At The Verge, Everything is Awesome

Last week Amazon announced the Fire Phone. A smartphone that is designed to do nothing but be a cash register for Amazon. Yet that didn’t stop the usual suspects — tech blogs like Engadget and The Verge — from the usual hype: discussing pre-announcement leaks, spreading rumors. When Bezos finally got up on stage and in Jobsonian fashion proudly announced his cash register, Engadget, The Verge and others where there to provide him as much free publicity as possible. (Leo Laporte’s TWiT network had a “TWiT Special / Breaking News” live broadcast.)

Before the its announcement, I remember reading predictions from more than a couple of tech pundits that the Amazon Phone’s breakthrough would not be in the hardware, but in the data or voice plan. (Currently, pricey data plans are among the biggest financial burdens for most smartphone users.) Amazon, it was predicted, would be “disruptive,” offering game-changing discounted or even free data for Amazon’s Prime customers that would change the wireless industry. (“Disruptive” is one of those fancy notions tech’s talking heads use to make themselves seem important.)

I'm not excited about the amazon phone — I'm excited about the business model. amazon's going to do something interesting here
— Chris Ziegler (@zpower) June 5, 2014

Well, Amazon’s phone has been announced and here it is. What appears to be a mediocre hardware device (but it’s got four front facing cameras!) with plenty of pre-installed gimmicky applications to make spending your money with Amazon that much easier. (Remember when these applications were called “bloatware?”) Like its brethren the Kindle Fire tablets, it runs a walled-garden version of Android that forces you to Amazon’s paltry app store instead of the much more robust Google Play store. (No YouTube, goodbye Google Maps, hello Amazon Maps.) Alas, even the cellular plan is much less than magical; purchasing the phone forces you to a AT&T’s standard data contract for two years. Or you can purchase it outright for $649.00, or nearly twice the cost of Google’s more than adequate Nexus 5. So here are my questions to Mr. Ziegler: What was is it about the Fire phone’s business model that was worth getting exciting about? What did Amazon do that was so “interesting?”

Now, I understand that like all of us, these blogs have to make a living, and getting additional hits and page views on their websites is largely how they make their living. For them, “live-blogging” the tech industry’s commercials provide an easy, nearly effortless way to get their website traffic to spike. But you can’t have it both ways: you can’t faithfully hype the tech industry’s latest toys (no matter how mediocre or even terrible they turn out to be) and then pretend to be providing a service to your audience. No. What you’re doing is providing free commercial time for the tech industry. In the process analysis that’s actually beneficial to consumers suffers or disappears altogether.

The Verge is particularly egregious. They’ve perfected the art of hype while largely escaping the “clickbait” criticisms have often been made of Huffington Post, Buzzfeed, and others. Over at The Verge (and its affiliated The Verge editors’ Twitter accounts), nothing is ever ordinary. Nothing is ever not worth clicking. Bombast and hyperbole reign. In their Twitter feeds the editors audaciosly direct you to stop whatever you’re doing, and visit theverge.com. Because nothing you’re doing is as important as getting them more page views.

The @verge will tell you exactly what to do this weekend. Pay attention http://t.co/qZCzj9GviN
— Kwame Opam (@kwameopam) June 21, 2014

Amazon is announcing a phone. We’re covering it live. GO THERE NOW. http://t.co/voNILnffLc
— Joshua Topolsky (@joshuatopolsky) June 18, 2014

And this is when the editors consider you worthy enough to be told why it is that you have to stop what you’re doing to go and give them more page views. Often, they demand that you give them page views without even bothering to tell you why. (But it will be amazing!) Because at The Verge everything is always amazing.

I can confirm this RT @zpower: there is a truly amazing feature being published on @verge soon
— Joshua Topolsky (@joshuatopolsky) June 17, 2014

amazing stuff on @verge you should read right now: http://t.co/XXjivyxDsO from @adrjeffries http://t.co/sbJmxjdDEi from @thedextriarchy
— Chris Ziegler (@zpower) June 20, 2014

In participating in the non-stop hype (even when there’s no new device there’s always breaking news about rumors that are reportedly breaking), in being overly enthusiastic in their product reviews (The Verge gave Facebook’s bloatware app “Facebook Home” a 7/10, declaring “addictive”), in their overuse of hyperbole, and in focusing nearly exclusively on the next big thing they fail consumers.

So Verge, enough with the bombast and give your audience what they really need: level-head analysis clear of hyperbole and hype. Wait until you have the opportunity to thoroughly test and review a product instead of hyping it as the next big thing. Stop being virtual-billboards for the industry you cover.

Unfortunately, for a website that formerly billed itself “thisismynext” I’m not sure that will change. At the very least, rather than telling your Twitter followers that every other post on your site is “amazing” tell them what the article is actually about so that your audience can make that decision for themselves. Your readers deserve that.

How to Start Birdwatching on this First Day of Spring!

Good morning and Happy Spring to all North Americans!

Today is a great day to get started birdwatching. If you haven't tried it, or it sounds weird or just "off," please keep reading. Even if you live in a highly urbanized area please don't think that you'll only see pigeons and sparrows. It is educational, inexepensive, and healthy. Only a few simple steps can get you started the right way on this rewarding hobby:

1. Find your local chapter Audubon group. Like any other hobby, birdwatching (or "birding," as those in the know call it), can be difficult and frustrating if you try to start doing it entirely on your own. Instead, your local Audubon chapter has many events that are free and easy to attend. (Think of them like group piano lessons for piano playing, except they're free!) So go to audubon.org and go to "Find Audubon Near You." Just input your zip code and it will bring up the closest chapter. Once you find your closest chapter look for events called "birdwalks" and see when they are and plan to attend one. Birdwalks are typically aimed at beginners. Again, these events are free and you do NOT need to be a member or have any prior experience to attend. You are also under NO obligation to become a member/donate, or become involved in any other way. We birdwatchers are always elated to see new people come to our birdwalks.

