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Innis & Gunn Contest

May 15, 2013 By Matt Leave a Comment

rum-aged-label__large I love Innis & Gunn cask beer. They are running a contest and if you would like to learn more, you can go here. Personally, my favorite is their Rum Aged brew. Oh, it is so yummy.

Here is a bit of their story:

Our beer’s distinctive depth of flavour owes a debt to good fortune. In 2002 a famous whisky distiller approached us for help. They were seeking to season some of their oak casks with the sweet, malty character of a full-flavoured beer. All the previous attempts had failed.

Eager to assist, we created a custom-made recipe and the resulting brew was put to bed in their barrels.

Thirty days on, our beer was thrown out and the whisky went in. During its maturation, the Scotch acquired extra qualities from the beer-infused wood, resulting in a greatly admired dram and many repeats of the successful experiment.

Then, months later and quite unexpectedly, our Master Brewer, Dougal, received an exciting call – this time it wasn’t the whisky getting rave reviews.

Some inquisitive souls at the distillery had sampled our beer after its time in casks. We did likewise…and the taste was remarkable. It had been transformed by the oak into an unusually refined brew.

Ever since that heady day we’ve dedicated ourselves to sharing the unique flavours of our oak aged beers with the world, proving that a little luck can go a long way.

Matt

Matt is a Systems Development Director for a multinational franchise. Matt has lived and worked in Hawaii, Chicago, South Florida and currently resides outside of Atlanta. He enjoys his hobbies including Technology, Gadgets/EDC, Fountain Pens, Wetshaving, Clocks, Antiques & Coffee. He even roasts his own coffee weekly.

https://withoutink.com

iPhone App for Google Glass Planned

May 10, 2013 By Matt Leave a Comment

13012 iPhone users are preparing for the launch of an app designed to replicate the functionality of the Android app for Google Glass, in a move that will enable more tech fans to make the most of the new technology.

At present, the Google app is available only for Android phones, and early tests of the technology have only been compatible with handsets using the Android platform. The comparable iPhone app will introduce swathes of new potential users, ahead of a more widespread rollout of the technology.

The Google Glass eyewear projects visual data as wearers look through its lenses, and can also take photos and record video. The eyewear connects to the smartphone via Bluetooth, at which point the user will be able to access the full range of functionality and control through their iPhone, thanks to the new app.

Multi-platform app developers, such as Simplikate.com in Miami FL, should soon expect to receive ballooning order books as businesses look for ways to connect Google Glass to mobile apps.

As one of the most eagerly anticipated new technologies in recent years, Google Glass has captured the imagination of the tech world. While the current test models encompass a smaller range of existing features, the potential for smart glasses remains intriguing across a variety of personal and commercial applications.

It is anticipated that Google Glass will in time benefit from a healthy collection of apps with increasingly sophisticated abilities. The Google Glass technology is still in its early stages, and analysts still point to some of the limitations of the technology.

Even the iPhone app when released will be shy of the full product, restricting users to features that are compatible with the iPhone. As a result of iPhone security measures, some functionality still remains out of reach.

News of the iPhone app comes from a conversation between tech journalist Frederic Lardinois and a Google rep, in discussion over how the technology will work. The hope is that, in the near future, the app becomes a reality for iPhone users to allow enhanced engagement with Google Glass.

The Glass eyewear lacks sophistication in some areas, although Google insists the technology is still in its infancy. The device is currently being trialed by a small cross-section of developers and consumers, ahead of its final development phase before release.

Google Glass provides wearers with ‘smart glasses,’ allowing for augmented reality through the display lens. The technology is still young, but analysts are already excited about the potential applications it could hold in store.

In 2012, Google Glass was rated one of the ‘Best Inventions of the Year’ by Time Magazine. Its media reception has been generally positive, but with strong opposition from privacy advocates. A large number of analysts believe the design is too intrusive, and societal pressure will hold back Google Glass’ success.

The product is currently being tested by a small band of Google ‘Explorers,’ hand-picked to provide feedback and suggestions for the next phase of its development. Analysts are hoping the technology will be ready for a full commercial rollout by the end of this year.

Image source: http://i.i.com.com/cnwk.1d/i/tim/2013/02/20/sergey-brin-google-glass-0020_620x350.jpg

Matt

https://withoutink.com

Nishijin Sophia Pachinko Machine

September 4, 2012 By Matt Leave a Comment

As a young boy, I remember falling in love with a Pachinko machine. It was old and dusty and didn’t work that great. But I was mesmerized by the balls as they launched across the play-field. Anyway, I always said one day I would buy one of those machines. Well, that day came this past Friday. I was at a local auction and low and behold there was a 1972/73 Nishijin Sophia SuperDeluxe Pachinko machine up for the taking.

