The Allure of Living Simply: Rethinking the Home

My household has become rather cramped of late with family living in a small(ish) home, and so my wife and I started floating ideas around on how to better manage our home.  Our own family was growing, and we felt cramped in the house. 

The first thought we had was to expand, and to expand radically.  I immediately pulled out my lab notebook and started drawing the house (more or less to scale), and adding on a radical extension that would almost double the square footage of our home.  I then took the plans to a good friend of ours that was also a general contractor, and got the crushing news:  not only would we have trouble getting a permit to build the monstrosity, but we would be looking at a cost that would be equal to what we still owed on our mortgage.  Defeated, he told me to think through it again, and get other opinions. 

So I started thinking what my requirements were, and what I wanted out of my home.  First and foremost I want more garden space, at least for a couple of peach trees and a cherry tree.  Currently I don't have that, and I love both peaches and cherries.  I would also like to grow a number of other food products in the yard while still having a safe place for my boys to play.  I also need more space for my parents to live, as their health is starting to suffer. 

For those of you who are not familiar with the layout of my home, I have a 1,000 square foot home, with another 900 square feet in 90% finished basement.  I then have a 320 square foot covered back porch, which is attached to a 729 square foot garage (which was most likely built without a permit).  The garage collects clutter like mad because it's easier to throw junk into the garage than throw it out, and once it's out of sight, it's out of mind, right? 

As it stands now, the garage is not up to city code, and as such the city will not let me make any more improvements to the property.  So what does this mean?  It means I need to tear down my garage full of clutter before I can even enclose the porch, or any other structure for more living space.  This doesn't really bother me, though it will force me to get rid of some clutter, and make those decisions. 

My wife and I also started talking about the house itself.  Both of us realized that we will never move, and so we want to make the house as livable as possible.  With a few alterations, we could be remodel the home as is, and make it more simple.  Install radiant heating for the floors, and hardwood or tile instead of carpeting.  Both are easier to clean (particularly when trying to potty-train an autistic child), and you can make it really cozy with area rugs.  Add solar power to that, and no more need for a gas bill.  If it gets too cold, we have a fireplace and a wood stove that heats the house quite efficiently. 

Also, if we remove clutter from the rooms, the rooms will seem more open.  There are a lot of figurines, odds and ends, and bits of furniture that are just not needed in the home.  This will be a wrench for me, because I like to collect junk - you never know when you may need it later.  But it's time I started to think about whether or not I will actually need it.  Currently I don't, and I don't see a foreseeable future when I would.  So, I need to just suck it up and throw out all the useless junk that I don't need.

Anyway, both my wife and I came to the conclusion that we could save a lot of money and time by just making a few changes in how we see the space we need vs. the space we would like.  We don't need a massive home, with 20 feet by 20 feet bedrooms, we just need to utilize our current space better.

And for my parents, I could build a simple little guest cottage for them in place of the garage, and a small workshop garage right next to it, and still have more garden space.  it all comes down to living simply, and managing the space more efficiently.

iPod Touch 2G with 3.0 Update: First Thoughts

It took me a while, but I finally updated my iPod Touch to the new 3.0 update.  I liked the idea of copy and paste, and the Spotlight search was nice, but I did it entirely because I wanted to enable Bluetooth on my Touch, so I could use it for wireless music and for VoIP. 

The update was clean, and took a good half hour.  The download was about 15 minutes, and the actual update process was another 15.  Then for the next 15 minutes, my iPod backed itself up.  Yes, I paid for the update, and I'm glad I did.  Piracy is not something I condone at any level.  Be honest in your dealings.  If you don't want to pay $10 for a software upgrade, try installing Linux on your iPod (yes, there is currently a project for it). 

Once it was finished, the first thing I tried to do was pair my Plantronics Voyager 510 headset I purchased several years ago with my iPod.  Bluetooth was easy to find on the iPod Touch in Settings, under General.  I enabled it, set my iPod in discovery mode, and then set up my headset in discovery mode.  And...nothing.  My iPod wouldn't even see it. 

Puzzled, and concerned that perhaps the chip was dead on my iPod that I bought a long time ago, I thought I would check out the boards and see if anyone else was experiencing the same issue.  Report after report came of people either not able to pair their non-stereo headset, or the mic not working on a paired stereo headset. 

So this told me two things:  The headset needs to be an SD2P stereo headset (good thing I didn't buy a headset for my wife quite yet), and the mic wasn't working for those out there that already had it set up.  My heart sank, because this was the main reason why I wanted Bluetooth for my iPod Touch.  I want a WiFi phone that is easy to carry around, doesn't ring when I don't want it to, and let's me access my voicemail on my own time. 

But the reports of the bluetooth mic were made primarily in conjunction with Skype, and when I opened Skype on my iPod, I got an incompatible OS Version error.  The app seemed to work just fine, but I wondered if the mic functionality was only being tested on an app that may not support it, instead of a limitation in the OS.

More searching brought up some discussions of the mic not working at all, even for Voice Memos, so my guess is the bluetooth mic support is not built into the OS update.  Perhaps it will be added in another minor update (one would hope), because the convenience would make owning the iPod Touch that much more of a benefit.

With regard to the other features, it is nice to have copy and paste now, though it took me a few seconds to figure out how to use it.  The Calendar update is something I have wanted for a long time (CalDAV supported at last!), but since I'm using Exchange at work, I can't have other calendars set up.  Spotlight is really nice, because it finds anything on the iPod.  I had wondered how someone with many pages of apps would find the app they wanted.  Spotlight takes care of that. 

I had wondered when the shake to shuffle functionality would come to the iPhone and iPod Touch when it was added to the iPod Nano, though I don't think it would be ideal for joggers.  In fact I have already heard of joggers and mountain bikers recommending the feature be turned off before starting.  The Parental Controls are a welcome feature.  That alone makes the $10.00 upgrade worth it!

I like the idea of syncing the Notes, though I still need to find the location to which they are copied.  I like the idea because it allows for spontaneous fits of writing to my iPod, and then I can copy the results to an app at another time. 

Lastly, Safari.  I had high hopes for this update, hoping that it would include full Java applet support, and not just Javascript.  Why?  Because I hold office hours in Wimba, which requires Java to run properly for many of it's functions.  I didn't necessarily want everything to work, but at least chat should I be on the road and need to attend office hours on the go. 

So, while I was disappointed with the Bluetooth headset failure, I still think the update is worth the $10.63 (with tax) for the other features.  If anyone has any more information on bluetooth headsets and using VoIP, I would be very interested in hearing about it! 

Iran, Revolution, and the U. S. President

Today there have been a lot of articles in the news about the reaction, or lack thereof, from President Obama's Administration regarding the protests and prelude to revolution in Iran.  Instead of whole-hearted praise and warm greetings to those protesting what appeared to be a rigged election, it has been a measured, cautious approach.  Some call this outrageous, others call it being too weak.  I, on the other hand, see it as exactly what the US should be doing, and here is why:

In 1989, when protesters in Berlin began to bring down the Berlin Wall, the world was elated.  Everyone wanted a piece of the wall (and I think you can still find some pieces on eBay, though I'm not sure if they are authentic), and everyone was talking about the success of the US policy against Russia.  The media was praising this, and looking to the President, then President George Bush (Sr.) for words of support and praise.  Instead, President Bush was reserved, much like President Obama is currently.  He was criticized for his apparent lack of concern or support for what almost every President since John F. Kennedy had called for:  the fall of the Berlin Wall.

But President Bush had a reason to be reserved:  Having worked for the CIA, he knew of a common technique used by the KGB where rumors of CIA and US support would come to those who revolt against Soviet rule.  The protests would then be made with the hope and understanding that the CIA would back the revolt, and the KGB would then sweep in and quickly wipe out all dissidents.  President Bush didn't want the same technique used in Germany, and so merely said he was watching things closely and didn't say anything regarding the fall of the Wall. 

As a result, the fall of East Germany under the rule of the Soviets was completely a German matter, and was not controlled or instigated by the US.  As such, the reunification has since been a German decision, and no one can claim that Germany is by any means under the control of the US Government.  Also, other countries were able to break free from the Soviet State, and become independent without US intervention, and therefore their governments became truly theirs, representative of the people. 

