New Flight Time Duty and You, The Flying Public

Come this January 4th, your commercial airline pilot operating under Part 121, me, will be flying under newly implemented rest rules. Created two years ago and finally being put into play, these rest rules allow for a STRICT, non reducible, 10 hrs of rest with a mandatory 8 hrs for sleep opportunity. With today's rules, I sometimes can find myself down to 6 from a given overnight time of 8 hrs and that's a good night. Unfortunately, there have been less in rare instances but I never deemed myself unfit to fly. Have I called out fatigued before, yes. I wrote a small PDF document that I included in a post over four years ago and if you never checked it out, here the link again. I also did a "Part 2" which you should check out as well.

But anyways, here's a great post of how it'll affect you, the flying public. Who knows how it'll really play out, but airlines have been gearing up for this in the last few months. Some have even said that it could cost them more than $25 million annually!

So what does this mean to you? Well, don't go and travel on bad weather days especially in the afternoon. Fly in the mornings. In the afternoon or night on bad weather days at large airports, there will be flight crews all timed out being sent to hotels at airports they weren't supposed to be at in the first place and planes and passengers stuck there until morning or until they get another crew in place.

Here's a link to the actual new FAA Final Rule and ALPA comparative literature on the difference between the current and pending rest rules.

Instagram Direct Only... for Hipsters

I'm totally just being facetious with the title, but in all seriousness, Instagram's newest video promoting their latest software update screams just that. Maybe I'm totally out of touch now as I'm getting older but wow. It's an interesting feature but when I send a photo to an individual, I'm not scared about it being cached or kept. I also don't use Snapchat (but yes I have it installed) but I've always felt like sharing with everyone. That's just me. If I need to send a photo to my "friends" or "family", then I just send them via iMessage. How about you?

Looks like the offer that Facebook and Google both gave Snapchat a while back is looking a little better. Oh well, as they say, hindsight is 20/20.

After sending, you’ll be able to find out who’s seen your photo or video, see who’s liked it and watch your recipients commenting in real time as the conversation unfolds.

And looks like this was washed away rather quickly as news, but Twitter coincidently released a new feature that allows pictures to be 'Direct Message'. Have you used that feature yet?

NPR's David Gilkey on the Aftermath of Typhoon Haiyan

Devastation all around.

NPR photographer David Gilkey has photographed in extreme situations — from the surge in Afghanistan, to bombings in Gaza, to the tsunami in Japan, but he says nothing could have prepared him for what he saw in the village of Barangay 68 in Tacloban City, Philippines.

At first glance, there were no signs of life. You know many have died here and that their bodies are somewhere close. There is a heavy, unmistakable smell of death.

There are multiple ways to help out and donate to a relief fund as I mentioned in a previous post. Have you donated yet?

Wordpress Throws in Built-In Support for Markdown

With the Ghost platform recently launched and proving to be a viable medium for easy publishing and a clean writing style, it comes as no surprise that Wordpress finally supports writing in Markdown. For those that are unfamiliar with the style, here's the definitely from creator John Gruber.

Markdown is a text-to-HTML conversion tool for web writers. Markdown allows you to write using an easy-to-read, easy-to-write plain text format, then convert it to structurally valid XHTML (or HTML).

I've been learning how to write in Markdown and have installed awesome plugins for support in my Wordpress site such as Markdown on Save Improved and WP-Footnotes. Of course with this launching, I suppose I can turn these off now but I still have yet to find where to "activate" the setting.

You can find a quick reference guide here.

Footnotes Finally!

I've finally found a viable, easy Wordpress plugin for footnotes and activated it here on elijahnicolas.com ((first post with embedded footnotes)). I decided to go with Simon Elvery version instead of Austin Sweeney's only because I could customize it within a "Settings" tab. I like Austin's idea about how his Civil Footnotes makes decisions for you and that you could edit the output easily in the plugin, but I just proved to be a little lazy. They seem to operate in similar fashion and I couldn't be happier. ((for some reason, my social plugin and the new wp-footnote plugin are conflicting in the spacing area beneath the body of my main text in preview mode but not when the post is published. Weird.))

Fundraising for the Philippines

It's truly amazing to see all the fundraising opportunities that are popping up all over the internet for the Philippines for relief from Typhoon Haiyan. From free voice calls and text messages via AT&T, Verizon or Sprint, free shipping from LBC or you can also donate directly to the Red Cross Typhoon Appeal. My two favorite are from the folks at Ironman and San Diego Bolt Complex. Click on any of the images or the links to proceed and support this cause, country and people ((I was born and raised in San Diego but both my parents are originally from the Philippines. This is a cause and time that holds dear to my heart. I would appreciate any donations you can make)) I also have friends that I can get you in touch with that are accepting donations and shipping every week as well.