Fast forward an hour later. I won it for ~$50 =)

For a machine that is forty years old, it is in good condition. I am going to try to get it into great condition.

What is Pachinko?

For those that do not know, a Pachinko Machine is sort of a hybrid of a slot machine and pinball machine (without bumpers). The player can only influence the launch sequence. There is no other way to control the ball after it enters gameplay… Only gravity can tell it’s course.

It’s a very fun and addictive form of gambling in Japan. There are thousands of Pachinko Parlors throughout Japan. Basically, you buy a number of balls, which are used at tokens. The balls then go into a player tray, the player they flips a lever which shoots the ball vertically across the play-field. The ball then descends through a maze of pins, spinners and bumpers. The object is to get the balls into the winning slots. If a player makes it into a winning hole, the game pays out a set amount of additional balls. If the player misses, the ball is removed from the game.

After the player has completed playing, they take they balls they have left to a cage and can trade them in for prizes. Sometimes they win a “special” prize, which can be taken offsite and traded back for cash. As would be expected the Japanese Mafia used to run or influence a lot of these parlors back in the day. The Pachinko gaming industry’s profit is actually greater than all world-wide gaming profits. At around $400 billion per year. So you can see these machines are very popular in Japan.

My Plans:

I plan on doing a restoration of the Nishijin. Which will include:

♦ Completely dismantle machine
♦ Rewire & replace lights
♦ Clean & polish all surfaces
♦ Replace all screws with stainless
♦ Buff plastic to restore transparency
♦ Tighten frame… ie. Glue & Screw
♦ Replace pressboard surround with wood
♦ Modify unit to run on 9v battery or 9v Ac Adapter
♦ Polish all metal mechanical actuation parts, to reduce lag/friction
♦ Rekey lock
♦ Replace rusted balls with new ones from Japan
♦ Build a cabinet for it so it can be mounted to the wall
Photos of the 1972 Nishijin Pachinko Machine

[AFG_gallery id=’1′]

Stay tuned for progress reports =)

Matt

https://withoutink.com

Setting up Email IMAP or POP3?

August 22, 2012 By Matt 4 Comments

To continue last weeks post about Rackspace Email. I decided today would be a good time to explain the nuances of IMAP and POP3. I will try and keep this as low-tech as I can. I wont define the protocols, as there is enough written about it on the web. I will explain it simply.

First, let’s set the stage. Imagine if you will that email is stored up the sky or cloud. We will pretend that all mail resides up there until you ask for it – by hitting send/receive.

Ok, now let’s knock out the older POP3 protocol.

Every time you check for email… Imagine a trapdoor in the sky opening up, and physically dumping all your emails into your computer or device. Since we are opening a door, its dropping into the machine… it means it is no longer up in the sky/cloud.

Now lets take the newer and much cooler IMAP protocol.

Every time you hit send/receive… Imagine a window shade opening, instead of having to physically download a piece of mail. The computer looks inside to see whats there. The mail is always and forever in the cloud. Your computer/device basically makes a copy of the messages and shows them in your email client. Next time it does a send and receive, it incrementally updates itself to show the new messages.

Why I like IMAP much better:

In todays world, we are not tied to one computer or device. We have cellphones, smartphones, iphones, ipods, ipads, tablets, laptops, netbooks and desktops. Often we have multiples of these devices. In this seemingly every growing connected world we live in, we want – no – we expect to be able to access mail on all our devices.

If we were to setup POP3 on each device, they would fight for the physical piece of mail. Devices would constantly struggle to keep in sync. Fighting over the one message. Maybe it ends up on your phone. Then later you check your PC, and its not in your desktops email client (remember it’s on your phone). Give up trying so hard to keep this in sync. Use IMAP.

In my life I check email on my iPhone, iPad, Laptop and iMac. Sometimes I also check via the web. Since all of my devices are setup using the IMAP protocol. Everything is ALWAYS in sync, without the need of jumping through insane hoops. It just works.

Two caveats that I like to mention in helping with IMAP.

1. If you do something to an email message on a device, it will replicate that “something” on the other devices. For example… If you delete the message on your phone. The message really deletes on all devices – as well as the server. If you file the message in a folder called “vendors” on your desktop, it will move to that same folder an all other devices.

2. Each time your device does a send and receive, it is indexing what is on the server and syncing changes. I find it helpful to keep your inbox clean. Meaning keep a minimal amount of messages in there at a time. Once you are done, file it, delete it, whatever.

If you are the type that likes to keep 20,000 emails in your inbox. You are asking for trouble. Remember each of those devices has to count and sync all those messages a great many times a day. My email client checks every two or three minutes. Imagine if it had to count to 20,000 each time it checked for mail, and file/delete/move/sync as needed. That can cause hiccups.

Hope that demystifies POP3 and IMAP.

Matt

https://withoutink.com