Tretakoff Musings
Sunday, January 28, 2007
Digital Data, Analog Style
I've always been much more satisfied with analog displays than digital. They are somehow more alive, more vibrant than the cold displays of numbers on most LCDs or LEDs; give me a Nixie Tube any time over any of those. Certainly, my wishlist has always held a valued spot for the Ambient Office Dashboard, with it's delightfully analog gauges and punch card programmability, but it's a mere pretender to the throne when compared with The Device.
The Device (it's full name is The Device Patented Process Indicator) is all I have ever imagined for a desktop widget of the first order. With 2 analog dials, a glowing beaker of liquid, and a bezeled red light, you can use the software to decide what 4 things you want to watch on each. Stock prices? Temperatures? Blog page loads? take your pick and take in all the information at a glance, in magnificent style.
Courtesy of a link from Brass Goggles, The Device is almost on sale. As soon as it is, count on me as a very happy early analog adopter.
I've always been much more satisfied with analog displays than digital. They are somehow more alive, more vibrant than the cold displays of numbers on most LCDs or LEDs; give me a Nixie Tube any time over any of those. Certainly, my wishlist has always held a valued spot for the Ambient Office Dashboard, with it's delightfully analog gauges and punch card programmability, but it's a mere pretender to the throne when compared with The Device.The Device (it's full name is The Device Patented Process Indicator) is all I have ever imagined for a desktop widget of the first order. With 2 analog dials, a glowing beaker of liquid, and a bezeled red light, you can use the software to decide what 4 things you want to watch on each. Stock prices? Temperatures? Blog page loads? take your pick and take in all the information at a glance, in magnificent style.
Courtesy of a link from Brass Goggles, The Device is almost on sale. As soon as it is, count on me as a very happy early analog adopter.
Saturday, January 27, 2007
This Blog Just Saved Me $60!
In my recent posting about AT&T's VOIP Service, I wrote:
To which, a commenter, the mysterious SamIam, kindly said:
Well, I logged into my CallVantage account today, saw a link to change my plan, and was able to switch it to the $25 plan instead. There is NO difference between the $30 and $25 plans; just different price.
Thanks, SamIam: $60 a year savings, because of your comment!
In my recent posting about AT&T's VOIP Service, I wrote:"Yes, Vonage has a few more features I would like, and is $5 less;"
To which, a commenter, the mysterious SamIam, kindly said:
"AT&T CallVantage isn't $5 more than Vonage. Call them up and change your plan. The new plan (same as the old plan) is under $25 -- The FCC requires you change to the new plan!"
Well, I logged into my CallVantage account today, saw a link to change my plan, and was able to switch it to the $25 plan instead. There is NO difference between the $30 and $25 plans; just different price.
Thanks, SamIam: $60 a year savings, because of your comment!
Steampunk Fans, Unite!
I'm an unabashed fan of alternative fiction, where visionary authors look at key times or key events and wonder "what if this turned out differently?" From the books of Harry Turtledove, to the more obscure such as Richard Dreyfuss (yes, that Richard Dreyfuss), as well as the movies that attempt this (though usually with some annoying subplot of time travel), I'm hooked.
One sub-genre that particularly gets my full attention is steampunk. In essence, the idea of many of our technical innovations today, powered by steam engines, usually set in the 1800's. Good examples are the works of Jules Verne, or Bruce Sterling/William Gibson's The Difference Engine. Unfortunately, when Hollywood tries it's hand at steampunk, it usually is abysmal. Take, for example, the painful-to-watch film version of the Wild Wild West, or the movie that drove Sean Connery into retirement, vowing never to appear on the silver screen again, the terrible adaptation of Alan Moore's League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. Even anime, a safe haven for most steampunk, touted a crossover film, Steamboy, which was amazingly underwhelming.
It was only fitting, therefore, that an antiquated, obsolete technology that I hold on to for charmingly nostalgic reasons tipped me off to a new source of fascination for steampunk fans like me. This month's Wired Magazine had a short article on a blog for all things steampunk, Brass Goggles. Complete with the Victorian phrasing and clever commentary, as well as wonderful steampunk links, it's a treasure trove of steampunk information. Artisans who've built PC's to resemble Deco sculpture or steam engines; changing the sounds on your PC to sound all mechanical and steam hisses; even previews of upcoming animated features, Brass Goggles is now on my must-read list.