So now let's look at Iran.  There is a lot going on there that is promising to those looking for freedom and a true democracy in that country, free from the influences of the US or any other nation.  These demonstrations are truly Iranian in nature, and President Obama is determined to keep it that way.  It's worthy of President Bush, and I imagine he probably had counseled with the former President on this very issue.  There are no other sitting Presidents who have had this type of experience, and no other President that could have boasted such a successful outcome. 

So, to the people of the Media, before you criticize the President for taking such a cautious and reserved stance, keep in mind what is at stake here.  The minute the US is seen supporting any type of demonstration, the current regime can dismiss it as foreign intervention, and kill people without conscience.  But if it remains purely an Iranian event, the Iranians can decide for themselves if a regime change is necessary to bring true democracy to the country, or even if they really want a true democracy. 

Cream Crowdie: A Scottish Parfait

At the Scottish Festival on Saturday, I had a chance to try a tasty Scottish dessert that turned out to be very easy to make.  It's called a Cream Crowdie, and is a parfait, that is a layered dessert with alternating fruit and cream layers.  The cream was whipped to hard peaks, and sweetened with honey instead of sugar.  Also in the cream was oatmeal, adding a layer of flavor and texture that took me by surprise.  The fruit layer was actually a raspberry topping that turned out to be too rich for me. 

It was so good that my wife and I decided to try to make it ourselves.  Instead of raspberry topping we made raspberry Jell-O, which made less of a sugar rush than the topping.  I made the Jell-O according to the typical recipe, and it set up as any Jell-O would. 

The cream I made this way:

1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 tbsp honey
1/4 cup oatmeal

I first combined the honey and the whipping cream together, and whipped it to hard peaks for stiffness.  I then folded in the oatmeal.  The cream was good, but the oatmeal hadn't absorbed much of the liquid as I had hoped.  Next time I make it I'll soak the oatmeal in the cream first for a few hours, and then whip up the cream with the oatmeal. 

Anyway, the proportions above would make four or five small Crowdies in a small container.  You can easily substitute the gelatin for real fruit if you like.  I would have this time around, but my raspberries haven't yet ripened.

Fear and Autism

The Examiner had a really good article outlining the prevalence of fear within the autistic mind.  Quoting Temple Grandin, perhaps the most well known scientist with autism, they mention that daily tasks fill the autistic mind with fear.

Imagine, if you will, you are in a closed room with a lot of people.  Then, suddenly, one of the guests tell you they let loose several hundred snakes in the room.  Instantly you would be constantly distracted and aware of any slither, movement, or irregularity in the room.  Because of this, you will be distracted, and possibly even considered rude by other people in the room. 

That, according to Temple Grandin, is exactly what autism is.  Autism is all about the detail, but as an autistic person experiences the world around them, the details of every day tasks become at once overwhelming.  Walking becomes a complicated process of moving the joints just right, keeping balance by moving other joints and shifting weight, and the reaction of nerves to let you know you have accomplished your step.  Putting an object away becomes a complicated process of grasping the object with just enough pressure to keep from damaging it, lifting it with just enough force to still keep a grasp on it, and then walking with that same complex process to the place to put it away.  Then once you start the process of putting it away, how should it be placed?  The details becoming quickly overwhelming, filling a person with autism with a fear of attempting something so complicated. 

This is why an autistic person does not become "cured", whether through intensive therapy or magically with drugs or chants.  The human mind can work around that fear, manage it and overcome it, and as such appear to be normal, but the threat of panic attacks and failing at the task is ever present. 

When I was growing up, particularly when I moved from elementary to junior high school, I started experiencing panic attacks regularly.  I didn't know what they were, or what they were caused by, until I graduated from high school.  It was then that I realized that the panic attacks came when I would over-think a task.  I would break it down into several pieces.  All of a sudden doing homework became so overwhelming I couldn't start.  Studying for a test was so complicated, because of the unknown variables, I couldn't focus.  It wasn't until I learned some relaxation techniques that took me away from the task for a minute that I learned I could deal with the fear, and accomplish the task.  If it were that bad for me as not being diagnosed on the spectrum, how bad can it be for someone on the spectrum?

So how to we help those with Autism overcome the fear?  Repetition, routine, and a supportive environment.  Once they know they can accomplish a task, they can feel comfortable with it.  Specialization is perfect for someone with Autism because of the focus in detail and process.  Help them identify the process, and each part of the process, within a comforting and safe environment.

June 12th and 13th: Utah Scottish Association Highland Games & Scottish Festival

Tonight and tomorrow mark the Annual Utah Scottish Association Highland Games & Scottish Festival being held at Thanksgiving Point in Lehi.  This is an annual event for my family, as we go to walk the vendors, hear the pipes, watch the events, get free stuff, and eat haggis (okay, so I'm the only one that eats the stuff, but it's still cool!).  If you are interested in connecting with your Scottish side, come to the festivities!  More details can be found at http://utahscots.org. 

You may even see me there, by the MacFarlane clan booth, or around about.  While there, eat some haggis, get a strawberry and clotted cream tart, and a good bottle of ginger beer.  If you have a kilt, wear it! 

See you there, and Loch Sloy, MacFarlanes!  Loch Sloy!

Autism and Resources: What We Have, and What We Need

The news is all a buzz with the needs of families with Autism, the treatments that work or don't work, the quacks and celebrities that offer their opinions based on anecdotal evidence and fudged research, and the tools that are available for autistic children.  All these articles do is outline the scope of the problem, blow it a little out of proportion, and even mislead us into thinking what solutions there are.  Ultimately, we come to the same conclusion:  we as families working with Autism don't have the resources to be effective. 

What do I mean?  I mean that though there are sources for autistic treatment that has proven to work time and time again, those sources are expensive and/or unavailable.  Don't get me wrong, the services that most public and private entities are generally top notch, and work well with our children when they have them.  But they can't work with our autistic children 24/7, and as such they just can't be as effective as they could become.

Also, most parents who have recently had their child diagnosed with autism immediately seem to want to find "the cure", the one thing that will make their child become "normal", and as such not need special attention.  They expect their child to learn from imitation as they did, instead of through direct instruction.  It's frustrating for anyone to try to teach people in a method that is different than there own, which is why working with autistic children in a learning environment can be very taxing. 

So what is the solution?  We have the resources in raw form, but the supply and demand process is not working, because the resources are too expensive for many families and Autism is becoming more prevalent.  We need something that will provide both more resources and help parents and care-givers understand what needs to be done. 

The answer:  provide educational resources for parents and care-givers of autistic children.  These resources can be in the form of specific exercises to take their children trough, computer programs that can engage the child while still teach them useful tools, and a support center that can answer questions and make sure the family is continuing on the right track. 

The best way I can see to distribute this out would be to provide online courses for parents to participate in, engaging parents, caregivers, and children in such a way that they understand what they are doing, and why.  This method should be attainable, assuming the learning methods are soundly rooted in combined auditory and visual methods. 

It's a lot to ask, but I think it can be done.  There are a lot of tools that are out there already, floating around and separate.  By focusing our efforts and combining these tools into a single course method, I think it's possible to provide parents with the help they need. 

Unfortunately, I don't think I'm qualified to provide the materials personally, as I don't have the necessary qualifications for autism counseling (yet), but it would be nice if our government took this under their wing and helped parents to help themselves.  It would be a heck of a lot cheaper than the alternative that continuously gets thrown around.  

iPhone/iPod Touch and Autism in the News

This morning while going through the morning routine, I came across several news articles talking about communication applications for the iPhone and iPod Touch.  Proloquo2go was the app being featured, but each article spoke vaguely regarding the quiet applications that provide a benefit to those with disabilities. 

I started to think about how the truth in that statement.  Sure, we have all heard of the applications that help students lives on a college campus, help people get around town, or the games that can be played.  And I'm sure the application sales will reflect that the real market for apps on the iPhone and iPod Touch are these areas, but there is such a wealth of other applications that fill real needs in peoples lives, rather than just wants. 

For instance, there are a ton of learning and education applications.  Each application does one thing, and does it well.  You can learn another language, have reference books at a click of a button, or have access to a graphing calculator without needing to buy another device for roughly the same price (at least mine was back in the day).  Here I have found several applications for preschoolers, toddlers, and children in school that help them learn and develop in fun and engaging ways.  Some are even well adapted for several learning styles, and can be used by autistic children.  For me, at least, it alone makes the purchase of an iPod Touch worth the price. 