From the Ironman Foundation:

To support victims of Typhoon Haiyan, IRONMAN and The IRONMAN Foundation want to provide one meal a day for 1,000 families for a month. We need your help to achieve that goal. We’ve teamed up with a Philippine non-profit organization dedicated to fighting poverty, Gawad Kalinga (which means "give care").

Your $30 contribution for one shirt will feed a family of five every day for a month.

From San Diego Bolt Complex

We, the BX, will donate ALL proceeds to this organization, http://www.savethechildren.org. Millions of vulnerable children are at risk in the aftermath of Super Typhoon Haiyan. More than 300 miles wide, the typhoon left a deadly path of destruction in its wake. In response, Save the Children is working around the clock to help children and families with emergency assistance during this difficult time. Thank you.

A friend of mine composed a bitly bundle that is showcasing all the Philippine Charity Tee Shirts. I'm sure with all the various tee out there, you can easily pick one!

Apple's 2013 Fall Event in Review (and what I'm buying)

Recap After the introduction of the amazing and incredible iPad Air, the iPad mini with Retina Display, the Mac Pro, Haswell MacBook Pros, and finally OS X Mavericks, my biggest takeaway was the continued onslaught by Apple's talented programming team of providing productivity applications for one low cost; FREE.

The $19.99 operating system upgrade that we've been familiar the past few years has gone free (just like iOS), and all the iLife and iWork applications are now included with every new Mac and iOS device. That about quells any arguments that one could pose against converting over to an Apple computer. Think about it for a minute. You buy a computer and out of the box, the only applications you might need are… you tell me? Apple has always been about providing the best experience to the end user and BOOM, there it is!

If you need something a little more in line with "Pro" in photography, download Aperture (which received a modest .5 update to 3.5) and on the film side of the aisle, you still have the controversial Final Cut Pro X. Either than that, you're now free to collaborate offline or even online in real time with the new Numbers, Keynote and Pages also available on iCloud beta! One caveat to all this, Apple still hasn't given us users more cloud storage space unlike Yahoo's new free 1TB storage option or Google's unlimited photo storage.

The other big free news story of today happens to come from T-Mobile's introduction of 200MB a month of data for free! With both new iPads encompassing all 14 LTE bands in a single chipset for an additional $130 over the standard wifi version, it's a no brainer to elect a T-Mobile + WiFi version.

In-Depth

Since I never quite had the chance to use my iPad 3 let alone unbox and open it, nor had the chance to really use my iPad mini (it's my daughter's new Disney television), I've been eagerly waiting for the next 9.7" iPad and today, Apple gave us the iPad Air. From what I'm gathering, it's amazing. Smaller and more capable that its predecessor with the kicker being a device that's comfortable to hold with one hand. That's always been my falling in love moment with the iPad mini and I'm quite excited to try this out with the iPad Air. You can count on me to be in line the night prior to Nov 1st or eagerly waiting on my computer to buy and click Space Gray 64GB LTE+WiFI "In-Store Pickup".

When you hear about the upgraded dimensions of the iPad Air, you’re undoubtedly impressed. 28 percent lighter. 20 percent thinner. 1 pound. 1 freaking pound! But it’s not until you actually hold the device until what Apple has done here really registers. - MG Siegler

Over the course of the past year, I've advised many friends and acquaintances, and even family members to grab the iPad mini without hesitation. The weight, form factor and size was just perfect and didn't lead to wrist fatigue. None have returned it nor complained and it's always been praised. The one glaring omission from the first generation was a Retina Display and now we have it. The release date is set for late November and you can also bet that I'm going to pull the trigger on this device. I might keep both, but my aim is to classify the use of each iPad and optimally choose one device. I'll be keeping my 1st gen iPad mini too. On a side note, I also have a 2012 Nexus 7 tablet. Click and Buy Space Gray 32GB LTE+WiFi

If you've installed OS X Mavericks, Federico Viticci from Macstories.net has posted a very thorough roundup on tips, tricks and details here.

Now here's the bigger news on my personal front. Ever since I sold my 2008 MacBook Pro, I've been using my wife's late-2010 MacBook Air and taking it along with me on my overnights. I've been hogging it so much (yes I'm using it right now to type this post) that it's downright disgusting. As personal punishment, I've kept the bright purple Marc by Marc Jacobs slip cover and can be seen totting it around. NBD. It's come in quite handy as it's easily spotted.

