MacWorld Day 2

We started the morning off pretty much the same way we did yesterday, breakfast at the Brown Couch.  It was just so very, very good.                                                                

Lox, cream cheese, bagel and a smoothie.  The wifi was up and working, and we started planning the day. 

From breakfast, we went back to the Apple Store.  Somewhere during the course of the day yesterday, we decided that when we get home, we will be upgrading to the newest iMac 27” rather than getting a Mac Mini and separate screen.  The video processor on the iMac is separate and so much better than on the Mini, so we are opting to go with the solution that gives us the best opportunity to maximize what we really want to process.  And that’s photo and video.  We are waiting for the next iteration of MacBook Airs to come out before I get a new one for school - hopefully, retina screens will be out this time, but it will be good to start fresh.  Wayne will get my current Air (I replaced the SSD for a larger version, and upgraded the RAM), and I’ll take the new one to my cubicle at the law library.  So, at the Apple Store, we purchased a cable to let us continue to use our HDMI setup in the den (hooked up to the living room TV) with better processing and graphics.

From there, back to the show.  We walked the floor again, returning to Adonit (Mom, Dad, Pam, Scott, I have goodies for you) and Juce.  They have a new case for the iPads that allows you to swivel the iPad without having to rotate the case.  Totally nice!

We went back to the Cupola again, and once again split salad (this time an interesting calamari/arugula/lemon peel combo) and a pizza. Buffalo mozzarella and I have a love/love relationship.  And I’m starting one with Drake 1500 IPA.  And making the pizza in a wood fired oven certainly doesn’t hurt.

After lunch, we returned to the show, and attended two lectures, one on home network management (again, a review), and one on traveling with electronics.  I did get a good tip from that lecture - an app called hotel tonight.  If you are traveling, and you get somewhere you will be for that evening, it comes up with a list of hotels at reduced rates in your area, as long as it is 2 pm or later.  The rates for SF were ridiculously low, even for hotels near the Moscone Center.  My only problem would be having to do that every night, and possibly move rooms every night.  But for a spur of the moment let’s go somewhere tonight app, it was great.

For dinner, we headed down to the ferry pier, and the Slanted Door, to meet up with Eileen again.  We got there a little early and had some time to walk around before she arrived fresh from the breaking down/packing up/moving of her offices.  The Slanted Door is Vietnamese fusion, and it was also excellent.  I don’t think that we have had a single bad meal here on this trip, and I cannot remember a trip (with the exception of our Rhine River Cruise) where this has happened before.  Really, this is a restaurant worth looking up if you are in town.

After a very leisurely dinner, we walked with Eileen to the BART, and then broke off to go to Cirque du Mac - an invitation event only where the entertainment is provided by those lecturing at the event.  Who would have known that a bunch of Mac geeks would get together once a year to have a jam session with a bunch of other geeks.  The spread was nice, the music was nowhere near as loud as Little Feat last night, and we had fun.  We left after about two hours to head home, and as we walked towards Market and Montgomery, there was an accident where one of the little green carts was hit by a white Audi SUV or station wagon type vehicle.  After someone looked to see if the green cart driver was ok, the driver of the Audi (who never got out of the car) peeled out of the intersection.  Guess that when they go over the security footage of that intersection, and trace the license plate, the owner of the white car can look forward to some criminal charges.  I guess hit and run is better than an accident coupled with a DUI.

We BARTed home again, and the streets were absolutely rocking - as soon as we were out of the station, the odor of marijuana was everywhere, and a girl lit up a blunt right in front of us.  There was quite a ruckus on the street, too, with two tall drunk men getting into it while their also drunk friends struggled to keep them apart.  It was a good thing that our hotel was very near by.

Sleep well all.

 

Not quite the Soleil