So, while the news is only catching up with what I've already posted in the past, it's refreshing to see the platform and those developers out there get recognition for the fine and important work that they do.  Sure, applications like iConverse or Proloquo2go will not have the downloads that Sound Grenade had, but I can guarantee that the applications will be used more often and longer than those little annoying apps that work once for a reaction and then are never used again. 

My thanks to all those out there who wish to use the iPhone and iPod Touch as a tool to help those with Autism show just how special and unique they are.  You are invaluable to our community, and the community of iPhone Developers.

iPhone and iPod Touch Apps for an Autistic Child

A while ago I was contacted by an educator that was looking for good applications on the iPhone for their autistic child.  They noticed that their autistic child will play with the games their other children play, but wondered at other applications that they could find for their child that would keep their interest. 

Well, I have mentioned both iConverse and Proloquo2go before, and both are fantastic communication assistance tools, but that is just for communication.  There are a number of other tools that can be just as useful for autistic children in learning how to read and write.  Here are a few that I have found very useful:

Memory Pro (free):  Memory games are fantastic because they focus on recall and memory retention.  All children should work at memory games, and autistic children are no acception.  The one drawback of this game is the attention required to play can be a bit much for an autistic child, or at least for my 4 year old. 

First Words Sampler (free):  My son loves this game!  You are given some words and a picture, and need to match the letters to the letters in the word.  You don't have to match them in the word order, because the word is spelled out and each letter is expanded while it is read, and then the word is read.  This is perfect for autistic children because of the combination of auditory and visual interaction reinforce learning.  My son sat literally still for an hour playing this game with the same 6 words over and over again.  This is a winner by far.

iWriteWords Lite (free):  iWriteWords app is a letter writing game.  Here children follow the numbers to write the letter, with visual and auditory interaction at the end of the process.  It's great for practicing writing letters, which my son does very well (surprising even his preschool teachers).  He does get a little frustrated with the need to follow the numbers to create the word, instead of writing in his own way and direction.  Still, he will play with this app through at least 4 words.  It's a great app as far as I'm concerned.

I Hear Ewe (free):  This app is great for picture and sound association, another skill important to learn for autistic children.  My son doesn't spend a lot of time in this app, though my nephew, who is not autistic, loves it.

TT Shapes (free for now):  This app was free when I downloaded it as a special offer, but will most likely become a $0.99 app soon.  Basically, the child clicks on the shape they are asked to select.  The shape to click on is both written out, and spoken, so they can learn the word and the sound of the word.  But writing is auditory, as is the spoken word, so it may take a lot of hand-holding to play this game.  My son will play it, but is more likely to select shapes in a pattern than any one specific shape requested.  Still, it's a pretty nice game if you want to play with your child. 

Hatch! (free):  My son hasn't played this game yet, because I just found it today, but it looks really cool!  Developed by a parent wishing to find some way to get their child to stay occupied at the grocery store, the app was born.  Ideal for any toddler, they just tap the screen to get it to hatch, and a random friend is "born".  It's a bit of fun that will keep them entertained, because the "friend" changes at each tap.  I played with it for a good 10 minutes, and didn't see a repeat "friend". 

So, those are the apps that I currently have chosen for my son.  On top of this, I would like to mention that iConverse now has an option to set custom pictures and phrases which use an internal text to speech engine included with the app.  Where I didn't think it was initially worth the $3.99 we paid for it (on special offer), I now think it's worth a lot more than the $9.99 at which it is currently listed.  I would recommend iConverse for parents that want to set up a custom phrase list to augment speech learning, and use Proloquo2go if you need a fully fleshed-out communications suite. 

Learning Captivate

Recently I have been looking at various trainer and instructional design positions to get a good view of what the Industry is looking for, and how we as a Continuing Education department could help meet those needs.  One program that kept coming up is Captivate.

Captivate, for those of you who are not familiar with the program, is a process and training development tool from Adobe.  It will make Flash videos from processes and provide a number of plugins, such as SCORM, so that these processes can be in turn graded and developed in that manner.  I haven't had any previous experience with Captivate in the past, and as such this new process is new to me.  Also, Captivate is not currently available for the Mac, which makes learning in a Virtual Machine all the more difficult. 

So why bother?  Well, for one, I can make a better looking test for my classes, and have the results plug directly into a WebCT or Moodle course.  I can also provide additional training that I don't have time to cover in class.  All in all, it's a great method for professional looking presentations that are self-paced.  Anyway, there is a chance that Captivate could be released for the Mac soon, and it will be interesting to see how it will be implemented. 

So how am I learning Captivate?  There is a Captivating video podcast that provides some great instruction on Captivate and using it in a classroom setting.  To date I know how to create a video demo and training process with Captivate, and I'm looking forward to the Editing episodes.

Kerberized SSH on Mac OS X v10.5 Server

This week I have been teaching the Advanced Systems Administration class for Mac OS X 10.5, and we talked about security and secure access.  As usual, I mentioned the security necessity for SSH authentication when accessing the server through the Command Line remotely, and how to set up public and private keys for authentication.   But there is an inherent flaw with the public and private key:  if someone manages to gain access to your computer and copy your private key, they have a non-authenticated method of accessing your system.  Also, if someone leaves the company and shouldn't have access to the server anymore, you need to remove their public key manually instead of just removing access through your Directory. So you have the following problem:  You need a login method that will allow you to SSH into the boxes you need access to without a password, but have some type of Directory-based key system that is secure, temporary, and key-based.  Enter Kerberos.   Kerberized SSH is not at all anything new, and I found a lot of Linux instructions on how to get it set up with Kerberos.  But I was hard-pressed to find a Mac OS X v10.5 Server instruction, and as such decided to write my own.  Hopefully this will be o some use for someone out there.  Now, this assumes that you have Kerberos running, and the Mac OS X Server is either an Open Directory Master, Open Directory Replica, or Connected to a Directory System and kerberized.  The server itself will need to provide authentication through Kerberos for this to work.  You also need to make some minor changes to your .ssh directory in your Home Folder, and have your client bound to the directory. What we are going to do is install the Kerberos module for PAM authentication on the Mac OS X Server, configure the sshd PAM authentication rules for Kerberos, and then on the client side enable GSSAPI authentication.  It's as simple as that.  ^_^

1. Download the pam_krb5 library from SourceForge.  This is the PAM authentication library necessary for Kerberos 5 to work in a PAM enabled service.  


2. Extract and Compile:  I extracted the file in my Downloads directory and then compiled it right there.  Be sure you have Xcode installed, because you will need gcc.  I compiled it on a local machine and then copied the library to my server.   Once you run ./configure and get it to pass, just run make.  The library will be placed in the .lib directory (which is hidden).  You can then copy the pam_krb5.so file to the necessary spot or to a jump drive to drop on your server.  


3. Place the pam_krb5.so module into the /usr/lib/pam/ directory on the server.  SSH gets its authentication information through PAM, so having the library here is crucial. 


4. Edit the /etc/pam.d/sshd configuration file to look like the following: #sshd: auth account password session auth    required    pam_nologin.so auth    optional    pam_afpmount.so auth    sufficient    pam_securityserver.so auth    sufficient    pam_krb5.so auth    sufficient    pam_unix.so auth    required    pam_deny.so account    required    pam_securityserer.so password    required    pam_deny.so session    required    pam_launchd.so session    sufficient    pam_krb5.so session    optional    pam_afpmount.so


5. On your Mac OS X computer, create (if you don't have one already) a config file in your ~/.ssh/ directory with the following command:  GSSAPIAuthentication yes

And that's it!  You can now log into any kerberized server using SSH, not need a password, or even build a public-private key structure.

Wheeler Farm Field Trip: My Son, My Wife, and I

My son's preschool had a field trip to Historic Wheeler Farm yesterday, and as I was pretty much done preparing for my class on Monday, I took some time off to go.  I haven't spent time at my son's school since I can rarely justify the time off, but this time I needed the experience. 

We met at his preschool at 8:40 AM, and my son got to spend a lot of time in the playground.  He immediately took off running, heading out of the playground and toward the parking lot.  Both my wife and I chased after him, and caught him.  He, of course, thought it was a game, and laughed like crazy.  Finally they opened the door and I got to see his beginning routine as they tried to keep the routine as close to normal as possible. 

