H.I.T.S.
I was reading on my iPad this week about a US-based programmer named Andrey Fedotov, who apparently is putting the finishing touches to a project called Hackstore. It’s based on a selection of applications and tweaks for our beloved Macs and things that would not otherwise be available from the Mac application store.
The Hackstore, despite its somewhat alarming name, has the motto “no piracy apps here forever and ever.” Also, it appears to look just like the regular Apple applications store. I’m sure Apple is bristling a bit at that liberty.
I also saw an iPad app called Timeline World War 2, which, according to the article, allows you to explore history with an interactive timeline. You can track events and see newsreel footage from September 1939 through to September 1945.
Due to its extensive coverage of the war, it takes up almost a gig of space on the device and my iPad is only the 16-gig model. Timeline World War 2 is reasonably priced, though, considering the scope of what you get.
In other news, Google has launched Google Drive, a free 5GB space of storage that lets you easily store files in the “cloud.” Some people, however, have been a little skeptical that Google may possibly use information you may share to adjust their advertising toward all of us. People on the net have been advised to encrypt their info so that Google can’t nose about.
A positive use of this technology would be if you have pictures or even short video of a family event or holiday and want to share it with friends or family across the country. All you’d do is upload it to Google and then supply a password to whomever you wish to be able to download and share your memories. I think that part is a great idea.
Speaking of memories, I’m still blown away with the two or three groups on Facebook dealing with Blackburn in the UK, where I used to live. The scope of the pictures that members post have me constantly hitting “Save to my iPhoto Library” on my iMac.
Also on Facebook, I saw a great YouTube video showing Connellsville through the years. Mrs. Schulze, who hails from there, saw it as well and loved it. As said so many times before in this article, the Internet is definitely the king of all things nostalgic. Every week, I’m seeing old photos of Blackburn and places that I hardly remember, all courtesy of Facebook and the Internet.
While making my poor wife endure an old black and white cowboy movie called Ambush last weekend, I remarked that as a kid in England, I’d been a big fan of Billy the Kid. I read a lot of cowboy comics, which, of course, portrayed a glorified version of him.
I went on to tell her how the late actor Robert Taylor played Billy the Kid in a movie and how I was not old enough to go with my friends to watch it. I was crushed, as the movie had an “A” rating (meaning adult), which was probably for the violence.
While we were talking about it, my wife researched, via her laptop, all the details of the movie I never saw. These included a pic of Robert Taylor in a black leather outfit like I still recalled.
Fast forward to today. My memories about Billy the Kid have been crushed with movies like Young Guns 1 and 2. Also, the History Channel once had a show about western outlaws that showed dirty, ragged looking men, totally unlike the suave, cool look of Robert Taylor.
On the subject of memories, some of the online pics of early Uniontown are pretty amazing, too. I saw one of a packed Main Street downtown that had just a sea of faces. I’m sure that lots of people reading this can plainly recall some of those days.
Finally, I’m pleased to report the clinical trial “wonder pills” seem to be working. We were informed last week that there are now four other people in the same trial. My lymph nodes have returned to almost normal size and my various blood counts are stabilizing, so, hopefully, this will all continue.
I wish you all a great Sunday and, hopefully, no more snow until next winter.