Also during that time, we’ve been tweaking Bearbook’s look. It is now officially out of beta, and notifications now let you know when someone has joined a class of yours. Keep spreading the word Bearbookers!

So what’s next for Bearbook? We’re experimenting with better and even simpler ways of getting your schedule into Bearbook. Also, we’ve been thrilled by the response in the ualberta tech community over the University of Alberta iPhone App (NO affiliation with it whatsoever) and are happy to see that demand is vibrant for helpful online tools for students at U of A.

If you haven’t heard of Bearbook, be sure to check us out on Facebook!

The new site design revolves around the idea that all my content will be ushered into my personal website for unified and simple browsing of all that exists in the jole atmosphere, however in order to do this, I need a variety of WordPress tools and plugins that will appropriately fetch items from various social media websites. The problem is, most of these plug-ins are not yet custom-post-type aware, or at least not without modification on my behalf. For example, I can have WP-o-matic automatically bring in all my twitpics, but I can’t tell it to save them as “Tweet” post types (at least not yet.)

Before the advent of custom post types, the traditional method of setting up not-so-post-y post types in WP was to simply give them a designated category, and style it appropriately within the theme when you come across it. I’m beginning to realize that perhaps this is still the best way to go at this point in the game, seeing as even the native WordPress environment is a bit confused as to how the various content types will be delivered through theme files.

(We start off in Edmonton)

What is this? Another Skully Whiteboard! Ok, normally I would be appalled by this outrageous whiteboard-reality mishmash, but I will accept it because it prominently features the awesome jole.ca banner with without my phone number on it!

I believe the majority of the inspiration for this ‘board is the Ferrari hat Simon found in my closet (and consequently STOLE FROM ME) as well as the gigantic Ferrari history book I found for $10 at the Winnipeg Indigo. I still need to get around to reading that thing… Clearly the rockhorse is jamming out in celebration, in a lovely Italian countryside.

By the time this is posted by WordPress, I’ll be pretty far out in the boonies, but fear not, the blogging will continue as much as I can during my camping/roadtrip adventures. Be sure to follow the Twitter account for the latest!

Apparently I just don’t have the inspiration to do my own Whiteboards anymore, so here’s one from yet another guest artist Erin.

Clearly the theme here is our various Canada day activities and discussions. Of note, the “No Potty Mouth” is actually part of a larger manners-oriented national anthem that should be followed on Canada Day.

Also, the “This space was blank” should likely read “this space intentionally left blank,” to avoid confusion.

Good work Erin!

If you’ve been following the outrageous communications between Apple’s new PR department and the miffed adopters of the new iPhone 4, you’ll know that there’s apparently a design flaw with the new antenna system of the fancy new phone.

The way Apple’s been reacting suggests to me that this problem was known, but that there are some things that they can do in software to “solve” the issue, such as by recalibrating the signal bars, or even switching to a signal quality meter instead of a signal strength method. There’s probably also an issue with the baseband frequency switching speed, all of which just needs tweaking. That being said, I really don’t think it’s coincidence that for this model Apple just happened to start manufacturing their own overpriced rubber “bumper” which has become the official AppleCare suggestion.

But amid all the chatter is this gem, straight from El Jobso himself in a rather intense conversation between a frustrated customer and Jobs, who has become an unofficial PR department in recent weeks (because really, who’s going to stop him?): “…retire, relax, enjoy your family. It is just a phone. Not worth it.” Oh really? Is this not the phone that coined the term Jesus Phone upon initial launch, only to be called the phone that changes everything, again? Surely Apple doesn’t sit around designing their phones with that level of enthusiasm.

UPDATE: So apparently that didn’t happen at all so you can probably disregard all that ridiculous analysis, but the statement still stands: it really is just a phone.

OTHER UPDATE: Also, Apple is apparently releasing an update to reduce the apparent bars on the iPhone which they were “stunned” to find was inaccurate for years. Ha. Ha. Right. But of course, they’re also “making bars 1, 2 and 3 a bit taller so they will be easier to see,” which just means they aren’t really doing anything besides messing with people. Nice one Apple.

The most fascinating thing about Steve Jobs is how calm, relaxed, yet slightly cynical the guy is behind the veil of Apple secrecy. His statements are incredibly “far out” and airy, sort of like the way Jonny Ive talks about a-loo-min-ee-um. Another point for the Jobs = Ghandi conspiracy. I digress.

Ultimately what struck me this morning about this whole thing is really people, it’s just a phone. Steve Jobs said it, and his will be done, right?

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