We then headed out into the hall and toward the bus.  There were two, because the field trip was for both the Autistic class and the regular preschool class that meets at the same school.  We traveled with the regular class, and I sat with a couple of other kids while my son sat with my wife. 

Once there, my son again took off and ran into a paddock with only one gate, making it easy to keep track of him.  I think he just wanted the exercise out in the sun.  Anyway, I gathered him up quickly and we took the tour with his class. 

My son didn't seem that interested in the animals, so I carried him mostly on my shoulders so I knew he wasn't down by the river playing in the water (it was running really fast).  So I took the time to look at the other parents and how they acted.

It was odd, being with other parents of autistic children.  We were all very protective of our children, wanting to keep close tabs on them, and very anxious with their behavior.  That is only to be expected, though, as some children had melt-downs when they were asked to sit without anything happening to keep their attention, or getting on the bus at a time when they didn't expect to be on the bus (thinking they were going home early).  It comes with the job of being an parent of an autistic child. 

One thing was interesting was a mother of a child that was a year older than our son.  She has an older daughter that is not autistic, and decided to stop at having just two children.  She also defended the decision immediately, trying to explain why she made it to us.  She didn't, need to, because we had come to the same conclusion after we found out our son was Autistic.  The attention required to help your autistic child develop and learn is intensive, so having several siblings can be taxing on the parents. 

What was interesting is that we ran into the same sort of questioning after we made that decision:  often people would ask when we would have our next one, how many we were planning on having, etc.  We had initially planned for 4 kids' names (two boys and two girls), but when we found that our first son was autistic (shortly after we found out we were expecting our second), we had made the decision that his welfare was important enough to hold off having more children.

Anyway, the field trip was a success, and the teachers and aides were thrilled to have little to do, as there were plenty of parents there to help.  The only regret that I have is that we didn't drive there to Wheeler Farm, as the bus ride was cramped and uncomfortable on the way there and we could have gone home directly after the field trip. 

But it was still a great experience, and a great feeling of community the experience provided for us.

eBooks, The Kindle DX, and the Much-Rumored iPod Slate

To date, the eBook market has been, well, experimental.  This is mostly because reading on a virtual display can give one headaches depending on the display at worst, and at best it has been rather difficult to get a format that works well (with a few exceptions).  More often than not the eBook becomes a novelty that quickly wears off over time.  The main killer for me:  page numbers not being the same as printed books.  I can understand why:  it would be impossible to fit a printed page on the screen size, but it's still annoying when others are reading page 22 and you are on page 245. 

At least this is how I felt when reading eBooks on pretty much any platform previous to the iPod Touch (more on that later).  I've read them on CRT computer screens (which are not very mobile), laptops (which are marginally mobile because of battery life), the PalmPilot, and the Pocket PC.  Either the platform was not convenient to navigate, or the resolution made reading the tiny print difficult.  Often times I would just walk away with a bad headache and leave it at that. 

Then I got an iPod Touch, and reading became easier using Stanza.  eBooks were well formatted and the text was readable even in a small font.  BUT, the eBooks didn't include images.  Why?  Most likely because the screen size would make even a high-resolution image (such as the iPod Touch or iPhone can provide) difficult to see.  So Stanza would not include them.

So I started looking at the Kindle today, because of the announcement of the new Kindle DX.  I've been skeptical of the Kindle in the past, because all it can really do is read books.  Why have a device that can only read books?  What's the use in that?  It would only be of use to people that spend a lot of time reading, or have the time to spend a lot of time reading. 

But as I started to read the description of the DX's features, I became rather intrigued.  The large 9.7" screen allows for a clear and crisp display, and it only displays in 16 shades.  Why only 16 shades?  Because it uses an electronic ink technology that uses real ink but displays it through an electric current at each dot.  Basically, it prints a page for you each time to write a comment, edit, read, or change pages. 

The print method is exactly like that of books or newspapers, and as such has the same readability as those formats.  It also doesn't need backlighting, so the battery can last for days of constant reading, and you don't get a glare (one of the annoyances I have with the iPod Touch).  That alone is intriguing.

Another neat feature is 3G wireless connections that are always on (assuming you are in service range), and it's partnered with Sprint.  The thing is, you don't have a monthly service charge for the service, and you pretty much only use it when downloading books (or using the limited web browser).  Amazon pays the bill to Sprint, which comes (assumedly) from revenues from book and device sales. 

There are other features, but those were the ones that stood out for me.  There is also some limited MP3 audio included as experimental, just to see if such a benefit would be of use to the Kindle crowd.  And all of this can be used without the need for a computer. 

So the first thing I thought was how neat the battery life would be, how cool the display technology was, and how much I had misjudged the Kindle platform.  For those that only want something mobile to read and save trees from printing hardcover books, it was a pretty decent answer. 

Then I started to think about all the rumors swirling around the "iPod Slate", or Apple's media webpad that is rumored to be released for Verizon's network.  The rumor is that it will have a 10" screen similar to the 9.7" screen of the Kindle DX, and it will be designed for web browsing, applications, and probably be close to a watered-down laptop or netbook.  But it will be a tablet, much like the Kindle DX.

Now, I only have a couple of gripes about the iPod Touch for eBook reading:  It doesn't have many options for image displays (at least through Stanza), and it has a problem with glare in sunlight.  The Kindle doesn't have these problems, which makes it a good eBook reader in general.  If all I did with my iPod Touch was read books and listen to music, a Kindle would be a good and cheap replacement for these reasons alone. 

But, with the introduction of the rumored iPod Slate, Apple could at least fix one problem:  the display issue.  With Amazon's purchase of Stanza, they can make the display more Kindle-esque while keeping the usability of Stanza which has made it easily the best eBook reader I have ever used.  They could also keep book formats the same as printed books, so page numbers could be accurate (the main problem I had with Microsoft's eReader).  Also, the iPod Slate would most likely let you do more than just read books, so you have a multi-use device.  That means no need for many devices to carry around and clutter up your life.

I'm not sure how many people have purchased the Kindle, and so I don't know how popular it is.  I don't know of anyone that has, though I do know of a few that have purchased Kindle books and used the Kindle app for the iPhone/iPod Touch.  They didn't like the reading process as compared to Stanza, but the books are a lot cheaper than the Stanza-compatible books from Fictionwise.com/eReader.com. 

So I'm not a convert yet, but it at least turned my head and got me thinking of where the future of reading may be heading.

In the Garden

Earlier last month I planted my front garden in vegetables, with beets, carrots, radishes and lettuce growing like crazy, and the cucumbers not coming up yet at all (might have been too cold, I'm not sure).  The plants, being cold weather plants, are growing wild and free, with plenty of each plant getting their second leaves.  It's been wet enough with all the rain and snow we have had of late that I have only had to water a couple of times.  Other than that, they are growing quite well on their own. 

Well, a couple of weeks ago I planted my corn, pumpkin, and some melons.  The corn was Bloody Butcher dent corn, which has a beautiful deep red kernel, and some red broom corn, which is actually a sorghum instead of a maize variety.  I purchased both off of eBay, which shipped in plastic bags. 

After I ordered them and put them up in storage for the spring (I ordered them in the Fall), I found out that plastic bags can kill the seed with static electricity.  Anxious, I still planted them and hoped for the best.  That's why I planted them this month, so if they didn't grow I would have enough time to purchase some new seed and plant it for this season. 

Well, A week went by with no change in the ground.  Some weeds have been growing, but that was about it.  Nothing more substantial than that.  I was concerned, worried, and anxious that I may have planted bad seed.  I decided that I would give it another week and see if there was any change. 

Well, on Wednesday I was watering the back garden, and sure enough I spotted about 5 little shoots of corn in the same general area.  Not a lot, but I was excited to see that all the seed was not dead and I would have at least enough corn growing this year to have seed for next year.  That may mean that I wouldn't be able to make parched corn as I had planned, but I was just excited that my red heirloom corn was growing at all. 

