kevinnowak.com

New Machine.

Remember back a few weeks and I told you about how I was having all sorts of problems with my computer here at the house?  Well it finally seems like everything is 100% back to normal and running faster than ever.  You see, the old one eventually died and needed to be replaced.  There was just no resuscitating it whatsoever.  Kel was on the horn with her Mom, Deb, and she was mentioning what a problem we were having with it.  Her business deals with computers and systems daily so she had actually built us the old one.  Well Deb figured out that the old one was about 3 years old at this point so why not send us up a brand spanking new one?  Hmmm...I wasn't really one to argue that! 

Deb asked me what I needed to I jumped on to Dell and configured a pretty decent system and sent it off for her to work the magic.  A few days later I got an email back from her saying that they had upgraded this, added that and oh, they even tossed in a new 500gb external hard drive for all my photos.  I nearly fell of my chair.  The thing purrs like a kitten and is faster than any computer I've ever used. 

Here's an updated photo of my space at home.  Everything I need right at my fingertips!  Thanks again Deb.

 

Cars are Fun! No really, the are!

Two posts in one day...a rare thing, I know, but unfortunately, for you anyway, this brother needs to do some venting.  For some reason it seems like a number of things in the Nowak household have been falling apart as of late.  First there was the computer, which I think I've already told you about, and now we have car trouble.  (and by the way...the computer issue was resolved amazingly, and I plan to do a separate post about that entirely).  As for the car, well, it finally kicked the bucket last night in the middle of busy Davis Square as I was trying to pick up an order of Chinese food on the way home from work.  Totally dead.  No lights, no door chime, not even any hazards to flash on and off so that people would see me sitting there on the side of a busy intersection.  I then had to wait about 90 minutes for AAA to come and give me a jump, which by some stroke of luck actually got me home just in time to watch the Sox lose another pathetic game to the Indians. 

This morning I went out early to see if it would start up and it actually did.  I drove it up and down the street a few times but I could tell it just wasn't right...every time I slowed or hit the brakes you could feel it wanting to die again.  Not wanting to risk getting stuck out in the middle of Rt2 on may way to the office I figured I would just hitch a ride with the AAA boys.  This time they came in about 30 minutes and had the truck up on the flat-bed in no time.  I just dropped it off at the mechanic next to my office and put my trust and faith in him now.  My hope is that this won't hit me too hard in the tailpipe because I really want to get ride of this car in a few months anyway.  No need to sink a ton of money into it.  If the guy comes back and tells me its going to be over like $1000 clams then I'm not really sure what plan B is!  Seeing how we only have one car as it is the options aren't too great.    

My ride out to Concord in the tow truck was rather exhilarating to say the least.  Picture a guy in one of those big ass flat bed trucks with my car on top barreling through rush hour traffic on the highway all while checking the latest messages on both is phone and the computer thingy in the truck.  Is there really any better way to start the morning?  I was honestly fearing for my life.  I even thought about wrapping the middle seat belt around me for a little extra protection. 

So, for the next few days I'll be living and dying by the schedule of the train.  Luckily it stops only a few blocks from my office so that does make it convenient, but the schedule isn't that cooperative.  I'll have to make it work though since I have no other real options.  Brother needs to get to work somehow, right? 

I often wonder why I made friends with guys like Clev and Murph growing up when I should have befriended the guys who are now grease-monkies.  What good are an accountant and a guy who works in construction insurance to me now, really?  Lou Silvestrie, now that's a guy I should have buddied up with!  Sometimes you wish you could do it all over again...

Oh, by the way, I never did get that Chinese food last night...

UPDATE 10/19:  Turns out that the car problem wasn't as bad as Billy, my mechanic, thought they were.  The issue turned out to be the battery, everything else checked out just fine.  New battery, some labor and I walked out of there for just over 200 smackeroos.  Not to bad if you ask me, considering I thought it was going to be much, much more.  What a relief.     

Amazing New Software.

While trolling the internets last night I came across an amazing new software being developed by the folks at Microsoft that takes ordinary photos that you and I take and turns them into 3D models of some of the most famous landmarks our world has to offer.  This stuff blew me away in how accurate it was and how it took thousands of different photos and used them to achieve the result.  Each shot is spatial arrange to look like its actually in the real world thus creating a virtual space.  It feels just like you're standing there in that place except that you're viewing it through people snap-shots. 

Take a look at this video by clicking here.  It shows a brief demo of what this stuff is capable of doing.  It's a little on the long side, but trust me, it's worth it.  If you're even more daring and want to play around with this stuff yourself do a quick search for "photosynth" and you'll be able download a trail version. 

Once this software becomes more mainstream I really think it will change the way we view photos and in turn view the world. 

