Bettnetlog http://www.bettnetlog.com Domenico Bettinelli's place for ephemera and stuff posterous.com Sat, 13 Aug 2011 09:02:34 -0700 The view from our hotel room at the Hotel Petit Palace Ducal http://www.bettnetlog.com/the-view-from-our-hotel-room-at-the-hotel-pet http://www.bettnetlog.com/the-view-from-our-hotel-room-at-the-hotel-pet
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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/104900/domheadshot.jpg http://posterous.com/users/4aGahDAM0f8R Domenico Bettinelli Dom Domenico Bettinelli Sat, 13 Aug 2011 00:50:04 -0700 The royal palace, Alumenda cathedral, ad St. Francis Basilica http://www.bettnetlog.com/the-royal-palace-alumenda-cathedral-ad-st-fra http://www.bettnetlog.com/the-royal-palace-alumenda-cathedral-ad-st-fra
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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/104900/domheadshot.jpg http://posterous.com/users/4aGahDAM0f8R Domenico Bettinelli Dom Domenico Bettinelli Fri, 12 Aug 2011 10:37:14 -0700 Top 10 movies I won't watch on my flight to Madrid http://www.bettnetlog.com/top-10-movies-i-wont-watch-on-my-flight-to-ma http://www.bettnetlog.com/top-10-movies-i-wont-watch-on-my-flight-to-ma I'm thinking about what movies to put on my iPad for my transatlantic flight today and here's my top 10 list of movies I won't be watching:

1. Airport (1975, 1977, etc)
2. The Langoliers
3. Alive
4. The pilot episode of Lost
5. Die Harder
6. United 93
7. Twilight Zone: The Movie
8. Castaway
9. Airplane

And of course, at the top of the list:
10. Snakes on a Plane

What else would you recommend?

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/104900/domheadshot.jpg http://posterous.com/users/4aGahDAM0f8R Domenico Bettinelli Dom Domenico Bettinelli Wed, 27 Jul 2011 06:52:00 -0700 Red Sox game http://www.bettnetlog.com/red-sox-game http://www.bettnetlog.com/red-sox-game

On a cool summer evening in late July, leaders and pilgrims preparing to travel to World Youth Day in Madrid in August were treated to a special night: a Boston Red Sox game against the Kansas City Royals seen from the amazing right-field rooftop terrace. In a space set aside just for the Archdiocese of Boston group. A thunderstorm sickly passed through and left a beautiful sunset and a perfect setting for America’s favorite pastime. The hometown team and their opponents engaged in a hitter’s carnival, the score swinging back and forth to the delight of the crowd.

Meanwhile, our group mingled in our own area, laughing and talking, re-connecting with old friends and getting to know new ones, anticipating the hard work and joy we are about to receive on our journey.

It was a beautiful night. Please enjoy these photos I took last night as well using my iPhone on a variety of apps: Camera+, Pro HDR, Photosynth, and Autostitch. Each app gave me a slightly different tool for the varying conditions. I was able to synchronize the photos to my Dropbox account using the Photosync app and then uploaded them to Posterous, which posted them on my miniblog at Bettnetlog.com and re-posted them to Bettnet.com, Facebook, and Twitter. I started composing this text on my iPad using the Elements app, which syncs to my Dropbox and I finished writing it in TextMate on my Mac in the Markdown markup code. The synchronizing between the iPhone and iPad were accomplished via WiFi over a Verizon MiFi mobile router, which allows WiFi-enabled gadgets to connect over the Internet.

All of this technology was used as a test for some of the work we’ll be doing in Madrid, posting real-time updates from the pilgrimage to our blog site at WYDMadridBoston.com. It worked pretty well. Now to see it in action in Spain.

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/104900/domheadshot.jpg http://posterous.com/users/4aGahDAM0f8R Domenico Bettinelli Dom Domenico Bettinelli Sun, 24 Jul 2011 12:48:29 -0700 Untitled http://www.bettnetlog.com/62349162 http://www.bettnetlog.com/62349162 We're at D.W. Field Park in Brockton, MA. the heat wave is broken and we wanted to get outside.

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/104900/domheadshot.jpg http://posterous.com/users/4aGahDAM0f8R Domenico Bettinelli Dom Domenico Bettinelli Wed, 20 Jul 2011 09:21:03 -0700 Roger Williams Park Zoo http://www.bettnetlog.com/roger-williams-park-zoo http://www.bettnetlog.com/roger-williams-park-zoo

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On a sunny and very hot summer day, we took a trip to Roger Williams Park Zoo in Providence

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/104900/domheadshot.jpg http://posterous.com/users/4aGahDAM0f8R Domenico Bettinelli Dom Domenico Bettinelli Sun, 17 Jul 2011 12:44:44 -0700 My niece Veronica's baptism http://www.bettnetlog.com/my-niece-veronicas-baptism http://www.bettnetlog.com/my-niece-veronicas-baptism

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My niece Veronica Rose was baptized today.