Then I checked the garden yesterday after I got home from work:  And I have about 14 shoots!  Yes, my little corn patch is starting to grow.  It's still a long way off from producing (between 60 to 70 days), but at least I know that I will have the stalks.  As soon as the pumpkins come up (which should be any day now), I can place some mulch around the plants to protect them, give them heat, and slowly leach nutrients into the soil.  Also, once the little plants are well established, I'm going to plant some pole beans next to each corn stalk. 

So that is the garden so far.  On May 9th at Rowland Hall Lower School (720 South Guardsman Way, SLC), Wasatch Community Gardens is holding a sale for various starter plants, which my wife and I will probably be attending.  They have over 42 different heirloom tomatoes, with several heirloom peppers, melons, squash, pumpkins, and cucumbers available.  The vegetable plants are $2.00 each, with a buy 10 get the 11th free.  They also have various perennials available from trees and grasses to flowers and berries.  The perennials are $7.00 to $10.00 each. 

I want to be sure I have some lemon cucumbers growing if my cucumbers don't sprout here soon, so I'll probably pick up a couple there with some other pickling cucumbers.  Then I'll pick up at least three varieties of tomatoes, though I'm still not sure which I want.  I definitely want the Cherokee Purple, which is said to have came across the plains in the Trail of Tears, and I think I want to get the Hawaiian Pineapple for color, the Black from Tula, and either the Amish Paste or 1884.  And finally, I think I'll pick up a Black Plum, because it keeps its sweetness even when dried.  Sounds like a good sun-dried tomato variety to me, and it's a deep purple! 

So if you are in the Salt Lake area next weekend, I would encourage you to attend.  Parking may be a bit of a problem in the area, though there is a University parking lot nearby, and it's free parking on Saturdays (no permit required).  The easiest way to get to Guardsman Way is to come East on 4th South and pass Rice-Eccles Stadium and turn Right at the light past the stadium, or come up 8th South and take the first Left past East High School's football field.

So that's the news from the Garden this week!  Next week I'll see if I can't give some more details about the sale, and any plants we picked up.  Then as the vegetables get harvested, I'll let you know how my dehydration for food storage project works.  ^_^ 

Last Day of Autism Awareness Month: In the News and My Son's Progress

This month has been amazing.  Not only have more people been aware of Autism through the news and events, but my son's life has been significantly changed this month in my eyes. 

First, the news.  I have posted many times my assertion that Autism is caused by genetics, and that the genetic link will be established.  Well, as of this week, the Children's Hospital of Pennsylvania, along with UCLA, Penn State, and a number of other institutions, reported two papers that has found one specific genetic marker that is common within autistic people, and another paper marking 13 other more rare genetic markers that are also strongly linked with Autism.  I was previously aware of 10, but it seems that another 4 has been added to the mix. 

It's great news, because now perhaps the Autism community can unify and become strong enough to get proper legislation through Congressional Committees.  It also means that genetic therapies may be coming down the pipe sometime in the next few decades. 

Also in the news, celebrities have been spreading their opinions regarding the causes of Autism, and how they feel the community could be best served.  I'm glad they feel so strongly regarding the theories that have been thrown about by people with no medical or neuropsychological backgrounds.  It's a great opportunity to learn and share, perhaps to get them on the side of Science and research instead of anecdotes and unproven therapies. 

But now to the more important detail (for me at least):  My son's progress.  To date he has been reluctant to be verbal, preferring to communicate through looks and by independently working out a solution for himself.  While I'm proud that his brain works so well in the problem-solving area, I would like him to start focusing on speaking. 

Just last night, he was playing with some plastic golf balls.  I wanted me to pull them out for him, so as I did I would hold one up and say "ball".  I then made a song out of the one word while bouncing the ball in the air, to help him connect the word with the object.  Within a few minutes, he said "ball", prompting excitement between my wife, my son, and me. 

Later that night my son decided to undress himself.  This usually means that his pull-up has been soiled, and he needed a change.  But the pull-up was still clean and dry, so I took him to the bathroom and stood him in front of the toilet.  It took a couple of tries, but he used the toilet, shut the lid (a little loudly, but I'll take what I can get), and flushed.  I was so proud!  He is in the process of being potty trained, and I think we may have him trained by the time he starts Kindergarten. 

These are all really huge events in my son's life, both the scientific discoveries being made for Autism, and his progression to mainstreaming within society.  He will always be apart from society at some level, and I'm fully embracing that fact.  He will instead have a different way of approaching ideas and concepts.

So that is the news for the end of the month.  I had hoped that some serious Autism legislation would have come from the US Congress, but it seems those bills are all still in Committee.  It's disappointing, because with the growing need for real action in helping parents manage autism in their lives during this critical time, Congress hasn't acted soon enough.  Well, there are more months in the year, let's see if anything does happen. 

Testing Qumana for Mac

I've found myself wanting to find a decent blogging program out there that will allow me to manage the blogs that I currently have and write blog posts offline.  It's helpful in that I am able to provide more review time to my blog posts while also having several pending. 

There are quite a few offline editors for the Mac, though most are paid apps.  Being the good Scot that I am, I like to find those services that are free.  Hence, the reason why I am testing out this particular application.  We will see how it goes. 

Apple Web Tablet/Netbook Rumors

Since the suggestion back in 2000 that Apple would release a tablet like device that would be a PDA, I was excited to see what they had.  After years they released the iPhone and iPod Touch, and I've been very happy with my iPod Touch.  It does everything that I would need a web tablet to do, with a few exceptions.  Part of the problem is the lack of software, part of the problem is the hardware design.

So, when I heard that Apple might be releasing something like the iPod Slate (a larger version of the iPod Touch with more hardware accessory features), I got really excited, and started my list.  That was before I actually had an iPod Touch.  Now that I do, my opinions have changed somewhat based on what the iPod Touch can do for me now, and what it will most likely do for me with the new iPhone 3.0 release, and what it still will not allow me to do without the right hardware/software.  

• Presentations:  As an educator I make a lot of presentations, and need a lightweight platform that will hook up to a projector easily with only one attachment that I need to carry around, and a way to cycle through the slides easily.  I used my PowerBook for this very thing, because it was so small and lightweight.  Currently, only a Netbook can offer me the same flexibility, and it's about the right price too.  The thing is, I want to keep with my Apple platform if I can.  Otherwise I will be switching to Linux on a Netbook, and I'm not too thrilled with clamshell designs.  A tablet PC with a mini-DisplayPort and a dongle that will attach to a VGA or DVI cable to a projector would save a lot of time.  And having it run iWork would be huge.  ^_^
   


• PDF Reading:  I love Stanza, which allows me to read the text of any PDF easily.  But it doesn't include the images with those PDF's, which can be rather critical.  There are several apps for the iPod Touch and iPhone that will let you read a PDF without any trouble, but with such a small screen I find my self straining my eyes to read the details, or have trouble keeping the blasted thing centered.  A larger screen would do wonders (like a 10 inch diagonal display ^_^).
   


• Writing:  I want a platform that will make it easy to write.  Whether a blog post, tweet, document, book, or homework posts for students, a well designed platform here would be ideal.  The best software I have found for writing books or projects of any size is Scrivener, and something like that on a mobile platform that I can use from anywhere would be ideal. 
   


• Connectivity:  If I want to be able to use this anywhere, I want to be able to have a connection anywhere that is decent, both in speed and in price.  Currently the AT&T iPhone plan is too rich for my blood, hence the reason why I got an iPod Touch.  But I would be quite happy with a product that used a 3G or 4G connection (like WiMax) that was portable and the rates were reasonable.  After all, I would prefer to have a network connection over a cell phone, and use my device with VoIP for all phone calls.  It's cheaper for me, and cheaper for my provider.  Plus, I want to not be tethered to any one provider.  Let me take it with me where ever I go to which ever provider offers the best service for the price. 


•  True VoIP:  Currently the iPhone has VoIP apps for proprietary systems that are free, and several that are paid-for apps.  It's ideal for the iPod Touch when you have a connection, though you can't always leave it on because of battery issues.  For true VoIP to work, it will need to have a connection that is always on, and the VoIP app would need to run in the background while you work on one app or another.  
   


• Battery Life:  Because I want to have this device run on a low power mode, but allow apps like a VoIP app or other such apps to work without trouble, the device will need to have some killer battery life.  It shouldn't be hard, because most of these apps are not high-power apps.
   


