Posted October 21st, 2010 @ 07:54pm by Erik J. Barzeski
For years - it seems like 20 but is probably closer to 10 - I've used a Logitech wireless mouse with my desktop computers1 I was using a Logitech MX-1000, but that broke down and it was replaced by a Logitech MX Revolution. Now it's breaking down in the same fashion: the left mouse button isn't staying "clicked" (though it remains physically clicked) during some drag operations.
Currently Logitech's top of the line model is the Logitech Performance Mouse MX, but it gives up the thumb scroll wheel I like to set to page up/page down. I also click that scroll wheel for command-click in Safari to open links in new tabs.
So now they have the Performance Mouse MX, and the side scroll wheel is gone. It's $79 at Amazon, but dangit, I don't want to keep adjusting to these things. I'll probably end up getting this thing, though.
Unless someone knows of another company making pro-level mice… anyone?
P.S. It's interesting. My Logitech MX-700 lasted three years: early 2003 to early 2005. I replaced it with an MX-1000 and replaced it with the Revolution in late 2007. Now it's late 2010, and the mouse is failing again. Looks like a pretty reliable schedule of every 30 to 36 months, I need a new mouse.
P.P.S. Kensington's mouse lineup still sucks. Too bad.
Footnotes
Before that, it was a Kensington mouse and/or trackball.↩
Posted October 20th, 2010 @ 07:41pm by Erik J. Barzeski
In a few months we'll be shipping an application called "Analyzr" in two versions: Home for about $49 and Pro for about $495. The website (has just a simple signup form for now) is at http://analyzrgolf.com.
It's a niche product of sorts (golf swing video analysis software), so I'm looking at the Mac App store Apple's recently announced from this perspective. My ideas will apply to varying degrees less when you consider "mass market" type software.
The problems as I see with the Mac App Store are not insurmountable, but they are real.
In no particular order:
There's no evidence that you'll get more customers. The store will likely be one of many places people will look, including Google. This is particularly true of niche software and most likely incredibly wrong for the mass market apps.
Apple's current terms are incredibly restrictive. Past Apple Design Award winning software is ineligible. I don't even know if Analyzr would qualify - but there are enough other problems that I'm not even going to look right now.
There's a lot of added work to build and submit congruent "demo-only" versions of apps alongside real ones. They're not actual demos, as people prefer on the desktop - they're actually "Lite" versions. Desktop consumers (and, I could argue, iPhone/iPod Touch users) like demo software. And Apple says "no thanks" to that. This problem is solvable, but how sweet would it be if Apple allowed developers to offer time-limited demos of 7-, 15-, or 30-days?
You get no customer data. None. We can't verify that someone purchased a copy, follow up with them, or get their information should we ever leave the App Store. This makes support a real pain and severely inhibits customer interaction.
You can't sell bulk licenses, educational discounts, create your own coupon codes, etc. We like to do these kinds of things for our customers.
In-App purchases are a lot more work and don't really run parallel to the idea of "2.0" type functionality at all. In other words, it's really much more difficult to sell "upgrades" to people.
30% of $49 and $495 is $14.70 and $148.50. No way I'm willing to give up $150 per sale, and $14.70 is a big stretch too. What works at $2.99 or $4.99 or even $9.99 may not work very well at prices as low as $19.99.
The App Store licensing process doesn't prevent cracking, hacking, and pirating. It'd be one thing if it did, but unfortunately, it doesn't.
Offering your app for sale on your site AND through the App Store may not work very well either. There's no code to read Apple's licensing schemes and so if someone bought Analyzr from the App Store and ever tried to update it with a download from our site, they'd fall into a messy spot, and we'd get a support email or an unhappy customer at least.
Apple can't issue refunds. In some cases, a refund is the best thing you can do for a customer.
Again, some of the problems are solvable, but unlike the iPhone, there's already a well established way to get apps for the Mac.
Posted October 18th, 2010 @ 07:33pm by Erik J. Barzeski
There's no doubt - none at all - that Tiger Woods is going to a much more "Stack and Tilt" type golf swing. After all, the biggest change he's working on making is to keep his head centered more on the backswing (S&T explains how) and the second biggest change he's making is to take his hands inward, on plane, during the backswing - also S&T.
