Skip the navigation. Get straight to business.
Posted by Markus Langenfeld - 07/31/08 at 08:07:02 pm
Fonolo.com is a new service (currently in private beta) that promises to offer an easy way to navigate corporate phone menus - by letting them do all of the dirty work. Fonolo has spidered and archived companies’ entire customer service phone “trees” so all you have to do is click on a chart online and tell it where you want to go. Fonolo calls the company for you, navigates the call to that point, and calls your phone when it’s ready. Just like that you’re transferred in without any waiting or sudden urges to slit your wrists from listening to Kenny G’s Billy Idol cover for hours on end.
Best of all the service is free, just enter your email address on the front page and they’ll hook you up with an invite.
Favorite Song of 2008
Posted by Markus Langenfeld - 07/28/08 at 05:07:41 amThe Beatfanatic Remix of José González - Killing For Love. This song has been popular on SIRIUS Chill lately and for some reason I’m finding myself humming it randomly at work or when I’m just lying in bed. It’s a song that I could listen to over and over, and I think it’s my favorite new release so far this year.
Movie Review: X-Files - I Want to Believe
Posted by Markus Langenfeld - 07/27/08 at 10:07:05 pm
Well, what can I say? I expected a lot from the return of Mulder and Scully in The X-Files: I Want to Believe. The X-Files was one of my favorite television series of all time, the last X-Files movie (X-Files: Fight the Future) definitely makes my top 20, so I really wanted the new movie to live up to my expectations.
When you compare ‘I Want to Believe’ to the 1998 classic ‘Fight the Future’ and the X-Files television series, as a sequel or a continuation to the X-Files legacy this movie fails. You quickly realize that it doesn’t tie in with what happened in the series or the past movie at all, the cliffhanger left at the end of the final season remains as if it all never happened. However, to his credit, Carter did write I Want to Believe as a stand-alone story similar to the “Monster of the Week” episodes The X-Files became famous for. As a stand-alone story I still feel that the new movie is severely lacking, the story is just not compelling and it offers too few thrills to feed a feature-length adventure.
When compared to ‘Fight the Future’ the movie felt short in duration, and it fell short in not only detail but an interesting plot overall. I don’t want to give away the big mystery but I can guarantee it won’t be the impressive 10 years later return of the X-Files that the advertising hype would lead you to believe. Then again, it is hard to beat government conspiracies and aliens right? So why even try?
The acting in ‘I Want to Believe’ was solid, David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson still look great and they do a good job, but even they seem bored with re-visiting the same old questions that were asked throughout the last movie and the series — Does their quest serve a real purpose? Does Mulder still really believe in the supernatural and does Scully have faith in her work as a healer? Finally, do the two heroes belong together as lovers?
In the end I found myself wanting to believe that there was more to the new X-Files sequel but in reality it took far too long for anything genuinely suspenseful to happen — leaving any would-be audience only wanting more for its money. Did the movie suck? No, however I did have some high expectations for The X-Files: I Want to Believe and they were far from met.
Google: Behind the Scenes
Posted by Markus Langenfeld - 07/26/08 at 08:07:06 pmThis article was actually featured on DailyCognition.com but with its recent attention on Digg it’s down for the count, check out the original here when it returns.
We already knew that working for Google had certain advantages but, believe me, this giant of the search engine takes the welfare of its employees seriously, as shown by this decompression (stress) capsule that is impermeable to sound and light.
Work Stations: Each employee has at least two large monitors. There are 4-6 ‘Zooglers’ per office.
Moving around: A slide allows quick access from different floors. There are also poles available, they are similar to the ones used in fire stations.
Food: Employees can eat all they want from a vast choice of food and drink.
Innovation: Large boards are available just about everywhere because “Ideas don’t always come when seated in the office”.
Leisure: Pool tables, video games etc. are available in many areas.
Communication: On each floor, there are private cabin areas where employees can attend to personal affairs.
Technical Support: Problem with your computer? No problem. Bring it to this area where drinks are available while it is being fixed.
Health: Professional masseurs are available.
Rest: This room provides massage chairs while you view relaxing aquariums.
Ambiance: There are many books in this library, even some about programming.
I’m one of ‘those’ types now.
Posted by Markus Langenfeld - 07/24/08 at 10:07:14 pm
Over the last year or so I’ve really expanded my horizons when it comes to politics and current events. I’ve always been a news buff, but recently I’ve started listening to Minnesota Public Radio (MPR) when there’s nothing on SIRIUS. It’s a nice change of pace from my usual blaring loud music on the way into work and I think it’s important to stay in tune with what’s going on in Minnesota.
I got into talking about this with a friend of mine today and she asked if I was becoming the type of guy that listens to talk radio. Apparently I’m cracking into a whole new universe that warrants its own classification - The Talk Radio Advocates. I’ve created a mental picture of the typical talk radio advocate and now that I’m becoming one I’ll have to try my best to meet the requirements, allow me to share my vision:
First off, I have to start drinking coffee. I’m not a coffee drinker presently but the talk radio advocate needs his cup of Joe to assist in focusing on the issues at hand… On the radio. If I spill the coffee it’s not a big deal, the talk radio advocate is known for dumping his morning brew in the crotch region while he’s stuck in traffic because the talk radio advocate likes his coffee blazing hot. Speaking of traffic, the talk radio advocate works a white collar job in the city which means everyday I’ll be stuck in traffic for hours on end, giving me plenty of time to enjoy my beloved talk radio. The talk radio advocate is also a firm supporter of car pools and the mass transit system, but in my vision this particular partisan of non-stop ramblings about politics and the headlines happens to drive a crap box mid-90’s Toyota with one of those diagonal antennas that sticks out of the roof.