• File Storage and Transfer:  Currently on the iPod Touch and iPhone, if you write a document in Notes or other app, it can't be moved to another location or off the app.  There are a few exceptions, but I'm not sure I like those exceptions.  I would like to be able to create a document on this device and then move it to another storage location (network, USB storage, even SD card would be fine).  That would make working on the device ideal.  
   


• Full Apps:  I would like to have the option to either have full apps available, or make it easier to develop full apps for the device.  The iPhone 3.0 SDK has gone a long way to that goal, and there is a possibility that a full-fledged app like Scrivenr, iWork, or even SecondLife/WOW would be made available for the device.  That would be cool, but not a necessary thing.
   


• Bluetooth Keyboard:  Give me a chance to have a real keyboard tethered to it, and be separate from the device.  No cables to worry about, just a clean wireless connection.  It would let me develop faster and write better than any touch screen keyboard, though having the touch screen keyboard as a backup would be just fine. 
   


• Podcast On the Go:  Let me make a podcast on the go, either video or audio.  A built-in version of GarageBand with a video capture program built in would make this a very versatile tool while on the go.  Add a video camera to it for iChat video conferencing and video capture would be a huge plus!
   


• Cloud Computing Ready:  This would be sweet if it were possible, and it should be.  For the device, you would just need to allow for apps to access the cloud easily, which means network connections would need to be reliable.  the iPod Touch does this to a certain extent, but there has been some innovations that would be well served by a tablet format. 
   


• XCode:  It would be so sweet to have an XCode SDK available for the device for quick and dirty project development.  It probably wouldn't happen, but it would still be a huge bonus! 

So that is my new list.  A lot of it still exists from the old platform, but many of the old requirements that I had are now satisfied with the iPod Touch.  There are several apps that are available for the iPod Touch that work with the needs I see, but not everything is there.  

Those of you who are arguing against such a device may point out that I can accomplish just about everything with an existing Netbook or with a full-fledged laptop.  That's true, I could, but those machines do far more than I will ever want to do while I'm on the go.  I'm not going to develop movies on the thing, I'm not going to be running any complex server apps or anything like that.  I just have a very specific list of needs that I would like to have met with a device that can do it, be small enough to fit in a pocket or small bag, and let me work while I'm on the bus or train.  

Netbooks can do some of what I have described, but unless it's running Linux I don't trust the operating system or the tools running on it.  I want something that will not crash on me while I'm writing, surfing, or recording audio.  That leaves Windows out.  Yes, I have had problems with Windows XP, and Vista doesn't install on any Netbook that I am aware of (not that I would use it anyway).  I don't know about Windows 7's capabilities as it is still in Beta stage, and as such will keep it out of the equation.  

Linux can do it quite easily, and it's just as reliable as Mac OS X.  The problem with Linux is a personal one:  I don't like to spend a lot of time compiling to get things to work.  I lose interest in it after a few days of trial and error, fighting with poorly written documentation, and finally giving up and dealing without that one crucial app that I needed.  I would put up with it when Windows was my only other option, but not when I can have it on the Mac and have it just work.  

But now, it comes to the crucial question:  Will the thing actually sell?  That depends on two additional questions, does it do what you need, and is the price right?  

In answer to the first:  I think so, because there are a lot of people who are looking for replacements for their laptops that don't need anything overly powerful.  I wouldn't replace a laptop if I needed anything like virtual machines to test development code or compose video through Final Cut Pro or Adobe Producer, but I will for the tasks I need to accomplish above.  

You would see something like this take off in Education specifically, and almost saturate that market right off the bat.  With the few exceptions in Engineering and whatnot where a full-powered machine would be needed, it could quickly become the del-facto platform for taking notes, writing papers, submitting them online or through a classroom share, all without any paper being distributed.  Add a USB port and you can hook up a USB Printer and print it out if needed.  

Healthcare would be another ideal location for this device, particularly if a centralized healthcare record network is created.  Healthcare providers could walk around with a similar device like a clipboard without having to worry about a clamshell design needing to be sat down before you can use it.  

In answer to the second question:  It needs to be priced near the Netbook line to be reasonable.  I'm placing a reasonable price range between $300 and $600.  Anything more, and you would want to pay for a laptop anyway.  Previously I put the price tag at around $800.00, but at that price now I would skip it and go for a laptop.  Remember, add to that the cost of a wireless carrier and it becomes a pricey proposition.  At the $300.00 to $600.00 range, one can get a decent price, and possibly even get a subsidy from carrier X to use their network.  

Anyway, that is what I would like to see if it were going to happen.  It would completely replace my need for a laptop while traveling, and allow me to do my real powerful and processor-intensive work on my desktop at home, or in a cloud computing environment as the technology begins to mature.

Apple Web Tablet/Netbook Rumors

Since the suggestion back in 2000 that Apple would release a tablet like device that would be a PDA, I was excited to see what they had.  After years they released the iPhone and iPod Touch, and I've been very happy with my iPod Touch.  It does everything that I would need a web tablet to do, with a few exceptions.  Part of the problem is the lack of software, part of the problem is the hardware design.

So, when I heard that Apple might be releasing something like the iPod Slate (a larger version of the iPod Touch with more hardware accessory features), I got really excited, and started my list.  That was before I actually had an iPod Touch.  Now that I do, my opinions have changed somewhat based on what the iPod Touch can do for me now, and what it will most likely do for me with the new iPhone 3.0 release, and what it still will not allow me to do without the right hardware/software.  

• Presentations:  As an educator I make a lot of presentations, and need a lightweight platform that will hook up to a projector easily with only one attachment that I need to carry around, and a way to cycle through the slides easily.  I used my PowerBook for this very thing, because it was so small and lightweight.  Currently, only a Netbook can offer me the same flexibility, and it's about the right price too.  The thing is, I want to keep with my Apple platform if I can.  Otherwise I will be switching to Linux on a Netbook, and I'm not too thrilled with clamshell designs.  A tablet PC with a mini-DisplayPort and a dongle that will attach to a VGA or DVI cable to a projector would save a lot of time.  And having it run iWork would be huge.  ^_^
   


• PDF Reading:  I love Stanza, which allows me to read the text of any PDF easily.  But it doesn't include the images with those PDF's, which can be rather critical.  There are several apps for the iPod Touch and iPhone that will let you read a PDF without any trouble, but with such a small screen I find my self straining my eyes to read the details, or have trouble keeping the blasted thing centered.  A larger screen would do wonders (like a 10 inch diagonal display ^_^).
   


• Writing:  I want a platform that will make it easy to write.  Whether a blog post, tweet, document, book, or homework posts for students, a well designed platform here would be ideal.  The best software I have found for writing books or projects of any size is Scrivener, and something like that on a mobile platform that I can use from anywhere would be ideal. 
   


• Connectivity:  If I want to be able to use this anywhere, I want to be able to have a connection anywhere that is decent, both in speed and in price.  Currently the AT&T iPhone plan is too rich for my blood, hence the reason why I got an iPod Touch.  But I would be quite happy with a product that used a 3G or 4G connection (like WiMax) that was portable and the rates were reasonable.  After all, I would prefer to have a network connection over a cell phone, and use my device with VoIP for all phone calls.  It's cheaper for me, and cheaper for my provider.  Plus, I want to not be tethered to any one provider.  Let me take it with me where ever I go to which ever provider offers the best service for the price. 


•  True VoIP:  Currently the iPhone has VoIP apps for proprietary systems that are free, and several that are paid-for apps.  It's ideal for the iPod Touch when you have a connection, though you can't always leave it on because of battery issues.  For true VoIP to work, it will need to have a connection that is always on, and the VoIP app would need to run in the background while you work on one app or another.  
   


• Battery Life:  Because I want to have this device run on a low power mode, but allow apps like a VoIP app or other such apps to work without trouble, the device will need to have some killer battery life.  It shouldn't be hard, because most of these apps are not high-power apps.
   


• File Storage and Transfer:  Currently on the iPod Touch and iPhone, if you write a document in Notes or other app, it can't be moved to another location or off the app.  There are a few exceptions, but I'm not sure I like those exceptions.  I would like to be able to create a document on this device and then move it to another storage location (network, USB storage, even SD card would be fine).  That would make working on the device ideal.  
   