One observation: I do love Wired, and have found so many wonderful things from their pages, but I was truly surprised at their ubiquitous acceptance of Google. In their article on Brass Goggles, they did not publish an URL or point the reader to anywhere to find it. They just gave the name of the blog, and assumed people would Google it. It made sense, in retrospect, as the physical magazine needs to worry about layout, but it was the first I'd seen of this. By the way, I can't recommend a subscription to Wired enough: it's filled with amazingly diverse and interesting articles, usually with excellent depth and great writing. It's been a great companion in those places where laptops are a little too hot for many years. :-)
I'm an unabashed fan of alternative fiction, where visionary authors look at key times or key events and wonder "what if this turned out differently?" From the books of Harry Turtledove, to the more obscure such as Richard Dreyfuss (yes, that Richard Dreyfuss), as well as the movies that attempt this (though usually with some annoying subplot of time travel), I'm hooked.One sub-genre that particularly gets my full attention is steampunk. In essence, the idea of many of our technical innovations today, powered by steam engines, usually set in the 1800's. Good examples are the works of Jules Verne, or Bruce Sterling/William Gibson's The Difference Engine. Unfortunately, when Hollywood tries it's hand at steampunk, it usually is abysmal. Take, for example, the painful-to-watch film version of the Wild Wild West, or the movie that drove Sean Connery into retirement, vowing never to appear on the silver screen again, the terrible adaptation of Alan Moore's League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. Even anime, a safe haven for most steampunk, touted a crossover film, Steamboy, which was amazingly underwhelming.
It was only fitting, therefore, that an antiquated, obsolete technology that I hold on to for charmingly nostalgic reasons tipped me off to a new source of fascination for steampunk fans like me. This month's Wired Magazine had a short article on a blog for all things steampunk, Brass Goggles. Complete with the Victorian phrasing and clever commentary, as well as wonderful steampunk links, it's a treasure trove of steampunk information. Artisans who've built PC's to resemble Deco sculpture or steam engines; changing the sounds on your PC to sound all mechanical and steam hisses; even previews of upcoming animated features, Brass Goggles is now on my must-read list.One observation: I do love Wired, and have found so many wonderful things from their pages, but I was truly surprised at their ubiquitous acceptance of Google. In their article on Brass Goggles, they did not publish an URL or point the reader to anywhere to find it. They just gave the name of the blog, and assumed people would Google it. It made sense, in retrospect, as the physical magazine needs to worry about layout, but it was the first I'd seen of this. By the way, I can't recommend a subscription to Wired enough: it's filled with amazingly diverse and interesting articles, usually with excellent depth and great writing. It's been a great companion in those places where laptops are a little too hot for many years. :-)
Thursday, January 25, 2007
AT&T CallVantage: putting the Service in VOIP service
I've mentioned before that I ditched my landline some time ago in favor of a Voice Over IP (VOIP) line from AT&T, with their CallVantage service. $29.95 a month, with unlimited local and long distance calling, with crystal-clear sound quality. Uses your broadband Internet connection, and comes with almost every feature you can imagine: voicemail, caller ID, privacy time, and dozens more...all included.
What I have not mentioned is why I think their service is the best thing going. Yes, Vonage has a few more features I would like, and is $5 less; yes, SunRocket will give you a deal for $199 for 2 years of service. What AT&T gives me is some of the best customer service I could ask for, as well as the best phone quality you can imagine: far better than any landline I ever had.
Examples of their service: call them, and speak to a human, 24 hours a day. Try that with any other VOIP provider. Got a problem? They will patiently try to fix it, and, if all else fails, they FedEx you a new VOIP adaptor, FREE. While troubleshooting my internet connection, I spoke with them about the speed reduction in my connection. They offered to replace my adaptor, and even timed the delivery to my return from vacation.
Imagine my surprise and delight to see that they not only delivered it when they said they would, but that the adaptor they sent was a full fledged 802.11G Linksys router, with the VOIP service built in! FREE! I had just bought a $50 WiFi router, practically the same one, from Amazon, days before, which I can now return. This AT&T/Linksys box replaced my router, my VOIP adaptor, my old 802.11B WiFi access point, and my residential gateway (splits and shares the internet connection across multiple computers). It even works with my now-banned Linksys WiFi signal booster! Setup took a 10 minute call with them, and I now have 54MB per second wireless, with 3 less boxes!
The icing on this cake? My bandwidth went from an anemic 1MBPS to a full 16MBPS! I'm in the fast lane, wireless, for free, thanks to these folks. AT&T CallVantage, you've got a customer for a long, long, long time. GREAT example of how service trumps price in a competitive marketplace.