2. Buy binoculars. This is pretty much an essential tool for birding and your biggest investment. Think of it as your piano or keyboard for your piano lessons. You have to have it in order to do it right. However, like finding the right piano you need a good instrument but the choices seem endless. Don't worry, I've made picking the right one easy: if possible try to invest $100 on the Yosemite 6x30 binocular from Leupold. (Avoid the temptation to get anything from Walmart or Target; or anything with higher magnification. Trust me, the Yosemite will be much, much better.) Binoculars can range from a $20 pair at store to $2500 German made; I find the Leupold 6x30 to be a wonderful value beginner's choice. You probably won't find it at your local sporting goods store, so get it from Eagle Optics here. They are a reputable small business that I've ordered from many times.

3. Get a bird guide. A field guide is like a map of birds, helping you see identifying features that you'd otherwise miss. (Just imagine trying to play the piano without sheet music!) It may not be as important during your first birdwalk (when there will be guides to show you around), but you'll find it essential as your birdwatching skills improve. I recommend The Sibley Guide to Birds, 2nd Edition., available many places but I'd recommend getting it from Buteo Books, another small business that cares about its customers. Sibley's 2nd Edition is new, big and great.

4. Start NOW. Attend the birdwalk as soon as you can. See, spring is the best time of the year to go birdwatching in most of North America. Males have their makeup on and are doing their best to attract females. This means they also sing loudest, and are the most active, making them easiest to find.

5. Hang-in there. Your first birdwalk may be somewhat frustrating. (Like with piano playing, one lesson will not make you an expert!) People will point out birds to you but you may miss many of them. You'll be amazed that the experts will notice and see things you don't. But keep at it; it took me about 3-4 birdwalks before I gathered my bearings so-to-speak, and began to learn how to see birds.

Following the five tips above will make it easy for you to get started on this fantastic hobby. Appreciating the natural world around you is an intrinsic value in an of itself, but it also has additional rewards. You'll appreciate the seasons more, your eyes and ears will open up to worlds that you didn't realize existed right before you. Vacations and trips will become much more rewarding than they are now, as you look forward to seeing what new species you'll see. Finally, should you choose to report your sightings birdwatching is one area of science where a "regular citizen" like you or I can genuinely contribute.

Book Review: The Sibley Guide to Birds, 2nd Edition

The Sibley Guide to Birds: Left: 2nd Edition. Right: 1st Edition

The Sibley Field Guide to Birds has long been considered by many to be the standard-bearer among field guides to birds of North America. However, at thirteen years old, it was much in need of an update.
Enter the Second Edition of Sibley's Field Guide to Birds, released March 11th. As good as the first edition was, the new second edition is significant update and much improved.

Common Nighthawk, Sibley 1st Ed.

Common Nighthawk, Sibley Guide 2nd Ed.

2nd Edition, Orange Bishop and Nutmeg Mannikin

1st Edition, Orange Bishop and Nutmeg Mannikin

Immediately apparent are some superficial changes: new fonts and maps for example, and much bolder drawings. Species are of course updated: Rock Dove is now Rock Pigeon for example; Orange Bishop and Nutmeg Mannikin now get their own profile pages. Importantly, Sibley now includes many more rarities like Blue Mockingbird. (One hundred and eleven total new species!) Still, more improvements beyond taxonomic updates are substantial and helpful, and sure to aid you in identification. Perhaps most noticeable are the bold colors in the drawings. Gone is the soft "watercolor" look that many birds had, while retaining the accuracy that Sibley is known for. When possible, the drawings have gotten gotten larger and more distinct without diminishing accuracy, making it easier to see distinguishing details. (Petrels and swifts now look more unique, for example, and Orange-crown Warbler now has that more "difficult to describe" drab color.) Range maps now zoom in when possible; (much less squinting for species that have small ranges) and are updated. (Brown Thrasher is now listed as rare (one to a few occurrences every year) throughout the west, for example.)

2nd Edition, Hummingbird Flight Guide

1st Edition, Hummingbird Flight Guide

One area that I've always found Sibley excelled at is the helpful behavior tips. Hummingbird shuttle displays, spinning Phalaropes, upside-down chickadees and road-post perching Red-tail Hawks (and all the others from the first edition) remain. But to these Sibley has added even more. For example, there are now nine hummingbird shuttle displays and there's a drawing of a large flock of European Starlings mobbing a bird of prey. Woodpecker drumming patterns are now visualized and compared.

2nd Edition, Warbler-like Birds

Finally, Sibley begins many sections with helpful tips for difficult cases, so Sharp-shinned/Cooper's Hawks are compared, as are dowitchers, sandpipers, cormorants, gnatcatcher undertails, and even downy young ducks. (And many more!) If you've never had a Sibley guide, now is the time to get one; if you already have the first edition, this new edition is certainly a worthy upgrade as well.

An interview with David Sibley at Birdwatching Daily
nicely explains Sibley's thinking behind the updates; I recommend
reading it.

-Elias Zuniga

Early Bullock's Oriole at Stearns Park Today

On John Williams and Writing.....

The other day I was watching an interview with the great composer John Williams where he was asked about the secret to his success. Mr. Williams replied that he writes (music) everyday, no matter what. No matter how terrible it may be he insists on putting it down on paper. Sooner of later, something he writes is good, he said. I'm going to try. to follow his advice and try to put more of my thoughts on paper (or screen, to be more precise). Who knows what will happen....

Rose-breasted Grosbeak in My Yard, May 2012

eBird doesn't believe this happened, so I'm including photographic proof....