So, with that, am I going to pull the trigger on the new 15" MacBook Pro w/ Retina Display with Crystalwell? As some of you may know, I've been putting on hold for just over a year. I really want to say yes and I'm still really close, but with Broadwell touting increased CPU figures over Haswell's battery and power management upgrades, I'm still up in the air. I need a laptop now so the scales are tipped more towards the just do it but I'll let you know. The one I would get would be the 15" with a dedicated GPU so that starts at $2599 and I'd up the CPU to the next step up for $200. Add Apple Care and you're above the $3k mark! It's pretty scary once you break that threshold but if it's going to last over 36 months, then $2.75 a day for an awesome machine is a figure that I can live with. my previous 2008 MBP cost me just $0.85 a day (Purchased for $1899 + $200 in upgrades two years later minus the selling price of $860 divided by 4 years)

Recall: Apple MacBook Air June 2012 to June 2013

I'm a huge supporter of things best of the best, but sometimes faulty parts from various manufacturers can be hazardous to your continuous happiness in the world of computing. If you don't back up on a regular basis, this recall should be of concern to you! Posted yesterday on Apple's website, they are launching a recall on the MacBook Airs purchased between June 2012 to June 2013 for faulty flash storage drives. Warning users to not install any updates, you can verify if your MacBook Air is affected following the simple steps on the Apple website.

This is a free replacement so I would schedule an appointment at your local Apple Store Genius today and get it done!

To see if your drive may be affected, go to the Mac App Store, click on Updates and choose the MacBook Air Flash Storage Firmware Update 1.1. The firmware update will test your drive to see if it is affected. You will be directed back to this page for next steps if needed.

Transfer Cash via Square for Free

I've find myself at dinner on more than one occasion, semi-embarrassed, without cash, out of all places at a cash-only restaurant requiring a temporary loan. I don't know about you but I simply don't carry that much cash on my person these days. Repaying that short-term loan can be awkward when it comes to writing a check and / or finding a far away ATM which always leads to dark alleys plus the extra charges so I try to avoid that as much as possible. I don't know too many friends that have used Wells Fargo or Chase's application to send and receive cash because not too people actually bank at the same place and when it comes to credit unions, forget about it.

For all those awkward moments, we now have Square Cash. It's a free service (no hidden charges) that allow individuals to send and receive cash via e-mail. Yup, seriously. Money is transferred via one debit card to another up to increments of $250 on a weekly basis but with a simple verification of identity, you can send up to $2500 a week! No password or account setup is required and the app is available on either iOS or Android. Deposits happen fast within one to two days but Square is promising faster service in the near future.

The only caveat is that you have to trust Square to handle your transaction. So if anything, make sure your e-mail account password is a tad bit more secure when using the service but either than that, Square has had an awesome track record with their merchant business in detecting fraud through strong security measures and close human and machine monitoring. Start e-mailing cash today!

Square Cash is the quickest, simplest method I’ve seen for sending money from one person to another.

via Walt Mossberg for Wall Street Journal

A Daunting Task for the Would Be Microsoft CEO

It's Monday and with that, we have an awesome read by Mr. Jean-Louis Gassée on his Monday Note depicting the reality that faces Microsoft's new CEO.

To put it even more succinctly: the iPhone did it.

He also lists a few important bullet points for the next CEO. I'm excited to see where the future lies. I still remember waiting in line for Windows 95!

via Monday Note

iPhone 5s for $99

With the latest discounts applying to Apple's iPhone 5c at Walmart and Best Buy, Sprint is rounding up customers near and far by aggressively selling the iPhone 5s for $99 with a 2 year contract + new line activation.  I've also confirmed that this applies to current customers off of contract.  It's the cheapest price that I've seen around the web so if you've been thinking about switching to the $80 unlimited everything plan, now's your chance to get a brand new phone.

Selling your stuff?

From everyday's hassle free Gazelle to sometimes can be creepy craigslist, everyone is all about getting the bets bang for their used item. As new entrant to the market, Sold is here to make it that much easier for us all. Check them out! They just released an app for Android and has had an iOS app since their launch in April.

Sold. Launch Film from Sold. on Vimeo.

If you missed it a couple of months ago, Techcrunch first reported Sold back in April here.

update: the first item I put up on Sold was a pair of Tokidoki Sol Republic Headphones that retail for $120 and the offer I got was $53.  Seems reasonable for a "no hassle" sale, but I'm thinking that it's utility is worth more.  It's actually unopened as well.  Once you receive an offer, in my case 72 hours later, you have 24 hours to accept and being the transfer.  I have 12 left to decide.

The Truth to Syria

Depressing insight to what the truths of a civil war can be like through the eyes of Italian journalist Domenico Quirico --held hostage for 150 days.

In this place, when the hostage weeps, everyone laughs at the spectacle of his pain and sees it as a sign of weakness. Syria has become the Country of Evil, the land where evil triumphs and thrives like grapes on the vine under a Middle Eastern sun, and where evil displays all its aspects: greed, hatred, fanaticism, the absence of mercy; where even children and the old rejoice in their malevolence. My captors prayed to their God standing next to me, the suffering prisoner. They prayed content, without remorse and attentive to their rituals. What were they saying to their God?

via The Guardian