I've mentioned before that I ditched my landline some time ago in favor of a Voice Over IP (VOIP) line from AT&T, with their CallVantage service. $29.95 a month, with unlimited local and long distance calling, with crystal-clear sound quality. Uses your broadband Internet connection, and comes with almost every feature you can imagine: voicemail, caller ID, privacy time, and dozens more...all included.What I have not mentioned is why I think their service is the best thing going. Yes, Vonage has a few more features I would like, and is $5 less; yes, SunRocket will give you a deal for $199 for 2 years of service. What AT&T gives me is some of the best customer service I could ask for, as well as the best phone quality you can imagine: far better than any landline I ever had.
Examples of their service: call them, and speak to a human, 24 hours a day. Try that with any other VOIP provider. Got a problem? They will patiently try to fix it, and, if all else fails, they FedEx you a new VOIP adaptor, FREE. While troubleshooting my internet connection, I spoke with them about the speed reduction in my connection. They offered to replace my adaptor, and even timed the delivery to my return from vacation.
Imagine my surprise and delight to see that they not only delivered it when they said they would, but that the adaptor they sent was a full fledged 802.11G Linksys router, with the VOIP service built in! FREE! I had just bought a $50 WiFi router, practically the same one, from Amazon, days before, which I can now return. This AT&T/Linksys box replaced my router, my VOIP adaptor, my old 802.11B WiFi access point, and my residential gateway (splits and shares the internet connection across multiple computers). It even works with my now-banned Linksys WiFi signal booster! Setup took a 10 minute call with them, and I now have 54MB per second wireless, with 3 less boxes!The icing on this cake? My bandwidth went from an anemic 1MBPS to a full 16MBPS! I'm in the fast lane, wireless, for free, thanks to these folks. AT&T CallVantage, you've got a customer for a long, long, long time. GREAT example of how service trumps price in a competitive marketplace.
Wednesday, January 24, 2007
Tucson
Ok, before we start, the pics are all here.
We headed to Tucson to see my mother's new winter homestead. Never been, but I love the desert, so we were looking to have some fun. She lives in the Catalina Foothills, with the city below. Tucson's population is, surprisingly, about the same as San Francisco's; it's also the home to the University of Arizona: I had no idea. While downtown is nothing to see, the landscape is stunning.
First tourist attraction: the Wildlife Museum. Located way out in the desert, it's an open-air, self guided sprawling facility that covers all of the native plants, animals, and minerals of the Sonora desert. The cave tour was amazing: walk through the cramped passages, and see a wild open cave, along with gorgeous exhibits of semi-precious stones from the area. The native plants and cactii are stunning, and the feel of the place is decidedly unhurried and hands on. Lots of trails and paths to explore.
The animals? WOW. A pair of mountain lions (pumas) lazily sprawled in the sun, with a close up window to see the power of these big cats. Next door, black bears rummaged about, while a pack of Mexican wolves ran mere feet away. Snakes and scorpions were on display in a separate building, but the prairie dogs took the cute factor to a whole new level. Like the San Diego Zoo, you never felt that you were looking at a pen, thanks to the hidden crevasse separating you from them, but more that these were happy, natural animals. While some hid, like the wild pigs, there was more than enough to enthrall with this diverse population.
The next day, with the weather turning colder, we headed to the San Xavier del bac Mission, out on the Indian Nation. This mission, having been in existence since the 1600's, was in utter disrepair and a respite for vandals and bored Native Americans as late as 15 years ago. However, with a renewed emphasis on the amazing art in the building, funds were raised for it's restoration. The Italian team that restored the Sistine Chapel in Rome were brought in for 5 years, and the building was transformed.
Although no comparison to the cathedrals in Italy, it is magnificent inside, belied by the remote location: it's surrounded by open desert, ramshackle homes, and fry bread vendors. Still, it is always packed, as the faithful come to touch the oddly hands-on, lying down figure of San Xavier. For some odd reason, the wooden statue's torso is also on a moveable plaform, so many parishioners lift him up and cradle him, while offering their prayers.
Most of our time was spent at home, as it was unseasonably cold: in the 30's. Adding to that, a freak snowstorm hit, delivering Tucson it's first significant snowfall in a decade. We all stared, amazed, as the snow covered the desert and saguaro cactii, icing over a small pond and making road travel impossible. While it was all gone by noon the next day, the 2" of snow made for some stunning pictures.