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/104900/domheadshot.jpg http://posterous.com/users/4aGahDAM0f8R Domenico Bettinelli Dom Domenico Bettinelli Sat, 04 Jun 2011 12:33:36 -0700 Pakeen Farm CSA http://www.bettnetlog.com/pakeen-farm-csa http://www.bettnetlog.com/pakeen-farm-csa

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We went to the first pickup at our CSA today. (CSA is an acronym for community supported agriculture, also known as a farm share, where you pay a set amount and get a share of the farm's output for the season.)

The farm had a potluck picnic for all the farm share holders and it was a nice time on a beautiful day without too much heat and plenty of sun.

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/104900/domheadshot.jpg http://posterous.com/users/4aGahDAM0f8R Domenico Bettinelli Dom Domenico Bettinelli Tue, 15 Mar 2011 07:16:00 -0700 Catholic Media Promotion Day http://www.bettnetlog.com/catholic-media-promotion-day http://www.bettnetlog.com/catholic-media-promotion-day
Today is the first Catholic Media Promotion Day in which we name and promote all of our favorite Catholic media productions in all the various forms: blogs, podcasts, radio, TV, apps, and more. 

First, let me promote something new I'm working on The Good Catholic Life , a radio show and podcast based in Boston that covers everything about living a good Catholic life. We cover news of the day from a Catholic perspective; initiatives and ministries in Boston and eastern New England, and beyond; and profiles of Catholic leaders. We've only just begun and already we've started a huge buzz among our audience.

Now, on to my favorite Catholic media. I'll give you lists of three:

Blogs:
  1. The Wine Dark Sea (of course)
  2. Conversion Diary
  3. American Papist
Podcasts:
  1. The Break with Fr. Roderick
  2. Catholic Weekend
  3. Catholics in a Small Town
iPhone apps
  1. CatholicTV
  2. iBreviary
  3. Pilot Parish Finder (of course)
I could go on an on with the lists, but I'll limit myself here. Check out these and other Catholic media, especially any that you don't know and be sure to promote them far and wide.

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/104900/domheadshot.jpg http://posterous.com/users/4aGahDAM0f8R Domenico Bettinelli Dom Domenico Bettinelli Fri, 04 Mar 2011 18:36:00 -0800 Sophia's Birthday http://www.bettnetlog.com/sophias-birthday http://www.bettnetlog.com/sophias-birthday

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Today was Sophia's 3rd birthday so we went out to dinner and then had cake and presents after.

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/104900/domheadshot.jpg http://posterous.com/users/4aGahDAM0f8R Domenico Bettinelli Dom Domenico Bettinelli Mon, 21 Feb 2011 07:54:39 -0800 Meeting the new brother http://www.bettnetlog.com/meeting-the-new-brother http://www.bettnetlog.com/meeting-the-new-brother

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I went home and got Theresa and the kids to bring them to meet their new nephew/brother. They took to him immediately and were very happy to meet him.

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/104900/domheadshot.jpg http://posterous.com/users/4aGahDAM0f8R Domenico Bettinelli Dom Domenico Bettinelli Sun, 20 Feb 2011 22:15:37 -0800 Anthony Ignatius http://www.bettnetlog.com/anthony-ignatius http://www.bettnetlog.com/anthony-ignatius

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My son Anthony was just born about 90 minutes ago. Mom and son are doing well. Melanie says this may be the best she's felt in recovery. (We'll hope that trend continues.)

He was supposed to be born on Thursday, but Melanie woke with contractions last night and then they came back tonight (Sunday). We went to the hospital and she was whisked into the OR. Well, as much as hospitals whisk you, which isn't very quickly.

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/104900/domheadshot.jpg http://posterous.com/users/4aGahDAM0f8R Domenico Bettinelli Dom Domenico Bettinelli Sun, 13 Feb 2011 10:53:00 -0800 Steve Jobs Isn't Coming Back This Time http://www.bettnetlog.com/steve-jobs-isnt-coming-back-this-time http://www.bettnetlog.com/steve-jobs-isnt-coming-back-this-time

Steve Jobs with the Apple iPad no logoI’ve been thinking about Apple’s future lately from my viewpoint as a fan, a customer, and a shareholder (I have a very comfortable holding of Apple shares in my IRA), and I have come to the conclusion that Steve Jobs isn’t going to come back to the company as a CEO or any other meaningful role.