• Full Apps:  I would like to have the option to either have full apps available, or make it easier to develop full apps for the device.  The iPhone 3.0 SDK has gone a long way to that goal, and there is a possibility that a full-fledged app like Scrivenr, iWork, or even SecondLife/WOW would be made available for the device.  That would be cool, but not a necessary thing.
   


• Bluetooth Keyboard:  Give me a chance to have a real keyboard tethered to it, and be separate from the device.  No cables to worry about, just a clean wireless connection.  It would let me develop faster and write better than any touch screen keyboard, though having the touch screen keyboard as a backup would be just fine. 
   


• Podcast On the Go:  Let me make a podcast on the go, either video or audio.  A built-in version of GarageBand with a video capture program built in would make this a very versatile tool while on the go.  Add a video camera to it for iChat video conferencing and video capture would be a huge plus!
   


• Cloud Computing Ready:  This would be sweet if it were possible, and it should be.  For the device, you would just need to allow for apps to access the cloud easily, which means network connections would need to be reliable.  the iPod Touch does this to a certain extent, but there has been some innovations that would be well served by a tablet format. 
   


• XCode:  It would be so sweet to have an XCode SDK available for the device for quick and dirty project development.  It probably wouldn't happen, but it would still be a huge bonus! 

So that is my new list.  A lot of it still exists from the old platform, but many of the old requirements that I had are now satisfied with the iPod Touch.  There are several apps that are available for the iPod Touch that work with the needs I see, but not everything is there.  

Those of you who are arguing against such a device may point out that I can accomplish just about everything with an existing Netbook or with a full-fledged laptop.  That's true, I could, but those machines do far more than I will ever want to do while I'm on the go.  I'm not going to develop movies on the thing, I'm not going to be running any complex server apps or anything like that.  I just have a very specific list of needs that I would like to have met with a device that can do it, be small enough to fit in a pocket or small bag, and let me work while I'm on the bus or train.  

Netbooks can do some of what I have described, but unless it's running Linux I don't trust the operating system or the tools running on it.  I want something that will not crash on me while I'm writing, surfing, or recording audio.  That leaves Windows out.  Yes, I have had problems with Windows XP, and Vista doesn't install on any Netbook that I am aware of (not that I would use it anyway).  I don't know about Windows 7's capabilities as it is still in Beta stage, and as such will keep it out of the equation.  

Linux can do it quite easily, and it's just as reliable as Mac OS X.  The problem with Linux is a personal one:  I don't like to spend a lot of time compiling to get things to work.  I lose interest in it after a few days of trial and error, fighting with poorly written documentation, and finally giving up and dealing without that one crucial app that I needed.  I would put up with it when Windows was my only other option, but not when I can have it on the Mac and have it just work.  

But now, it comes to the crucial question:  Will the thing actually sell?  That depends on two additional questions, does it do what you need, and is the price right?  

In answer to the first:  I think so, because there are a lot of people who are looking for replacements for their laptops that don't need anything overly powerful.  I wouldn't replace a laptop if I needed anything like virtual machines to test development code or compose video through Final Cut Pro or Adobe Producer, but I will for the tasks I need to accomplish above.  

You would see something like this take off in Education specifically, and almost saturate that market right off the bat.  With the few exceptions in Engineering and whatnot where a full-powered machine would be needed, it could quickly become the del-facto platform for taking notes, writing papers, submitting them online or through a classroom share, all without any paper being distributed.  Add a USB port and you can hook up a USB Printer and print it out if needed.  

Healthcare would be another ideal location for this device, particularly if a centralized healthcare record network is created.  Healthcare providers could walk around with a similar device like a clipboard without having to worry about a clamshell design needing to be sat down before you can use it.  

In answer to the second question:  It needs to be priced near the Netbook line to be reasonable.  I'm placing a reasonable price range between $300 and $600.  Anything more, and you would want to pay for a laptop anyway.  Previously I put the price tag at around $800.00, but at that price now I would skip it and go for a laptop.  Remember, add to that the cost of a wireless carrier and it becomes a pricey proposition.  At the $300.00 to $600.00 range, one can get a decent price, and possibly even get a subsidy from carrier X to use their network.  

Anyway, that is what I would like to see if it were going to happen.  It would completely replace my need for a laptop while traveling, and allow me to do my real powerful and processor-intensive work on my desktop at home, or in a cloud computing environment as the technology begins to mature.

Apple Web Tablet/Netbook Rumors

Since the suggestion back in 2000 that Apple would release a tablet like device that would be a PDA, I was excited to see what they had.  After years they released the iPhone and iPod Touch, and I've been very happy with my iPod Touch.  It does everything that I would need a web tablet to do, with a few exceptions.  Part of the problem is the lack of software, part of the problem is the hardware design.

So, when I heard that Apple might be releasing something like the iPod Slate (a larger version of the iPod Touch with more hardware accessory features), I got really excited, and started my list.  That was before I actually had an iPod Touch.  Now that I do, my opinions have changed somewhat based on what the iPod Touch can do for me now, and what it will most likely do for me with the new iPhone 3.0 release, and what it still will not allow me to do without the right hardware/software.  

• Presentations:  As an educator I make a lot of presentations, and need a lightweight platform that will hook up to a projector easily with only one attachment that I need to carry around, and a way to cycle through the slides easily.  I used my PowerBook for this very thing, because it was so small and lightweight.  Currently, only a Netbook can offer me the same flexibility, and it's about the right price too.  The thing is, I want to keep with my Apple platform if I can.  Otherwise I will be switching to Linux on a Netbook, and I'm not too thrilled with clamshell designs.  A tablet PC with a mini-DisplayPort and a dongle that will attach to a VGA or DVI cable to a projector would save a lot of time.  And having it run iWork would be huge.  ^_^
   


• PDF Reading:  I love Stanza, which allows me to read the text of any PDF easily.  But it doesn't include the images with those PDF's, which can be rather critical.  There are several apps for the iPod Touch and iPhone that will let you read a PDF without any trouble, but with such a small screen I find my self straining my eyes to read the details, or have trouble keeping the blasted thing centered.  A larger screen would do wonders (like a 10 inch diagonal display ^_^).
   


• Writing:  I want a platform that will make it easy to write.  Whether a blog post, tweet, document, book, or homework posts for students, a well designed platform here would be ideal.  The best software I have found for writing books or projects of any size is Scrivener, and something like that on a mobile platform that I can use from anywhere would be ideal. 
   


• Connectivity:  If I want to be able to use this anywhere, I want to be able to have a connection anywhere that is decent, both in speed and in price.  Currently the AT&T iPhone plan is too rich for my blood, hence the reason why I got an iPod Touch.  But I would be quite happy with a product that used a 3G or 4G connection (like WiMax) that was portable and the rates were reasonable.  After all, I would prefer to have a network connection over a cell phone, and use my device with VoIP for all phone calls.  It's cheaper for me, and cheaper for my provider.  Plus, I want to not be tethered to any one provider.  Let me take it with me where ever I go to which ever provider offers the best service for the price. 


•  True VoIP:  Currently the iPhone has VoIP apps for proprietary systems that are free, and several that are paid-for apps.  It's ideal for the iPod Touch when you have a connection, though you can't always leave it on because of battery issues.  For true VoIP to work, it will need to have a connection that is always on, and the VoIP app would need to run in the background while you work on one app or another.  
   


• Battery Life:  Because I want to have this device run on a low power mode, but allow apps like a VoIP app or other such apps to work without trouble, the device will need to have some killer battery life.  It shouldn't be hard, because most of these apps are not high-power apps.
   


• File Storage and Transfer:  Currently on the iPod Touch and iPhone, if you write a document in Notes or other app, it can't be moved to another location or off the app.  There are a few exceptions, but I'm not sure I like those exceptions.  I would like to be able to create a document on this device and then move it to another storage location (network, USB storage, even SD card would be fine).  That would make working on the device ideal.  
   


• Full Apps:  I would like to have the option to either have full apps available, or make it easier to develop full apps for the device.  The iPhone 3.0 SDK has gone a long way to that goal, and there is a possibility that a full-fledged app like Scrivenr, iWork, or even SecondLife/WOW would be made available for the device.  That would be cool, but not a necessary thing.
   


