gdp's Comments

TechHaze.com : Interview with Orbiter Sim creator Martin Schweiger

Fri, 15 Oct 2010 21:27:33 +0000

TechHaze.com : R.I.P. Google Wave

Fri, 6 Aug 2010 03:48:36 +0000

I agree. Google Wave is great, but they just failed to get people interested. Again, Google Wave is part of Labs. Lab products are generally more used by geeks of geeky people than "normal people". For me, Wave just started and we shouldn't consider it dead yet. I think the google wave team bet on the fact that by creating an open API, they would make developers interested in creating alternatives to Google Wave for using waves. Just like emails: you got gmail, yahoo, hotmail, etc, etc, etc.

TechHaze.com : R.I.P. Google Wave

Fri, 6 Aug 2010 03:43:09 +0000

agreed.

TechHaze.com : R.I.P. Google Wave

Fri, 6 Aug 2010 03:42:47 +0000

When did you use wave.? Seriously, it was called "Google Wave in limited Preview". Do you think a platform that complex with an open API just falls from the sky and magically works like hell? Google Wave is getting better every day because of the hard work of a very inventive team, so try to be a little open-minded. And today, it is quite usable. I open it each time I open my browser. I've been using it for nearly a year, and it really is getting better and better. It's still part of labs people, so if ever you encounter a bug, just shrug, send the error report to Google and they will fix it. I forced myself to use wave in 2009, when it was kind of a battlefield, and I don't regret it one minute.

TechHaze.com : R.I.P. Google Wave

Fri, 6 Aug 2010 03:38:02 +0000

I agree. I found that explaining people that Wave is "a hybrid between emails, chat, wikis with live conversions in which you can insert gadgets that can do virtually anything" pretty much sums up what they need to know =) The fact is, the explanation "emails are old and destroy collaboration, wave is a new communication platform with endless possibilities" scares people away because they like keeping what they're comfortable with.

TechHaze.com : R.I.P. Google Wave

Fri, 6 Aug 2010 03:33:17 +0000

The whole point of Wave is it being a different protocol than the email protocol. Email's were invented before browsers. Email are just letters that you receive and can send instantly without going to the post office. But there isn't much more to them. Actually, I almost only use wave with the people who have wave. However I agree a direct implementation in the gmail interface would be welcome. Or even just a link. Like the Buzz button, but with "Wave" written on it, with the number of unread waves.

TechHaze.com : R.I.P. Google Wave

Fri, 6 Aug 2010 03:26:51 +0000

I agree the lack of integration with Google Docs is a bummer. but the whole point of the Wave API is that any developer can create specific gadgets, extensions or robots for particular tasks. So I think with a little patience some system would have emerged. Usability nightmare? When have you been using it? When it was in Preview, I understand it could scare people away, it was buggy, there was no implementation of the (very useful) undo function, etc, etc. But it was a limited preview! And now, Wave is still part of Google Labs, it's in Beta. So it's not supposed to be fully functional yet. They're working on it. And it is already very functional, for that matter.

TechHaze.com : R.I.P. Google Wave

Fri, 6 Aug 2010 03:17:05 +0000

I understand. In many cases, you have to force people to change there routine or they won't do it. It's sad...

TechHaze.com : R.I.P. Google Wave

Fri, 6 Aug 2010 03:15:48 +0000

The scroll bar works just fine if you don't panic when seeing it for the first time. It never killed my productivity. The fact is, it is many times less awkward using Google Wave's scroll bar when there's a page (or thread) loading. The traditional scroll bar gets shorter and shorter as the page loads and it can get quite confusing. TechHaze wouldn't exist if Google Wave wasn't there. From the start, we used wave. Even when it was in very buggy "Preview" (without ctrl+z), it really did enhance productivity. "Many people may have time for this kind of show, but other want to get work done." Now that's plain insulting. We worked hard with Wave, and it is the best communication platform which can be used (as e-mails) for a very broad range of situation. It promotes transparency, incentive and constructive critic. Now I understand that Wave isn't much use if people don't start using it, but that's not really the Google Wave team's fault. They could have done better, but they are programmers. "Leaning on what people already know has significant advantages". The only advantage I can think of is that people don't get scared away cause they can cling to the old stuff they know. But there is no reason we should continue using technologies that were invented when browsers didn't even exist. Google Wave is a great platform if you use it seriously, if you don't flood important waves with useless comments, and if you delete useless information regularly. I know for a fact that the American Red Cross uses Google Wave for working on evaluating the 2004 tsunami relief projects. Do you think that they would have started using it if it were a "chaotic, productivity killing attention-whore"? Google Wave is the type of tool that deserves everyone making a small effort. And seriously, it's not that complicated. Just don't regard it as email, don't try to cling to old stuff. And now to all people who continue to criticize: what else do you propose? Email kills productivity. Google docs and Wikispaces are good for creating documents, but nothing else, really. What other online tool can you use to brainstorm, organise events, write collaborative articles, do interviews, etc.? The fact is, there's no usable alternative to Google Wave.