Did Sean Foley put his foot in his mouth and insult some guys who spent a lot of time helping him with his "5%" comment? You bet. Did he learn 50, 75, or even 90+% of what he knows from Mike Bennett and Andy Plummer?
Probably not. The real answer undoubtedly lies somewhere between 5% and 50%. Doesn't change the fact that Sean was a bit of a jerk for treating so poorly two people who'd treated him so well.
P.S. Perhaps the biggest fear among the Stack and Tilt community? That Sean Foley doesn't understand the downswing as well as he should.
P.P.S. Sean O'Hair is a bit of a turd as well. But he's probably only parroting what Foley's told him.
Posted October 14th, 2010 @ 07:22pm by Erik J. Barzeski
97% at Rotten Tomatoes? 92% Audience rating? Seriously?
I liked it, but 97%?! That's astronomically high.
On a pure percentage scale, I give it a 70% or so, meaning I like it more than about 70% of the movies I've ever chosen to watch.
The most interesting part of the movie was almost trying to figure out whether Christy was from the kiddo's Disney shows (she is - Suite Life on Deck specifically).
I would have loved to hear more about how Saverin was screwed out of his 30%, but that part was glossed over.
Had Aaron Sorkin not written the movie, it probably would have gotten a 25%. The best thing in the movie was the dialogue, which was true Sorkin.
P.S. How is it that facemash.com wasn't bought up for this movie?
Posted October 13th, 2010 @ 07:18pm by Erik J. Barzeski
Kostis doesn't say much in this video, so he doesn't get as much wrong as he often does.
The point I'd like to make here is that THIS is about the only foot slipping you occasionally see with rubber or plastic spikes instead of the "nails" (ceramic or metal spikes) we used to wear on the golf course. A few PGA Tour pros still wear 'em.
Posted October 12th, 2010 @ 07:15pm by Erik J. Barzeski
Mike would rate himself at about a 7 or so out of 10. He loses the wedge, sometimes flips under a bit at P2, and has a few other tiny issues, but overall it's really, really good.
Filmed at the Country Club in Cleveland, OH when I attended a session to observe, work with, and photograph Mike Bennett and Andy Plummer a few months ago.
Posted October 11th, 2010 @ 05:49pm by Erik J. Barzeski
This video isn't meant to demonstrate anything except the very simple idea that the right (or rear) knee straightening allows your hips to turn. If you "maintain the knee flex" your hips can't turn properly.
This is related to this post on Phil Mickelson's swing as analyzed by Peter Kostis.
Basically, a guy didn't pay the $75 fee for rural fire coverage, and as such, firefighters did not put out his trailer or house on fire. It is what it is, and the policy has apparently been in place for a long, long time.
But it raises the idea of "pay to play government." What government services are essential? What government services should you be able to "opt out" of?
Frankly, I can't think of many, but it'd be interesting to see how things break down. How much of our taxes go to the USPS? To supporting local libraries? Fire fighting? Road work?
I wonder. I don't know that I'd opt out of much, but again, maybe there are a lot of things people could opt out of without upsetting the balance too much. Would I pay to belong to the library if that was a possibility? I think I might.
Posted October 9th, 2010 @ 05:01pm by Erik J. Barzeski
I could brake faster (I prefer to do this drill with softer hands and wrists so that you can't fake maintaining the flying wedge), but this drill combines two into one:
Pre-setting impact position with the hips shifted laterally forward to put in secondary axis tilt.
"Hit fast, stop fast" to check that the flying wedge is maintained well into the follow through.
Posted October 8th, 2010 @ 04:53pm by Erik J. Barzeski
The problem I later fixed in this swing is that the right shoulder "shrugs up" and the right arm stays a bit too straight a bit too long, leading to the shoulder "flattening" around P3-ish.
But still, if you can hit golf balls with a driveway marker in your belt, it's a great way to make sure that your hips are not only rotating on the way back but staying closed long enough on the downswing (too many people spin prematurely on the downswing).