Looking for a blog? It’s unlikely there will be one here for a while.

The project keeping me the busiest is my site, TheAppPlanet. Apps are transforming our computing experience on mobile devices and tablets. Mobile apps are creating a lucrative industry, and this topic deserves in-depth, serious coverage that many sites just aren’t doing.

I soon hope to tweak my home page to function as a portfolio for showcasing my writing platform. For daily content about apps for iOS and Android check out TheAppPlanet or find it on Twitter or Facebook.

There are already some excellent apps, like The New York Times, Springpad and TweetDeck. The bigger story is that we are entering an era dominated by apps. It isn’t just our mobile devices: web browsers, computers (think the forthcoming Mac App Store) and televisions have an app storefront.

Monitoring essential and pitiful apps is the next great challenge for those (like me) who monitor consumer technology. How will this impact the once Wild West of the Internet? If people use apps more and scour the Internet less, how do do-it-yourself web site builders get discovered?

It is an exciting future, but not without questions.

I tested out the video capabilities of my iPhone 4 while enjoying Seattle’s annual fireworks show over Lake Union. Here is the result.

The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America,

When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.–That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, –That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.–Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.

He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.
He has forbidden his Governors to pass Laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his Assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them.
He has refused to pass other Laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of Representation in the Legislature, a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only.
He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their public Records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures.
He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people.
He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected; whereby the Legislative powers, incapable of Annihilation, have returned to the People at large for their exercise; the State remaining in the mean time exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within.
He has endeavoured to prevent the population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither, and raising the conditions of new Appropriations of Lands.
He has obstructed the Administration of Justice, by refusing his Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary powers.
He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone, for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries.
He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harrass our people, and eat out their substance.
He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures.
He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil power.
He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his Assent to their Acts of pretended Legislation:
For Quartering large bodies of armed troops among us:
For protecting them, by a mock Trial, from punishment for any Murders which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States:
For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world:
For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent:
For depriving us in many cases, of the benefits of Trial by Jury:
For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offences
For abolishing the free System of English Laws in a neighbouring Province, establishing therein an Arbitrary government, and enlarging its Boundaries so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule into these Colonies:
For taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws, and altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments:
For suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever.
He has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his Protection and waging War against us.
He has plundered our seas, ravaged our Coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people.
He is at this time transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to compleat the works of death, desolation and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty & perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized nation.
He has constrained our fellow Citizens taken Captive on the high Seas to bear Arms against their Country, to become the executioners of their friends and Brethren, or to fall themselves by their Hands.
He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavoured to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages, whose known rule of warfare, is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions.

In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A Prince whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.

Nor have We been wanting in attentions to our Brittish brethren. We have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here. We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred to disavow these usurpations, which, would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence. They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our Separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, Enemies in War, in Peace Friends.

We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States; that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.

But then reality hit. We learn that Gizmodo paid $5,000 for the phone from someone who found it at a Silicon Valley bar. Its unfortunate owner apparently left it behind. Instead of giving it to the police or making a more concerted effort to give it back to Apple, it was sold to the highest bidder. This was after the Apple employee was identified through a Facebook app and the phone was remotely wiped by Apple. All clear evidence that the phone was property that should have been returned.

So this is what we have come to. If something comes into your hands that isn’t yours, resort to the playground ethics of “finder’s keepers.”

This is why when someone returns money that is not theirs or engages in some other act of unforeseen honesty people are shocked. Too many share the view that if the world is ruthless and cutthroat, then we should be too.

There is an old saying about how each of us needs to have a moral compass to serve as a guide when we face such situations. Unfortunately we have another case where it just didn’t work. Maybe there’s an app for that.

This is me padding my web site analytics from the Apple Store.

Being a thinking person means I am not an ideal Apple customer. I couldn’t accept at face value the iPad was as “magical” as advertised, so I went over to an Apple Store today to try it out. Just like many, I have very mixed feelings about it, and much to think about before deciding to buy one. There’s a gazillion reviews on the web already, so I will not be writing one. I’m offering a few impressions from a tech enthusiast who is pondering whether to purchase an iPad.

Pros

Apple’s hype over the iPad comes closest to its grand hyperbole with Safari’s web browsing capabilities. It really is a joy to peruse the web by tapping, pinching and swiping. And the display is just gorgeous – so much so that looking at a MacBook Pro screen afterwards was a disappointment. I could easily see myself lounging on the couch, patio, or bed with an iPad.