Last month, Jobs took an indefinite leave of absence from the company he founded and then saved from the brink of destruction. It was the second such medical leave he’d taken in recent years, the last one in 2009 when underwent a liver transplant. That leave lasted six months, a time frame he revealed at the start of his hiatus. However, the circumstances of his most recent leave were much more vague. Here is his letter to employees from January 2011:

At my request, the board of directors has granted me a medical leave of absence so I can focus on my health. I will continue as CEO and be involved in major strategic decisions for the company.

I have asked Tim Cook to be responsible for all of Apple’s day to day operations. I have great confidence that Tim and the rest of the executive management team will do a terrific job executing the exciting plans we have in place for 2011.

I love Apple so much and hope to be back as soon as I can. In the meantime, my family and I would deeply appreciate respect for our privacy.

I don’t intend to speculate on Jobs’ personal life or invade his privacy, but I have a hunch that unlike his previous absence, this time Jobs’ leave is not temporary, but permanent. One of the biggest fears of fans of a healthy Apple Co. has been that Jobs’ admittedly serious medical condition could leave the company suddenly without the legendarily fearless and focused leader whose vision has saved Apple “singlehandedly” (which is perhaps an exaggeration and does not give enough credit to the team he has surrounded himself with). Many people fear that an Apple without Jobs would be rudderless and eventually become just another tech company producing mediocre products and focused on maximizing profits to the detriment of product design and quality. In other words, a return to Apple of the mid-Nineties.

Whether this is likely or not—and I tend to think it isn’t likely because people like Jonathan Ives, Tim Cook, and others at Apple are just as responsible for Apple’s amazing products and marketing as Jobs—the perception is what matters to Wall Street. And if Jobs were to leave suddenly, investors would abandon the stock in droves and the company would love the confidence of the market and the media alike. (Under Jobs’ tenure, every announcement from Apple is greeted by receptive and cynical media alike as a veritable pronouncement from upon high; the media coverage of the company is worthy of study in academia.)

But what if the company were able to prove over the long term that not only could it survive a post-Jobs era, but thrive?

I think Steve Jobs phrased his departure letter in an open-ended way so as not to panic the public at his absence, but for them to be able to say eventually, “Look at how well the company has performed in his absence. It doesn’t matter if he settles down to a well-deserved retirement.”

For as much as we would all selfishly love for Steve Jobs—or any other favored producer of the things we love—to continue performing their magic for us indefinitely, at some point we have to be willing to wish them well and let them enjoy the fruits of their labor.

I don’t particularly relish the idea of a Steve-less Apple, but I think that the day has already come. And I think Apple will be just fine.

Photo credit: Matt Buchanan via Wikimedia Commons.

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/104900/domheadshot.jpg http://posterous.com/users/4aGahDAM0f8R Domenico Bettinelli Dom Domenico Bettinelli Sat, 12 Feb 2011 16:27:00 -0800 My Must-Have iPhone Apps for New iPhone Owners http://www.bettnetlog.com/my-must-have-iphone-apps-for-new-iphone-owner http://www.bettnetlog.com/my-must-have-iphone-apps-for-new-iphone-owner

For my Catholic, Verizon-using friends who are just getting iPhones and wondering which apps to get, I have my list of must-have apps.

This list is by-no-means comprehensive. In fact, in the 3 years I've had, first, an iPod touch and then iPhones, iTunes tells me I've download about 200 300 apps, both free and paid. (Mostly free, I hope.) But these are many of the apps on my iPhone today. (Again, not all of them.)

The other point of note is that some of these apps are related to how *I* work and  may or may not relate to how you work. Some of them also sync with applications on my Mac and/or interface with cloud-based web services.

All those disclaimers aside, here is my list of must-have iPhone apps with little, if any added commentary.

