Technobabble
Digital Video or MiniDV?
I shoot a lot of video — all to tape. I’ve been hesitant to switch to a purely digital workflow, as MiniDV tape instantly provides archives. Call me a throwback, but I shoot primarily in standard definition (SD). While it’s long past time to make the jump to high definition (HD) and go straight to [...]
Where is the iPod Charger?
There’s an unwritten rule here at Rancho Indebto: If something is missing and you buy a replacement, you will soon find the missing item. However, you will only find the missing item after you’ve opened and discarded the packaging. Yesterday was the perfect case in point. My iPhone charger had been AWOL for days on [...]
2011 Buick Regal: What Would Grampa Say?
Of all the automobile brands still on the market today, Buick is perhaps most regarded as the brand for old folks. General Motors (GM) consolidated this market when they shuttered the Oldsmobile brand back in 2004. Facing realities of late, GM has been busily refocusing Buick on a younger demographic, with a range of new [...]
Does Roadside Advertising Work for Dotcoms?
I was stopped at a rural intersection this morning, with farm fields to the left, right, and ahead of me. As I waited for a few cars to pass, I noticed a roadside sign, directly ahead; it wasn’t advertising a political candidate. It was for a coupon site that I’d never heard of… until now. [...]
Have You Cleaned Your Keyboard Lately?
Take a moment to look at your keyboard. What’s the first word that comes to mind? While I can be a fanatic about cleaning keyboards, the task often slips to the bottom of the priority list … for months on end … until that day when I look down and think “ewwwww!” Some folks are [...]
Do Political Ads on Television or YouTube Have Influence?
We’re in the midst of the silly season. Political ads fill the airwaves, our snail mail boxes, and YouTube. If you don’t listen to local radio or watch local television, you’ll miss out on much of the fun. It’s attack ad after attack ad, with each side firing an endless stream of salvos. Watch enough [...]
Will the Ford Fiesta Change Your Mind About Small Cars?
Pundit after pundit has stated that Americans don’t like small cars. To that, I say hogwash. Take a look at the roadways around your town and you might come to a different conclusion. There are plenty of small cars on our streets and their numbers will quickly rise as the tightened federal fuel economy rules [...]
Would You Buy a New SUV?
It might be argued that America has all the big SUVs it needs and that we needn’t build any more. But the times – and the SUVs – they are a changin’. Sport Utility Vehicles are rapidly giving way to Crossovers. V8 engines are on their way out, with V6 and four cylinder engines filling [...]
Cadillac CTS Sportwagon: Return of the Great American Wagon?
There was a time when station wagons ruled the road in America. But over the years, the popularity of station wagons waned. The introduction of the minivan marked the opening blow of a one-two combination that was put home by the unprecedented rise of the sport utility vehicle (SUV). It’s been said, over-and-over, that Americans [...]
Honda Accord Crosstour: the Shape of Things to Come?
Automobile marketing experts would like to convince us that Americans don’t like station wagons. The rise in popularity of the minivan, then the sport utility vehicle (SUV), and finally the vrossover would point to this preference… or so they say. On the other side of the pond, the opposite is true. Europeans love station wagons [...]