• Bluetooth Keyboard:  Give me a chance to have a real keyboard tethered to it, and be separate from the device.  No cables to worry about, just a clean wireless connection.  It would let me develop faster and write better than any touch screen keyboard, though having the touch screen keyboard as a backup would be just fine. 
   


• Podcast On the Go:  Let me make a podcast on the go, either video or audio.  A built-in version of GarageBand with a video capture program built in would make this a very versatile tool while on the go.  Add a video camera to it for iChat video conferencing and video capture would be a huge plus!
   


• Cloud Computing Ready:  This would be sweet if it were possible, and it should be.  For the device, you would just need to allow for apps to access the cloud easily, which means network connections would need to be reliable.  the iPod Touch does this to a certain extent, but there has been some innovations that would be well served by a tablet format. 
   


• XCode:  It would be so sweet to have an XCode SDK available for the device for quick and dirty project development.  It probably wouldn't happen, but it would still be a huge bonus! 

So that is my new list.  A lot of it still exists from the old platform, but many of the old requirements that I had are now satisfied with the iPod Touch.  There are several apps that are available for the iPod Touch that work with the needs I see, but not everything is there.  

Those of you who are arguing against such a device may point out that I can accomplish just about everything with an existing Netbook or with a full-fledged laptop.  That's true, I could, but those machines do far more than I will ever want to do while I'm on the go.  I'm not going to develop movies on the thing, I'm not going to be running any complex server apps or anything like that.  I just have a very specific list of needs that I would like to have met with a device that can do it, be small enough to fit in a pocket or small bag, and let me work while I'm on the bus or train.  

Netbooks can do some of what I have described, but unless it's running Linux I don't trust the operating system or the tools running on it.  I want something that will not crash on me while I'm writing, surfing, or recording audio.  That leaves Windows out.  Yes, I have had problems with Windows XP, and Vista doesn't install on any Netbook that I am aware of (not that I would use it anyway).  I don't know about Windows 7's capabilities as it is still in Beta stage, and as such will keep it out of the equation.  

Linux can do it quite easily, and it's just as reliable as Mac OS X.  The problem with Linux is a personal one:  I don't like to spend a lot of time compiling to get things to work.  I lose interest in it after a few days of trial and error, fighting with poorly written documentation, and finally giving up and dealing without that one crucial app that I needed.  I would put up with it when Windows was my only other option, but not when I can have it on the Mac and have it just work.  

But now, it comes to the crucial question:  Will the thing actually sell?  That depends on two additional questions, does it do what you need, and is the price right?  

In answer to the first:  I think so, because there are a lot of people who are looking for replacements for their laptops that don't need anything overly powerful.  I wouldn't replace a laptop if I needed anything like virtual machines to test development code or compose video through Final Cut Pro or Adobe Producer, but I will for the tasks I need to accomplish above.  

You would see something like this take off in Education specifically, and almost saturate that market right off the bat.  With the few exceptions in Engineering and whatnot where a full-powered machine would be needed, it could quickly become the del-facto platform for taking notes, writing papers, submitting them online or through a classroom share, all without any paper being distributed.  Add a USB port and you can hook up a USB Printer and print it out if needed.  

Healthcare would be another ideal location for this device, particularly if a centralized healthcare record network is created.  Healthcare providers could walk around with a similar device like a clipboard without having to worry about a clamshell design needing to be sat down before you can use it.  

In answer to the second question:  It needs to be priced near the Netbook line to be reasonable.  I'm placing a reasonable price range between $300 and $600.  Anything more, and you would want to pay for a laptop anyway.  Previously I put the price tag at around $800.00, but at that price now I would skip it and go for a laptop.  Remember, add to that the cost of a wireless carrier and it becomes a pricey proposition.  At the $300.00 to $600.00 range, one can get a decent price, and possibly even get a subsidy from carrier X to use their network.  

Anyway, that is what I would like to see if it were going to happen.  It would completely replace my need for a laptop while traveling, and allow me to do my real powerful and processor-intensive work on my desktop at home, or in a cloud computing environment as the technology begins to mature.

Autism Legislation Lost In Committee on the Hill

In case you haven't heard, this month is National Autism Awareness Month, and as such our elected officials on Capitol Hill have been diligent in expressing their desire to support those families who deal with Autism on a daily basis.  Autism was even given some face time during the 2008 Presidential elections.  President Obama even set aside a portion of his recommended budget for extended Autism research.  You would think it would be a high priority.  But it seems to have lost it's shine in Congress.  

Perhaps it's because there are more pressing issues to deal with.  I will concede that while Autism can bankrupt a family with current support and educational methods, having all families bankrupt would be a worse scenario.

Perhaps it is because Autism was a champion cry of on political party during the 2008 election, which ended up being the losing party.  I can't honestly accept that as a reason as those bills currently in Committee are spit evenly between both parties.  Partisan politics may be a problem in other areas of legislation, but not where Autism is concerned.

Perhaps it is because the Autism community itself is divided.  Ah, there in lies the insidious truth.  Currently there are several schools of thought regarding the causes and treatment of Autism, with a lot of people coming up with some pretty wild ideas that have seen some anecdotal positive responses with little research to support the theories.  Because of this division in the community it is difficult to find a unified voice to get anything accomplished.  As such, we are easily conquered as a community by other more organized groups and concerns.  

So what can we as a community do in order to unify?  Stop fighting amongst ourselves as our children grow up within a condition that can be worked through with basic services that are cost effective, reliable, and empowering for the family.  Instead we need to work with our legislators to come up with cost effective methods of providing the tools necessary to help our children.  

I've posted before what I think would be ideal:  Resources provided by existing organizations supporting Autism students that are readily available for parents to utilize.  Parents will then be able to better support their children at home with the right tools and knowing what to do.  But it would need to be broken down in this method: 

1. Provide an evaluation for the student, to determine what modules will be best to assist the student. 


2. Provide modules that are flexible and independent of each other, which parents can use.  This includes instructions on how to teach, what to look for in success, and how to judge/evaluate success.


3. Provide a central communication hub, either through phone, letters, email, or online forums, that will allow parents to share experiences in a confidential manner with those professionals, and get additional assistance or recommendations when needed.  


4. Continue the process at regular intervals, to be best evaluated by the professionals.  

This method would be cost effective because the parents or caregivers of the children become the actual one on one instructors that autistic children need while still being in contact with a professional that can evaluate and maintain several parental groups in a given session.  They still work, no one loses their jobs, and more autistic children are getting the help they need.  It can also be close to real time with the use of various communication tools and social networking environments that currently exist.  

Currently there are eight bills in the House and Senate that are related to Autism, some are more comprehensive than others, some more cost effective than others.  None that I have read so far seem to touch on the actual method of educating autistic children.  Instead it seems that the programs are designed to give the resources to the community, and let the community continue in their current method of pocket-support.  Hmm..  Perhaps it's time to contact the Secretary of Education and propose this plan to him, just to see where it would go.  

Anyway, for a list of Autism Legislation currently in Congress and links to their status on GovTrack.us, they are below.  Let's hope they get out of committee soon, so that Congress can claim they did something during Autism Awareness Month rather than sit on their backsides.

Bill	Status	Last Action
H.R. 1878: Global Autism Assistance Act of 2009	Introduced	Apr 2, 2009
S. 819: Autism Treatment Acceleration Act of 2009	Introduced	Apr 2, 2009
H.R. 1707: Helping HANDS for Autism Act of 2009	Introduced	Mar 25, 2009
S. 706: Helping HANDS for Autism Act of 2009	Introduced	Mar 25, 2009
H.Con.Res. 96: Recognizing the importance of autism awareness, supporting efforts to increase funding for research into the causes and treatment of autism and to improve training and support for individuals with autism and those who care for individuals with autism.	Introduced	Apr 2, 2009
H.R. 1600: To amend title 10, United States Code, to provide for the treatment of autism under TRICARE.	Introduced	Mar 18, 2009
H.Res. 349: Expressing support for designation of April 2009 as "National Autism Awareness Month" and supporting efforts to devote new resources to research into the causes and treatment of autism and to improve training and support for individuals with autism and those who care for individuals with autism.	Introduced	Apr 21, 2009
H.R. 2051: To amend title 10, United States Code, to authorize extended benefits for certain autistic dependents of certain retirees.	Introduced	Apr 22, 2009