Island in the Net by Khürt Williams
Technology and Photography Musings. Established circa 2000.
Model X is designed from the ground up to blend the best of an SUV with the benefits of a minivan, as only an electric car can. It is an automobile above category, built around the driver—and six of her friends. It artfully provides unfettered performance and brilliant functionality.
November 1st kicked of National Diabetes Month in the USA and a month of programs leading up to World Diabetes Day (WDD) on November 14th. I promised to blog each day leading up to WDD but I have already broken my promise. I did not write anything yesterday so today I have given myself permission to write two blog posts about diabetes.
But what to write about? Where do I start? How do I find a topic related to this month's events?
Earlier this week when the [Big Blue Test](http://www.bigbluetest.org/) video and web site launched I decided to submit my first reading. [I tested](http://www.bigbluetest.org/#do) and then did some casual walking around Princeton with my wife and son. Before the walk my blood glucose (BG) tested at 90 mg/dL. When I tested 14 minute later, my BG was 91 mg/dL. I had expected my BG to go down due to the exercise. I expected my BG to in the mid 80s. But ... a lot of variables come into play that affect BG.
While attempting to cross the street I notice that a car was parked across the other end of the cross walk blocking access to the side-walk. As I was around the car I made eye contact with the driver with a look that I hoped said, "Please don't park on the cross walk". He must have received my non-verbal communication because he started his car just as I walked around the front end. I was startled - adrenaline.
Early humans had to survive in a very hostile environment. Warriors from another tribe might attack in the middle of the night or you might be attacked and eaten by a large predator. Adrenaline helps our liver secrete extra glucose - from stored fat - into the blood stream to provide muscles with the energy to fight or flee. I wasn't in any danger - at least I don't think I was - but that burst of adrenaline pushed my BG up.
Exercising requires extra glucose for energy to fuel muscles. Continuous, moderate exercise — such as that required by the paparazzi as they run to catch Kim [Kardashian] — can cause muscles to take up glucose at nearly 20 times the normal rate. This process lowers blood sugar levels. Even after the chase, the body replenishes the glucose stores (called glycogen) in muscle cells and the liver, which lowers blood sugar levels even more, for hours afterward.
(via [Beat Diabetes Daily](http://www.beatdiabetesdaily.com/tag/hormone-adrenaline/))
I often find that my BG rise after watching an intense action movie or when I get angry. Emotional stress is just another thing that a person with diabetes has to deal with. However, I'm not about to stop watching action movies but I can work on curbing my reaction to unwanted events. Maybe I can release my demons playing [Angry Birds](http://www.rovio.com/en/our-work/games/view/1).
ComputerWorld's Johnny Evans posted an article blog last week about supply rumours that the iPad 2.0 would have features that mimic some of those on the iPhone 4 namely video cameras and Retina Display but also a new connector.
The video phone feature likely means Apple will be fielding front and rear video cameras, most likely made by Omnivision, as recent reports claimed.
I sat an thought about this for a minute. Yes, one whole minute. What exactly would I do with a rear video camera on an iPad? It's too bulky to carry around as a photo or video camera. A front facing camera makes more sense but ... I don't see it catching on. Even now with the iPhone 4 I've made a total of two FaceTime calls.
The final slice of speculation from out of Apple's supply chain is one I've rejected until now -- that Apple will deploy mini-USB for connection and sync of the device.
I don't like the fact that I need a special connector to sync my iOS devices to a computer or to connect to my car audio. But the Apple Dock connector does have advantages. Will I be able to control a USB enable iDevice from my car stereo? Will I be able to display the currently playlist and artist/song infomation? Can USB carry video and adio out to a HDTV? Mostly likely not which means Apple would have to add an additional port (HDMI?). What would be far better is for Apple to leverage the Bluetooth feature of the iPad and work with hardware manufactures to build AD2P support into their products. Car audio manufacturers already do this. Then Apple could use mini-USB for syncing or better yet allow Wi-Fi sync.
I'm not sure we need this beefed-up just yet, but given AAPL's continued command of flash memory sales, by dint of it being the world's biggest flash customer, there's no reason not to anticipate a 128GB iPad -- though this would bite at the heels of the recently-introduced MacBook Air.
I'm sure there are people who want to carry their entire music and video collection with them but I bet it's only a few people. I've never seen the need the needs to carry around days worth of music or video just in case I get bored. With the bounty of magazine, news reader, and bookstore apps I just don't see the need.
Here are my un-informed predictions for the iPad 2.0:
I'm a fifty percent sure that I'm one hundred percent wrong.