The Fax Machine

Why is this invention still in use today?  Seriously, why?  Who are these people that are so behind in the times that they still need a fax machine?  Do they still use typewriters too? When there is technology around that is 10 times better in terms of clarity and reliability it makes no sense to me at all.  Email, pdf attachments...everyone is using them, but since some clowns still haven't gotten out of the 90's every office in America still needs a fax machine.  The only faxes we get are junk, "$25 Caribbean vacations" or "$400,000 home loans for only $100 a month", and you know what, you still can't read them because the quality is horrible.

If we want to see a fax machine we should have to go to the Smithsonian Museum, not today's modern office.  It also aggravates me big time when I am forced to send a fax but the person receiving it is too cheap to have a dedicated fax line and it doubles at the phone line too.  Talk about cheap. 

I think there should be a movement to get rid of the fax machine for good.  Who's with me?

Mrs. Nowak is up and running.

Kelly asked me to put a quick post up here letting you all know that her email at work has now changed to knowak@statestreet.com.  Her old one will work for a while longer, but after that you need to send everything to the new address.  Go ahead and send her one today to test it out and congratulate her on making the big switch!  So we are now both KNowak....me @sgarzi.net and her @statestreet.com. I guess we can never work at the same company!

A dying art form...

When's the last time you got a handwritten letter in the mail? (birthday cards don't count)  Probably been a few years right!  The art form has suffered a very quick death with the advent of email and other technologies.  Here's another one...gotten a phone call on your home line lately?  I assume that those of you who know what a blog is and are reading my blog are pretty tech savoy...thus have a cell phone, and perhaps have even already gotten rid of your home phone.  Kelly and I keep a home line...but only for Tivo and for our DSL connection. Other than that, it rarely rings!  I called  Murph Diggity-Dog on his home phone over at 158 Kelton Street the other night and he was like "What the hell are you calling this number for?  Nobody calls this number!"  My point exactly...with everyone having a cell phone the home phone is becoming extinct very fast.  But doesn't it feel great when someone actually does call the home phone?  So Murph, and the rest of you out there...when some one calls you on the home phone line, think of it as getting a hand written note in the mail...It's as old fashioned as your gonna get these days! So reach out and touch someone...but just do it at home!

I'm Addicted.

Many people out there are addicted to many things and of course the first step to recovery is coming to terms with your addiction.     Kelly is convinced that I am indeed an addict.  What am I addicted to you might ask?  Well, I suppose now is as good of a time as any to admit this to all of you.  I am officially addicted to cameras! There it is, out there in the open!  Wow, it does feel good to get that off my chest.

I suppose my obsession/addiction/fascination with photographs and cameras occurred early in life, as my dad works for Polaroid and always had plenty of cameras and film lying around the house.  I had may different cameras growing up, none of them very advanced, but they got the job done.

Once I graduated from high school my folks got me my first "real" camera, the coveted Nikon N60 SLR.  This camera was great, and has served me well over the years on many trips nears and far.  Over time I acquired several different lenses and still use them all today.  Last year, after some reluctance, I decided that it was finally time to join the digital age and get a digital camera.  I got the Sony DSC-V1 for Christmas and then also purchased a wide angle lens.  This is a great 5.0 mega pixel digital camera and takes fantastic shots.  I took this camera and the N60 on our trip to France this past summer and came away with some images that were amazing.  I used the N60 for much of the Le Tour, as you really need an SLR to catch the speed and action of the race, and the DSC-V1 for our sightseeing in and around Paris.  Now while the DSC-V1 is a great camera, it was very expensive, and tends to be a bit cumbersome to carry around when you're not out sightseeing.  About 1.5 years ago the good folks at Sony came out with the extremely small 2.0 mega pixel DSC-U30.  This camera is about 2.5 inches wide and 1 inch deep.  Look how small it is in the guys hand above.  People called it the "James Bond camera" and it was of course priced very high.  But as you would suspect, after some time went by the price came down.  So, for my birthday, which is this coming Monday, Kelly logged onto Ebay and got me the DSC-U30 for just over 100 bucks!  It came in the mail yesterday and is amazing!  Its so so so small, yet can take a really great 2.0 image!  What a great birthday present right?  Thanks Kel ! ! !

Now for the Nikon D70, my dream camera.  That's right, the D stands for digital.  This camera is essentially the same as my N60, except its digital not film.  The best part is that I could use all my lenses that I currently have on this camera as well.  Now did you see that I said "i could use", meaning that I do not yet have this $1200 camera in my possession as of yet.  The price tends to keep it out of my reach, but I'm hoping that Ms. Kelly can find a way to hook me up with it for a wedding present???  I mean wouldn't it be great to have that camera around for the honeymoon trip?

So there it is, my addiction to cameras!