Sounds like a dream come true right? Just wait until you become a Talk Radio Sponsor! Tote bags, coffee mugs, bumper stickers, the cheap gifts are endless.
My name is Markus Langenfeld and I’m not a Nazi.
Posted by Markus Langenfeld - 07/23/08 at 05:07:27 amI have a very German name, if you were to go on Google and search “Markus Langenfeld” you would get 2 entire pages about me and all of the places I hang out at online. After that it’s a mess of other websites that are definitely not in English. If you simply search Langenfeld you will get hotel listings for a town by the same name in Germany and a couple medical articles written by German doctors.
So I have a German name, blue eyes and blonde hair - I’m Hitler’s perfect youth. I must be some sort of Aryan or Neo-Nazi right?! I mean, I’d have to be. Well, I’m not. In all honesty the white costumes look like they would get dirty very easily and I never understood the whole cross burning thing. I might have the cool name but I don’t think I’d make a very good Nazi at all.
Let’s take that same logic and apply it to Barack Obama. Barack Hussein Obama, surely he’s some sort of Muslim terrorist trying to infiltrate our rock solid conservative government! I mean just look at his name right?! God help us if he becomes president, he might strap bombs to a bus and blow up a hospital!
You would think that these emails I’m now receiving every other day would get annoying but they are actually pretty amusing. It’s amusing that people buy this crap and how they can take a picture or statement and twist it so much that the stupidity just blows your mind. My email blows my mind, every day. I’ve come to the conclusion that half of the republicans I meet must have a biscuit for a brain, because when you mention Obama the only thing they can come back with is something related to his name, as if they are reading me the forwarded email they received that same morning.
So I just wanted to say that if I bother getting into a political discussion with you I’m hoping you will have more to back up your opinion than something as completely arbitrary as a name, otherwise you will just make yourself look stupid. Get over it people.
Movie Review: WarGames - The Dead Code
Posted by Markus Langenfeld - 07/22/08 at 09:07:26 am
It’s not very often that you will catch me doing a review for a movie that has yet to be released. WarGames: The Dead Code is the start of a direct-to-DVD series that are apparently sequels to the original. The first movie of this series (The Dead Code) doesn’t actually come out until July 29th, how I’ve seen the movie already isn’t important but I wanted to share my thoughts before you spent (or wasted) your money on the upcoming DVD.
I’m somewhat disappointed that they decided to take the name of a geek culture classic and slap it onto these new movies. I mean if they are expecting a geeky audience, from what I’ve seen in The Dead Code I’m less then impressed with the realism or even comical appeal that was found in the original. If they are targeting people who are into unrealistic computer hacking movies and suburbanite families looking for something to watch on a Saturday night, I doubt they would know about the original WarGames movie, so why use the name for this new series?
Wargames: The Dead Code tells the story of Will, an 18 year old kid who through his efforts to impress a girl named Annie, unwittingly gets registered with the Department of Homeland Security as a potential terrorist. Now Will and Annie must work together to clear their names and save Philadelphia from total annihilation! It sounds a lot like the original WarGames story right? While the movie makes plenty of references to the original WarGames including bringing back a special guest from the dead (perhaps that’s why it’s called The Dead Code?) I doubt the new title will become an instant classic mostly due to the ‘made for TV’ acting, mediocre effects, and subpar attention to detail. But if you’re a collector of tech related movies like me, you will probably end up purchasing a copy anyways.
To celebrate the 25th anniversary of WarGames and help spread the word about the upcoming sequel, the studios are doing a special one night event at select theaters nationwide this Thursday, July 24th. The showing will include never-before-seen interviews with the film’s creators and cast, it will also have a sneak peek at the making of the upcoming WarGames: The Dead Code. I doubt that my local cinema will be participating but it’s tempting to drive down to the cities to see this classic on the big screen. Check out the WarGames 25th Anniversary website to find a showing near you.
OCD Enthusiasts, UNITE!
Posted by Markus Langenfeld - 07/21/08 at 10:07:40 pmOCD being obsessive compulsive of course. For those who know me in person it’s a well known fact that I’m very obsessive compulsive and a little anal-retentive when it comes to most everything. Dust, cleanliness, disorder, smells, sounds, marks, scratches - when it comes to my personal space, or my car, or in this entry’s case my gadgets and toys I’m truly obsessed with maintaining things.
My fellow obsessive friends, I’d like to share a discovery that was passed onto me today. Golden Shellback is a special coating that allows you to spill, pour, or submerge your gadget in almost any liquid and have it survive. The makers of Golden Shellback say it will protect against water-based liquids, oils, synthetic fluids, dust and dirt. Truly amazing.
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