Customized Feeds

People are advocating for customized feeds.

I really don't like this idea. I've been moving cities/countries lately, and I see content based on where I am. Whether its Google or Facebook its just far more likely that a feed will show content based on my location. Sites popular in those areas will rank higher and more prominently in the feeds than if I was located elsewhere.

I don't like this. If I subscribe to a feed I want to see all content. Otherwise I wouldn't have subscribed to the feed. What you read, shapes what you think about. I want to see all the news, not just those items that people find compelling in that particular location.

Customized content gives you the impression that something is really popular. When really the opposite might be true. Yet because a reader moves around in circles where one view point is popular, it will seem to the reader that this view is the prevalent one. How can you make informed decisions on a topic if the feeds provide a skewed perspective?

And rarely have I seen content that is better when the feed is customized.

Macbook Air

I think its interesting that apple decreased the price of the least spec Macbook Air rather than increase the specs. I wonder if this was because of the later introduction of the rumored 12 inch retina Macbook Air. Or is the 11/13 inch Macbook Air so perfect that there is no way to improve on it without increasing the price drastically.

I recently bought a 15 inch dell laptop with a touch screen. The only thing new and exciting in the machine was the touch screen. Turns out on a traditional laptop a touch screen isn't that useful or exciting. I barely use the touch screen, or touch features of Windows 8.1. Usage patterns might be different on a 2-in-1 laptop though. Since the Macbook Air is a traditional laptop, I don't see why Apple would add a touch screen.

Even a 2011 Macbook Air is fast and capable enough these days for most tasks. With that in mind, I guess I'm glad that Apple hasn't made any changes to the machine, and has left it perfect as it is.