TechHaze.com : Interview with Orbiter Sim creator Martin Schweiger

Wed, 23 Jun 2010 15:41:50 +0000

thank YOU for the gorgeous image!

TechHaze.com : Quick tips: Google Chrome on Mac

Mon, 10 May 2010 11:54:41 +0000

If you don't want to be redirected to a local Google site, you can also use http://www.google.com/ncr, where NCR would stand for "No Country Redirect". It might come handier than http://www.google.com/webhp?hl=en which is more difficult to remember.

TechHaze.com : Watch NASA’s live feed of STS-131

Sat, 10 Apr 2010 23:02:16 +0000

Thanks man!

TechHaze.com : NASA's bold new plan

Tue, 6 Apr 2010 13:32:01 +0000

I am also very sad we haven't been to Mars yet. We could have been to Jupiter if Bush hadn't invaded Iraq. However if NASA's new direction doesn't plan a manned mission to Mars in the near future, it is not because of a lack of funds: NASA's total budget will actually slightly increase during the next four years. The termination of the Constellation program has been decided because a mission to Mars would not benefit the US (nor mankind, for that matter) if NASA uses 50 year-old technologies to get there. We need to develop more sustainable ways of travelling the solar system.

TechHaze.com : Our new logo

Tue, 6 Apr 2010 10:45:59 +0000

Very nice work there Flo. Thanks for the wallpapers!

TechHaze.com : Stability: The Mac Myth

Tue, 30 Mar 2010 06:51:23 +0000

Mariano doesn't support Apple. It's said in the first sentence: "the anti-Apple activist that I am now". I know him well, and I know he hates Apple's policies. The point of the article is not the Apple does everything right, it just shows how Apple got their image and a first, simple idea for others to compete with that image.

TechHaze.com : Civilization V to be released this fall

Wed, 17 Mar 2010 17:44:09 +0000

"In addition, you will see the leaders in a different environment according to the situation, and though the only screenshots we have seen place them each inside a large room with red curtains, we will aparently be seeing them in plains, battle-feilds and on cliffs." Are you sure? IGN only says: "Each leader has a unique scene that reflects who they are, so you'll meet Gandhi by the river, Napoleon on the battlefield and Bismarck in his office. The backgrounds are animated, and in some cases even interactive, so you'll see Askia standing in front of a burning town he's just conquered, or watch as Washington casually spins a globe"

TechHaze.com : Civilization V to be released this fall

Wed, 17 Mar 2010 09:33:08 +0000

Great article. Here's a good interview of Dennis Shirk, game producer. He explains hexes, how every tile will be important in Civ5, city states, etc: http://hazed.tk/1 Heres another interview of the same guy: http://hazed.tk/2

TechHaze.com : Top 5 TV shows for tech lovers

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 21:11:49 +0000

Example?

TechHaze.com : Google and Social Networking: Beyond the Buzz

Mon, 15 Feb 2010 09:21:50 +0000

Hey Andrea, "I think it's ridiculous that I have zero control over who gets to follow me - there's no way I can accept or reject stalkers, and knowing they're "following" me is cold comfort." Click on the stalker's name. A little profile shows up. Click on "block" and it should do the trick. Google didn't really watch out for privacy breached before rolling out Buzz to the public, and I think that was a huge mistake, because there are millions of people out there who are waiting to bazooka their face on privacy issues. I think the privacy problems will be dealt with sooner or later (I agree that's a little lame). So I agree they f*ck*d up on the privacy. However on the practical side, integration into gmail does change everything for me. I used to never chat before it was integrated into gmail, simply because I hated to have another window (/tab) running. Ok, maybe that's because I'm not the facebook-addict type, but I'm often too lazy to check on facebook to learn that someone ate brocolli and that some other guy is posting to everyone something mysterious only one person can understand (that person knows who he is) On the other hand, I don't see Buzz as a competitor to facebook, because it's not exactly a social network: you don't have the same profile-linked -to-photos system and a special page with boxes you show off with. After having toyed around a little with Buzz, I agree with Mariano that it's more useful in sharing (as he says, "It's made for rich content, and pushes you to share more relevant stuff.") Lastly, it seems like most people around haven't really tested Buzz extensively. I'm not saying about you guys (Flo, Andrea, Mariano), but many others. I mean, the folks at Google have been using for a while and they have been making it better. Ok, I know they are not always right, but I think by using it extensively, it might become useful and powerful. I say it's worth a shot. Cheers!

TechHaze.com : NASA's bold new plan

Tue, 2 Feb 2010 10:00:34 +0000

Here's a quote from shuttle launch director Mike Leinbach: "A lot of us have a lot of years in this program, so it's going to be sad to see it end. I think we have a good future. It's not going to be the same, but it'll be good."