* Google Voice
* Calvetica (awesome and beautiful iCal replacement)
* Accuweather (best of the weather apps I've tried)
* Shazam (always be able to answer the question: What song is that?)
* Evernote (your second-brain; connects to web service)
* 1Password (awesomest Mac/PC/iOs password storage)
* Facebook
* Yelp
* Twitter (the official app)
* Foursquare
* Dropbox (Should be standard on every computer and smartphone)
* Dragon Dictation
* LogMeIn (expensive app, but great remote desktop access)
* Elements (text editor; stores files on Dropbox)
* Goodreader (move all kinds of files on and off iPhone and around iOs apps)
* Glympse (let people know where you are right now and keep them updated)
* Apple Remote (control iTunes on your Mac; the real AppleTV remote)
* Pandora
* CatholicTV (Daily Mass and more)
* iCatholic (monthly magazine)
* PilotParishFinder (for Boston folks)
* The Boston Pilot (Catholic news)
* Motion X GPS Drive (GPS navigation)
* CNN
* AP Mobile
* Pro HDR (better high dynamic range photos than iPhone's built-in HDR)
* AutoStitch (Easiest way to make panoramic photos)
* Photoshop Express (edit your photos)
* Flickr
* Camera + (Apple should buy the app and make it the default camera app)
* Angry Birds (buy it; see you in 6 months)
* Skee Ball (surprisingly fun arcade action)
* Flight Control (touch-based game)
* Game Center (Apple's gaming social network)
* Words with Friends (Scrabble online)
* Kindle (you *can* read books on the iPhone)
* iBooks (prettier than Kindle, not as many books)
* iMDb (when you have to know who that actor is)
* Amazon.com (when you're at Target and need to know if Amazon has it cheaper; the answer is always Yes)
* BofA (if you're a Bank of America customer; very handy)
* Fandango (movie times and tickets)
* Banner (for sending messages to friends across the bar)
* Deliveries by JuneCloud (track your packages; works with Mac Dashboard widget)
* Kayak (get great deals on flights)
* Flightview (when is your Uncle Sal's flight coming in?)
* Tripit (keep track of your and your friends' trips)
* NetFlix (for watching streaming movies)
* QueueUp (a better interface for adding Netflix movies to your queue than Netflix)
* Skype (video calling with your backwards friends who can't Facetime with their iPhone 4s)

That's it. It could have been longer. It probably should have been shorter. And if you asked me to make the list next week, it would be different. But this list should help any new iPhone user get started. Have fun!

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/104900/domheadshot.jpg http://posterous.com/users/4aGahDAM0f8R Domenico Bettinelli Dom Domenico Bettinelli Sat, 16 Oct 2010 08:20:01 -0700 World's End http://www.bettnetlog.com/worlds-end http://www.bettnetlog.com/worlds-end We're here at World's End, which sounds pretty dramatic. In fact, it's a park, part of the private Trustees of the Reservation system of parks. It's in Hingham on an island and peninsula overlooking the Atlantic ocean and Boston harbor.

It's beautiful with the foliage but very windy today. Definitely someplace to come back to in the spring and summer.

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/104900/domheadshot.jpg http://posterous.com/users/4aGahDAM0f8R Domenico Bettinelli Dom Domenico Bettinelli Sat, 16 Oct 2010 08:04:24 -0700 Bettinellis at World's End http://www.bettnetlog.com/bettinellis-at-worlds-end http://www.bettnetlog.com/bettinellis-at-worlds-end

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IMG_0079.mov Watch on Posterous

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/104900/domheadshot.jpg http://posterous.com/users/4aGahDAM0f8R Domenico Bettinelli Dom Domenico Bettinelli Sat, 02 Oct 2010 08:19:12 -0700 Bella's apple http://www.bettnetlog.com/bellas-apple http://www.bettnetlog.com/bellas-apple
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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/104900/domheadshot.jpg http://posterous.com/users/4aGahDAM0f8R Domenico Bettinelli Dom Domenico Bettinelli Sat, 02 Oct 2010 08:18:14 -0700 Apple Orchard Panorama http://www.bettnetlog.com/apple-orchard-panorama http://www.bettnetlog.com/apple-orchard-panorama
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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/104900/domheadshot.jpg http://posterous.com/users/4aGahDAM0f8R Domenico Bettinelli Dom Domenico Bettinelli Sat, 11 Sep 2010 13:51:15 -0700 Priceless http://www.bettnetlog.com/priceless http://www.bettnetlog.com/priceless Tickets to ren faire for family: $35. Food tickets: $40. 2 sets of fairy wings: $50. Seeing the joy on the faces of my fairy princesses: Priceless.

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/104900/domheadshot.jpg http://posterous.com/users/4aGahDAM0f8R Domenico Bettinelli Dom Domenico Bettinelli Sat, 11 Sep 2010 10:02:38 -0700 King Richard's Faire http://www.bettnetlog.com/king-richards-faire http://www.bettnetlog.com/king-richards-faire

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/104900/domheadshot.jpg http://posterous.com/users/4aGahDAM0f8R Domenico Bettinelli Dom Domenico Bettinelli