My biggest surprise was how pleasant the iBooks app was. I wasn’t necessarily in the market for an eReader, but I could see myself buying books, especially to have with me while travelling. The app is just gorgeous, and the page-turning animation is quite cool, even though it is just for show.

Some of the preloaded apps were amazing, and really show the potential that developers will have with the iPad. Plenty of specifics and app reviews are out there, so I will just say that I expect that there will be plenty of amazing apps to come, given that there are already over 1,000 on day one. (This also may mean I’ll be plenty busy at AppCraver.)

Probably the iPad’s biggest compliment was that I just didn’t want to put it down. It really is a fun device to use.

Cons

I think the iPad’s criticisms hinge on the word “fun.” Once you get past the fun, there are gaping holes and crippling weaknesses that kept me from walking out of the Apple Store with one (and yes, they still had some in stock).

I have been surprised at how much the lack of Flash support and multitasking are downplayed in other reviews. Yes, HTML5 will probably eclipse Flash eventually, but it will be a while. I don’t really miss Flash on my iPhone, because it’s a phone. But on what is supposed to be a different kind of computer, there are plenty of places on the web where videos have gone missing. For example, on a Nexus One you could watch the NCAA Tournament from the browser, yet would need to pay $10 for the iPhone/iPad add for the same privilege. This artificial pay wall created by Apple is quite irritating.

Another fallacy I believe has gained traction is the idea the iPad can be used as a productivity tool. This is laughable given how you are restricted to the iPhone-esque one app at a time. Sure, iWorks for iPad is well-designed, but in its current form doc syncing and exporting is a mess. Granted this is coming from my perspective as a writer, but I can’t see writing anything without having a Word or Google Doc open while flipping open a couple tabs to fact-check or do research. There is also the small matter of typing. Whoever says they can type just fine on this is lying – typing in portrait mode is horrible, and it is barely functional in landscape. The only people who can type on the iPad must be hunt-and-peckers who don’t notice a difference. When you touch-type 60 words per minute on a keyboard, trying to type on the iPad is a very frustrating experience.

I knew there would not be tabbed browsing, but its omission still made surfing the Internet feel a bit constrained. Another downer – Google Docs doesn’t work (it functions the same as it does on the iPhone (only spreadsheets can be edited).  Sure, there’s an app for that, but there shouldn’t have to be.

The Verdict

The iPad isn’t a solution to any problem. Much of what it does is great and downright fun. After spending so much time with one that I was getting dirty looks from the Apple Store employees, I realized I want one, but the same way I wanted Castle Grayskull to complete my He-Man collection as a child. It was a killer toy, but it didn’t help me get my homework done.

But for some that won’t matter. It is a great and fun way to surf the Web, watch videos (as long as they aren’t in Flash), play games, and check up on social networks. But just like the first-generation iPhone (and even the current version), there is a lot that is amazing, but much missing. But will that keep me from buying one? Not necessarily.

In no part of the speech did Tiger give any kind of declaration of love for his wife. Given that all indications are that she is slipping away, it is a bit curious. He talked plenty about marriage, selfish behavior, irresponsible actions, and tons of apologies.

Sure, Tiger is super private, doesn’t want to discuss his marriage and probably is not comfortable with getting all touchy feely in public. That is perfectly understandable. But given that he has more mistresses than major championships one would think he could give just a tiny shout out to how much he loves his wife and hopes to stay with her.

Unless he doesn’t. In that case, it indicates at least one potential factor to all the bad behavior.

Most of this is really not our business and has received entirely too much press coverage. But Tiger’s handlers are not serving him well if they want to keep him scripted and in control of all access. If Tiger wants the public to trust him again, he needs to do a lot better job of convincing the public what he means.

Sarah Palin speaks at a 2008 rally (Photo by Derek Walter)

When Sarah Palin took to the stage at last year’s Republican National Convention, she gave the best speech of the week and single-handedly resurrected John McCain’s fledgling campaign. At the time, I wrote a glowing review while blogging the convention for The Fresno Bee (I’m even ashamed to admit I used the phrase “Sarah Barracuda”).

During that week Palin seemed like the perfect vice presidential candidate to complement McCain. The buzz was that she was a popular, conservative governor who had worked with Democrats and fought corruption. The message was complete. It was the Reform Ticket.

