Wanted: An iTunes Alternative

iTunes just asked me if I wanted to update to v7.3.2. Knowing the update is to “improve stability and performance” of features I probably don’t use, I started thinking about my ideal media player.

Features of the iTunes alternative:

    Things it can do:

  • Play mp3, aac, mov
  • Create ‘smart’ playlists – based on multiple attributes of a file
  • Create delete files from the library from playlists – ‘smart’ or otherwise
  • Read and write files and their attributes on the iPod 1
  • Applescriptable
  • Special bonus points for being either: open source or having a price tag on it.
    Things it can’t:

  • Play streaming audio
  • Rip or burn CDs
  • Sell music, movies, TV shows, or games
  • Download and manage podcasts

1. including the Nike+iPod workout data, though a separate app would be better.

VillageFest 5k – 28:20

A light, refreshing rain started with the VillageFest 5k this morning. The course was a nice tour of the south-western corner of the Village, with a few more zigs and zags than I’d like.

Even in the rain, a few fellow citizens – including Jen and C – stood on the corners to cheer everyone on. Thank you and thanks to the police officers blocking street traffic for the duration of the race.

While the first 2ks went really well (4’48 k/mn & 5’02 respectively), I spent the third (5’30) struggling to find a pace. There was a golden retriever just ahead of me and we took the 4th k together (5’03), when he found a squirrel. I took that opportunity to shoot ahead finishing (5’03) with a sprint I didn’t know was left.

After that we all headed up to the community center for the pony rides, petting zoo, face painting, and the entire purpose of VillageFest – the helicopter ping pong ball drop.

Unfortunately, Bush is in town to checking out the remains of the 35W bridge. So, in addition to the increasing showers dampening the festivities, the Village airspace is restricted grounding the ball drop. Totally not worth having the POTUS in town.

What a bust.

Safe at Home

So far, I’m thankful I can say the same for friends and family (thanks to Twitter, IM, and mobile phones). I’m also thankful for telecommuting.


– thanks to smithers for the photo

The stretch of Highway 35W bridge I – and many other of my Twin Citizens – take to get around Minneapolis collapsed earlier this evening.

Gone.

Into the river taking 50+ cars, trucks, and a school bus with it.

If you need an idea of where:
Imagine this picture without the big bridge.

I’m pretty torqed @ the mobile phone networks right now. This is when they’re needed the most. And they’re failing.

UPDATE 3 AUG 2007:
With the 35W South onramp @ Stinson/New Brighton Blvd closed and now 280 closed @ Broadway, I went from living in a place with easy access to all major Twin Cities freeways, to being completely isolated. It’ll probably be like this for a couple years. Farg.

I’m anxious to see how NE Mpls culture will change between now and when 35W re-opens. Will the disconnect with downtown make it more NE-y, more suburban, or more North-y?

What If…

  • ….email apps didn’t consider reading and writing separate modes?
  • …you could post to your blog, from mine?
  • …your online profile was filled out by your friends?
  • …Popularity was measured by the size of the group of people that are everywhere you are.
  • …only robots exchanged messages on Twitter.
  • …I stopped getting distracted by hypotheticals?

UPDATE 19 May 2011

“How can you tell if the person at the other end is real or a kid in Guatemala or Malaysia being paid by the message to engage with people to help build cred for some spam-issuing Twitter account?” – Dave Winer