Apple goes political with patent application.

This is great.  Apple, with more cash in the bank than the US Treasury, takes matters in their own hands when it comes to sustainability.  It’s great to think they would venture to reinvent “the battery,” or find other new ways to better power electronic devices, as more powerful gadgets require more power, particularly their displays.

Straight from the patent application:

“Our country’s continuing reliance on fossil fuels has forced our government to maintain complicated political and military relationships with unstable governments in the Middle East, and has also exposed our coastlines and our citizens to the associated hazards of offshore drilling,” the filings state. “These problems have led to an increasing awareness and desire on the part of consumers to promote and use renewable energy sources.”

It’s incredible to me that they put this in the Background / Related Art section of a patent application; sounds like something to campaign on.  

Via Apple Insider

Weapons of Mass Creation Fest: June 8-10, 2012.  I am there!

Crab and Smoked Salmon Stuffed Mushrooms

I am not a fan of mayonnaise in crab cakes and prefer them with crunchy textures.  Here is a scratch recipe for Crab and Smoked Salmon Stuffed Mushrooms that are full flavored and fairly light.  You can eat these as a meal or serve them up as appetizers.   I prefer them with a drizzle of Alfredo sauce.  

Ingredients:

  • 18 baby portobello mushrooms.
  • 1 egg.
  • 5 tablespoons of olive oil (you can also substitute butter if you like).
  • 1 handful of freshly copped parsley.
  • 1.5 cups of chopped cabbage (you will cook this, so it will reduce down).
  • 1.5 cups of cooked and diced crab meat.
  • 1 tablespoon of fresh lemon juice.
  • 3 oz. of chopped smoked salmon.
  • 1 cup of crushed garlic pits chips (you can leave the bigger chucks for extra crunch).
  • 1 tablespoon of fresh dill weed.
  • 3/4
  •  cup of shredded parmesan cheese (you can substitute Monterey Jack if you have it lying around).
  • 1/4 of your favorite chardonnay.
  • Pinch of salt and pepper (don’t over do it as the garlic chips will add a lot of flavor).
  • 1-2 dashes of All Spice (don’t over do this, either).
  • Sprinkles of paprika.
  • Drizzle a little Alfredo sauce for juice and flavor.

Directions:

  1. Preheat over to 400 degrees F. Prepare 9x13 inch baking dish with 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil.
  2. Remove stems from mushrooms. Set aside caps. Finely chop stems.
  3. Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to a medium saucepan over medium heat.  Stir in the cabbage and copped mushroom stems and cook until soft, about 3 minutes.  Remove from saucepan from heat. Stir in lemon juice, crabmeat, smokes salmon, pita chip crumbs, egg, dill weed, parsley, and 1/4 cup of cheese. Thoroughly blend the mixture.
  4. Place mushroom caps in the pan, and stir until caps are coated with the olive oil. Arrange caps cavity side up, and stuff cavities generously with the mixture. Top with remaining cheese. Pour wine into the pan around the mushrooms.
  5. Bake uncovered in the preheated oven 15-20 minutes, until cheese is melted and lightly browned.
  6. Lightly sprinkle paprika after taking the stuffed mushrooms from the oven.
  7. Serve warm and with your favorite chardonnay.  

Enjoy!

iPhone 4 Mic Not Working: Stupid Fix

Recently my mic on my iPhone 4 stopped working properly.  When I put it on speaker during a call, people could barely hear me.  Strangely, when I made a voice memo, my recording was as clear as away?  I thought for sure it was a hardware malfunction, but the fact that I could record a voice memo then made me think it was a software glitch.  

I tried everything  from restoring and backing up to bringing it in to the Apple Store, only to have them tell me I needed to, yes, buy a new iPhone.  

Here is the stupid solution: Take a sewing needle and push the pointed end though the tiny voice reducing mic hole next to the headphone jack (but not all the way through).  Don’t worry, the hole is so small you will not be able to get much of the needle head in.

After taking a vacuum cleaner to the hole and headphone jack, viola!  

There must have been some lint buildup causing the noise reducing mic to cancel virtually everything out. 

It amazes me how many useless other fixes seemed to bubble up on Google.  

Jay

[Flash 10 is required to watch video]

One of the most worthy life endeavors is fully expressing your artistry; one of the greatest misfortunes is dismissing it. Great to see live music in an Airport.

Fish Sky

Fish Sky

Fall Ponding

Fall Ponding

1970

1970

Botanical Full Bloom Summer

Botanical Full Bloom Summer