartender put a lime in it. Nobody will question you as long as you don’t drink it too quickly or from a straw.

Just testing. Hopefully I’ll be able to use this when I travel next week. The photo below is of the plant on my desk.

For the past few weeks, I’ve had to deal with this message almost every time I try to do anything with my Apple ID:

This Apple ID has been disabled for security reasons.

This is incredibly annoying. I think it might have something to do with the whole iTools/.Mac/MobileMe disaster, so I tried changing my ID to a non-iTools/.Mac/MobileMe address to see if that would help. I was unable to do this:

This change is not allowed. This account name was originally set up as a .Mac account and upgraded to MobileMe. An Apple ID has already been automatically set up for use with this member name. You can access this Apple ID by using either .Mac or MobileMe addresses (e.g. membername@mac.com or membername@me.com), but you cannot change the Apple ID. If you would like to use a new account name, please create a new Apple ID.

Ugh. Let’s see if they let me transfer my store credit to the new account. I’m guessing they won’t.

Submitted via the Personal Wyszdom request:

Hey Wysz,
What things would you recommend to pack for an extended trip away from home?

The first thing I’d say is don’t worry about it too much. Packing is a pain and always seems to take longer than it should. Recently I’ve been telling myself, “If I forget something and really need it, I can just buy it when I’m there.” So don’t sweat it. Just throw in a bunch of clothes, get your toiletries, pack your computer and camera (and camera, computer, and phone chargers), and you should be all set. I don’t think there’s really that much different that you need to do for an extended trip; as you’re less likely to live out of your suitcase in that situation anyway. The only things I would consider adding are one or two sentimental items from home. Maybe a picture, maybe a favorite item from your desk. With the Internet, you’ll still be connected to everyone, so everything will be fine.

This is my 200th entry on this blog. Exciting.

Tonight, I was told that people assumed I would not like to be hugged, so let me quickly address that here on my blog, the official source of all things Wysz. I like hugs. They feel good. My grandfather wrote a poem about hugs, but unfortunately I don’t have a copy of it with me to share. I do not mind being hugged.

I think that there are two things that may have caused people to assume that I do not like hugs:

1. I tend not to initiate hugs, since I don’t want to risk hugging someone who does not want to be hugged.
2. I’ve probably mentioned that I think some people hug too soon/often.

The first thing I can’t do much about. It’s just the way I am, overly cautious. But as for the second one, allow me to explain myself. Some people are overly huggy. It’s not that they hug certain people too much; it’s that they hug too many people too soon. I’ll illustrate with a few examples as guidelines for how I feel, but keep in mind that these are not explicit rules. An overly huggy person may hug in any of these situations. I’ll let you know for which ones I would feel comfortable with a hug:

Meeting someone for the first time.
I would prefer not to.

Greeting a friend who I haven’t seen in a while
Bring it on.

Greeting a non-friend acquaintance (coworker, teacher, store clerk, friend of friend, friend of parent, etc.)
I’d really rather not. But this rule no longer applies if I consider the person to be a friend.

Saying goodbye to a friend who I won’t see for a while
Let’s hug it out.

Anytime with a really good friend or family member
Sounds good to me.

My name is not easy to spell. I’m used to this, and am not offended when people have trouble. I’ve spelled it incorrectly myself. However, there are times when the proper spelling of my identity really does count: email. I was giving my email address over the phone yesterday, and after I hung up, wondered if I would ever receive the message. The primary address that I usually give out to people is wysz@thewysz.com. But if I simply say it, someone might think that “Wysz” is spelled “Wiz.” Or, if I spell it out, it could become “Wifc.” Fortunately, I did get the message, but I decided to take action to make the process go smoother in the future.

So how did I address this? Well, first I needed a domain name that was easy to type and hear over the phone. Onlinehaircuts.com should work. Next, all I needed was a name. Wysz is too complicated, and I’ve seen people misspell Michael. Bob is easy. bob@onlinehaircuts.com. Yes, onlinehaircuts, all one word. Yes, “Bob” as in The Bobs.

I can’t wait to use it. Matt already thought it was hilarious; you should have seen him laughing.

I generally don’t watch traditional news media, because I too often find it inefficient (mostly a series of teasers to keep you through the commercials) and irrelevant (celebrities).

Another thing that bothers me is that they so often leave obvious questions unanswered. Online, I often find myself wondering, what’s the URL of the company (or site!) they’re talking about? Nelson recently sent me this video of a car crashing into a diner (the patron is fine), but after watching it I was surprised to find that Reuters left two obvious questions unanswered: Why did a car drive into a diner, and was the driver injured?