Fast forward to last weekend. Palin’s speech to the tea party gang was simplistic, cliche-ridden, and just downright bad. Not to mention she ought to think twice about criticizing President Obama’s use of  a teleprompter given that she opts for a Sharpie. She had no issue sharing the stage with other buffoons like Tom Tancredo.

I have to believe that any ounce of Palin’s well-spoken deliveries or talking points were the result of the McCain campaign team. No wonder they muzzled her. If the Sarah we have now was acting like this back then, McCain would have lost by another 50 electoral votes.

She has evolved into a non-stop self-promotional machine. Which is fine for a celebrity. But another thing for a prospective stateswoman. If she wanted to convince us she was ready to be president, she would have put her head down and gone to work in Alaska as governor. How about some legislative accomplishments? Maybe even a state of the state speech or two?

No, instead we have a Fox News studio in her house in Wasilla and $100,000-a-pop speeches. Trips to Oprah’s couch and an unending feud with her grandchild’s father. The reality show has finally come to American politics.

Palin and the Tea Party group are going to hang around, but their influence won’t be that fruitful. Just as it did in 2008, the battle for the middle will dominate elections in 2010 and 2012. It was independents that helped put Scott Brown in the Senate in Massachusetts. These voters aren’t that interested in someone who speaks in 1980s conservative rhetoric, misspeaks, and has the same tired attack on Obama. She’s going to have to develop some actual ideas and policy points, or people may get bored and tune out.

I already have.

So should we fear the same from Google? For example, depending on how extensively you use Google services, our overlords from Mountain View may have all of your e-mail, documents, photos, credit card information, voice mail transcripts, and a street view of your house stored on their servers. I am a pretty heavy user myself. I am typing this post from Google Chrome, with tabs open to my Google Docs, Wave account, and Gmail.

I suppose this should frighten me. It certainly does for some. And when you consider the totality of data the company may have on each of us, not to mention stored search information, it could unhinge anybody.

Personally I am not ready to hit the panic button. Part of this is many of the Google critics sound like the same people who think aliens are being probed (or are probing us) in the Nevada desert or who thought Y2K was our undoing (now they’ve moved on to 2012). I think the real issue is what Google ultimately does with all of this data. In fact one potential boost to our privacy is the fact that no one in Mountain View would have the time to sit down and read through billions of Gmail messages or search results.

But in some sense privacy concerns are warranted, which means we ought to hold Google accountable. It ultimately is our information, and we (currently) have the ability to take it elsewhere.  However, the new “connected” era we live in demands a redefinition of privacy. Like it or not, we just can’t look at information the same. This does not mean we toss privacy aside, but that we understand what limits mean in today’s world. More conversations need to happen about what the limits ought to be. Street View is fine. But is Living Room View next?

Each generation must grapple with how it wants to handle technological change. Just as Gutenberg changed writing forever, so has Google’s ability to make our world searchable. Instead of overreacting with fear, we ought to consider how we contain and use our newfound search powers. Maybe we can start by Googling it.

It didn’t help when one of the Department of Education’s recommended activities was for students to write a letter detailing how they could help Obama. Yet even this overreach was not worthy of the paranoia exhibited by the Glenn Becks, Rush Limbaughs, and other inhabitants of the Land of the Stupid.

Some have argued that they feel the President should not be playing the role of wise sage or moral teacher. There may be a dash of over sized ego in our ubiquitous President, but I am inclined to give him a pass as the contents of the speech are nothing to be alarmed about. We also should keep in mind that much of the public’s desire to elevate the President goes back to the founding of the Republic. It was George Washington who was known as, “His Excellency” and, “the man who unites all hearts.” FDR’s Fireside Chats soothed a nation at war, and there is no shortage of conservatives who have an altar to Reagan above their mantle. Rightly or wrongly, the President carries considerable force and influence in our country.

Partisan debate is often good for a democracy, but hyper-partisan toxicity never is. During the later part of George W. Bush’s term the environment wasn’t that different than what Obama is experiencing: there was nothing Bush could say to avoid being roasted daily by critics.

Abraham Lincoln spoke of how a house divided against itself could not stand – arguing the nation would either condone slavery everywhere or nowhere. I fear the same kind of splintered nation over partisanship. We will either remember the better parts of our Republic, the miracle of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, or continue to slide into jaundiced factions who have little to say to each other; but much to scream.