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R.I.P. Ptch … the service we’ve never heard of

Yahoo! buys another company…the death knell of Internet companies. What I find most intriguing is that Ptch when from launch to purchase in a year.

Ptch Joins Yahoo!

We launched Ptch just over a year ago. Our passion and our mission was to give you the best way to make and share beautiful movies made from the photos and videos on your phone. Well, someone noticed!

Today, we’re excited to announce that Ptch will be joining Yahoo! As part of the Yahoo team, we’ll be able to focus our efforts and leverage our technology to make Yahoo’s photo and video platforms the best in the world.

As part of this transition, Ptch will shut down on January 2, 2014. Until then, you can download your ptches on ptch.com or save them to your camera roll from the Ptch app on your phone:

On ptch.com, go to your profile page. Click on the title of the ptch and then click on the download button.
In the Ptch app, go to your profile. Tap the share icon under the ptch and then tap “Save to Camera Roll.”
Thank you so much for being a Ptch user and fan. We are grateful for your support and look forward to bringing you more exciting products through the Yahoo platform in the future.

All the best,

Hans and the Ptch Team

[Source, blog.ptch.com]

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State of Me

I should be meditating. I should be planning my day (the night before). Hell, I should be flossing. Stress begets stress. Stress lends to bad habits, bad habits which further the stress. The stress reaction is broken. I do not live on the Savannah. I do not have to run from lions. My mind is confused. My body is tired.

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Doctor Who – Inspiration for Sonic Screwdriver in s1ep31

[SPOILERS WITHIN!] I am rewatching Doctor Who from the beginning. I do not expect to watch every episode but I am having a good time with season 1. I’ve made it through 1963 and am working on 1964. In season 1 episode 31, Strangers in Space, the need to cut through a door and pull out a tool which resembles a Dremel rotary tool. The Doctor expresses interest in "what powers it?" Could this be the inspiration for the sonic screwdriver?


Clip from Strangers in Space, s1ep31 at minute 20:25.

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Doctor Who – Jack Harkness’ Watch Invented in s1ep21

[SPOILERS WITHIN!] I am rewatching Doctor Who from the beginning. I do not expect to watch every episode but I am having a good time with season 1. I’ve made it through 1963 and am working on 1964. In season 1 episode 21, The Sea of Death, Arbitan gives our four travelers watches (at minute 20:24) which transport them across the sea. This looks quite similar to Jack Harkness’ means of transportation, with perhaps a Time Lord’s modification.


Clip from The Sea of Death, s1ep21 at minute 20:57.

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Telecommuting Advocate No More?

I have a deadline today. I cannot find the document I need to complete my deadline. A cat wrestles my shoe lace. Another cat climbs my leg to pounce the shoe lace warrior. My eldest son turns on the Keurig gurgle gurgle whoooskipsh drop drop drop. He needs to tell me in great detail about his accolades at work and I begrudgingly listen while having my work interrupted. My youngest son roller skates through the house. Not a quiet task. He babbles at me and rolls off. The dogs come stomping in and one pokes her nose into my ribs to announce her presence.

I’m a huge telecommuting advocate. I believe so much can be fixed by encouraging telecommuting. We can do just as much business as we do today with much less infrastructure. Less need for buildings. Less need for road expansion. Fewer cars on the road meaning cleaner environment. Happier lives. I can go on and on.

The challenge with telecommuting becomes managing your family. Basically it requires a separate room. I’ve started to believe that I need to rent a small office down the road or buy the house beside me. But that thinking negates some of the benefits to begin with.

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More upset than I expected

We all have our time. It comes. It goes. I’m pragmatic. I’m stoic. So I am surprised at how upsetting today has been to me. I am also a romantic. A philosopher. The physical manifestation is just that…something expected and done. The problem is the metaphorical interpretation of today’s event reaches too deeply into my being. I require downtime. And distraction. But responsibilities have to be dwelt with first.

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Coin answers the waiter question

Update 11/20/2013: Read more at Engadget.

Coin has responded to people’s concerns about a waiter accidentally or intentionally selecting a different credit card.

One question we’ve been hearing is “What if a waiter/waitress accidentally — or worse, INTENTIONALLY — changes the card you want to charge your meal to?”

Here’s where Coin has you covered: The mobile app will allow you to configure an auto-lock feature that will disable the Coin button to toggle based on proximity; when the waiter walks away he or she will not be able to toggle the card selected.

[Source, Facebook]

I think there are better solutions but this one is adequate.