Expedient MEANS

Notes on Film, Art, Writing, Technology and other things by Steve A Furman

  • Two Years with My iPhone

    Today is the second anniversary of the release of the iPhone. Yes, two whole years ago Steve Jobs changed yet another industry that was not computer related (music and cell phones). Now don’t get all mushy on me and start crying for heaven’s sake. I know, I know, you love your iPhone almost as much Read more

  • Up – Film Review

    What is the definition of story? My answer is “conflict.” Great stories unfold against a backdrop of tension and combine reality and fantasy. Pixar Animation Studios has mastered this formula for kids and grown-ups alike. Their latest work, Up, tracks the life of Carl Fredricksen (Ed Asner) from the time he was a little boy Read more

  • Note to Consumers, Operators are Standing By

    A growing number of consumers are posting comments about a product or experience they’ve had with a brand on a blog or Twitter and expecting the company to come right back that same day with a personalized message and solution. I’ve seen isolated incidents where some consumers return to the network within hours and remark Read more

  • The New Yorker Cover Re-Imagined on an iPhone

    I’ve been getting The New Yorker magazine in my mailbox for about 13 years. The archivist in me used to save every issue. It was pretty easy, after all why did I buy a big house if I wasn’t going to fill it up? But three years ago I moved, so the recycle bin got Read more

  • Always Overhead

    Here’s a fascinating video of air traffic across the globe during a 24 hour span condensed down to about 2 minutes. It was taken by an orbiting satellite and includes the day/night footprint gliding across earth. The yellow represents large jet flights from the major carriers. You can see aircraft landing in Europe having left Read more

  • The Modern Wing Takes Flight

    The completion of the new Modern Wing of the Art Institute of Chicago adds an additional 264,000 square feet of gallery space to this already impressive museum. It’s now the second largest in the country, trailing only The New York Metropolitan Museum of Art. I had the good fortune of being at the AIC on Wednesday, Read more