Photo via Wikimedia Commons

Fight about cabs no more! (NYT)

Apple continues to take over the electronic world. (NY Daily News)

The Times reviews Thursday’s concert in honor of Helmut Lachenmann.

Coyote Update: violence among canids. (Gothamist)

Welcome to SocketHop, in which we bring you free (but useful) mini-apps and major (but relevant) headlines from the world of technology, hopefully demystifying the subject along the way.  Flood our inbox (bwog@columbia.edu) and tell us what you think and what you want to see.  Be not afraid of technology!

Snazz Up Your Desktop: Exposé for Windows

Columbia is an Apple-happy campus.  Mac OS X (pronounced “oh ess ten”, Apple’s operating system) dominates in lecture and in lab, but let us not forget those of us who have stuck with Windows.

One of Mac’s spiffier features is Exposé.  Exposé presents miniaturized versions of all your open windows at once, allowing you to click on the one you want.  If you’re like Bwog and have twenty applications open at any given time, this saves you a lot of cycling through windows searching for your thesis draft.  A video of all Exposé features in action is on Youtube (skip to 1:15 for the “show all windows” feature).

Exposé on OS X

Windows’ most similar feature is in Vista (but not XP), called Windows Flip3D (Microsoft once again displaying its naming prowess).  It doesn’t simultaneously show you all open windows, but it allows you to visually cycle through them- not a good option if you have too many open.

A quick fix, after the jump.

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Clear sunny days like today make it easy to appreciate fall, a cruel and unpredictable season. Unfortunately days this lovely are few and far between and many of us end up, somewhat unfairly, associating the season with the end of summer blues, midterms, and other decidedly unpleasant things.  But Bwog is here to make sure you appreciate the month of October in all its blazing autumnal glory. So today on Rest of the Best Of, we’re exploring one of the season’s delicacies: hot cider.



Hungarian Pastry Shop

It takes the Hungarian employees behind the counter a moment to register that they do indeed serve cider, and it takes them longer than usual to prepare your order.  But Hungarian’s cider does exist, and it’s worth the extra wait.

The cider is served in a hefty ceramic mug which on a drizzly fall night is just the right size temperature and texture to wrap your hands around. The actual brew within the mug is too hot to imbibe only for a moment.  As you gaze longingly into your steaming mug, take a moment to appreciate the cinnamony scent and rich ocher color of the cider.  And whatever you do, don’t sip to soon.  Singed taste buds is a surefire way to ruin the cider experience.

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A group of first-years (who have collectively named themselves Floor 7 Productions) recently submitted their short film Waking Up and Other Hardships to Apple’s ’07 Insomnia Festival, in which high school and college student groups create their own three minutes of brilliance in under 24 hours based on a set of pre-listed elements. See if you can spot them for yourselves — although it may be a bit difficult to rationally explain the huge oven mits.

You can rate the film until November 9th to help the group win gain their eternal glory, so go! Vote! This is probably the right weekend to do it, anyway.

Go bob for apples and get free cider outside Ferris Booth in Lerner! You have until 2 pm!

Bwog asked the bobbers: So, how do you guys feel about germs?

“Well, an apple a day keeps the Doctor away, so if you get the apple, you don’t have to worry about germs!”

Bwog knows who’d beg to differ: The health insurance companies who’ve camped out on the Lerner Ramp just below the parasite fest.

More photos of bobbers after the jump…

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The Inmates Next Door

RIP CBGB

RIP R.W Apple 

Don’t let it get to your heads

They’re lucky they even have housing! 

Bwog�s Mac has been acting up lately, necessitating a trip to the Apple Store at 58th and Fifth. Luckily, the wonderland of glass and white plastic is open 24/7, which can lead to some odd experiences. Bwog contributor Kate Redburn spent some time at the Genius Bar in the wee hours of the morning, and has this report.

Gentle, non-fluorescent lighting in the Apple Store creates the illusion of permanent day, making a recent 2:00 AM visit to the store much the same as a visit during normal business hours. Shoppers, mostly men, stroll through geometric displays, and employees diligently man on-floor positions. After a few minutes, the cast of characters starts to repeat itself.

 

Stalker Employee

Profile: Possibly the most dangerous and easily the most annoying person you will encounter at the Apple Store, Stalker Employee will not answer any questions for �confidentiality reasons.� Beware. He will follow you around the sparsely populated store, quickly jumping into casual poses when you glance in his direction.

Reason for being there: It�s his job.

Post-bar Buddy: Profile: Bleary eyed bar hoppers also have a strong showing late at night. These guys hobble from spotless display to spotless display, and are prone to random bouts of laughter. In between turning dials on iPod speakers, they stop to marvel at the cylindrical elevator in the center of the store.

Reason for being there: They need new nanos. Read more…