The trip was an easy flight, and, with family there, we'll look forward to a return in spring, when the weather will be back to it's normal 80 degrees. :-)
We headed to Tucson to see my mother's new winter homestead. Never been, but I love the desert, so we were looking to have some fun. She lives in the Catalina Foothills, with the city below. Tucson's population is, surprisingly, about the same as San Francisco's; it's also the home to the University of Arizona: I had no idea. While downtown is nothing to see, the landscape is stunning.First tourist attraction: the Wildlife Museum. Located way out in the desert, it's an open-air, self guided sprawling facility that covers all of the native plants, animals, and minerals of the Sonora desert. The cave tour was amazing: walk through the cramped passages, and see a wild open cave, along with gorgeous exhibits of semi-precious stones from the area. The native plants and cactii are stunning, and the feel of the place is decidedly unhurried and hands on. Lots of trails and paths to explore.
The animals? WOW. A pair of mountain lions (pumas) lazily sprawled in the sun, with a close up window to see the power of these big cats. Next door, black bears rummaged about, while a pack of Mexican wolves ran mere feet away. Snakes and scorpions were on display in a separate building, but the prairie dogs took the cute factor to a whole new level. Like the San Diego Zoo, you never felt that you were looking at a pen, thanks to the hidden crevasse separating you from them, but more that these were happy, natural animals. While some hid, like the wild pigs, there was more than enough to enthrall with this diverse population.
The next day, with the weather turning colder, we headed to the San Xavier del bac Mission, out on the Indian Nation. This mission, having been in existence since the 1600's, was in utter disrepair and a respite for vandals and bored Native Americans as late as 15 years ago. However, with a renewed emphasis on the amazing art in the building, funds were raised for it's restoration. The Italian team that restored the Sistine Chapel in Rome were brought in for 5 years, and the building was transformed.
Although no comparison to the cathedrals in Italy, it is magnificent inside, belied by the remote location: it's surrounded by open desert, ramshackle homes, and fry bread vendors. Still, it is always packed, as the faithful come to touch the oddly hands-on, lying down figure of San Xavier. For some odd reason, the wooden statue's torso is also on a moveable plaform, so many parishioners lift him up and cradle him, while offering their prayers.Most of our time was spent at home, as it was unseasonably cold: in the 30's. Adding to that, a freak snowstorm hit, delivering Tucson it's first significant snowfall in a decade. We all stared, amazed, as the snow covered the desert and saguaro cactii, icing over a small pond and making road travel impossible. While it was all gone by noon the next day, the 2" of snow made for some stunning pictures.The trip was an easy flight, and, with family there, we'll look forward to a return in spring, when the weather will be back to it's normal 80 degrees. :-)
In Praise of the Palm GPS
Thanks to contributors to this blog, as well as my wife, I recently became the proud owner of a Palm GPS for my Palm TX. Consisting of a small (3"x2") Bluetooth GPS unit, a cradle that attaches to your windshield, and a handy cable that charges both the Palm and the GPS, this is TomTom on your Palm. Literally. It uses the TomTom software that you see in all the commercials, and your Palm. And, I'm thrilled to say, works like a charm.
You load the software on your Palm, throw the maps on your SD card, and you are in business. The GPS grabs a signal within seconds, and you are good to go. Setup is done through a simple wizard on your Palm, one time, and, as Southwest says, you are now free to move about the country. To test it, I took it on my recent trip to Arizona. I programmed in my favorites: city, street address, and a custom name. Then, when I got in my rental car, I fired it up. In moments, I had a built in navigator, complete with a wonderful British woman's voice (my choice) guiding me to my destination. No maps, no directions: just the GPS.
Great things:
- The voice is loud and clear. She always warned me ahead of time for my next turn or exit, and guided me well.
- The display is superb. Just follow the red line.
- The interface could not be more simple, even to use while driving.
- The software worked flawlessly with the rest of my Palm. Heading from Phoenix to Tucson, I was able to listen to a book with pTunes, then switch over to the GPS. It never missed a step.
- Missed a turn? No problem: it immediately recalibrates, and suggest an alternative route.
OK things:
- Maps are a little old (3-4 years). Newer housing developments are not in it, and you can't add custom destinations. At my niece's house, I wanted to tell it to remember the address, but it could not.
- It occasionally suggests double turns. I learned to mostly ignore the voice, and follow the red line on screen instead as a failsafe.
- The British voice is great, but uses British colloquialisms. Freeways are "motorways" and rotaries are "roundabouts."
- Newer freeway overpasses confuse it. You are suddenly driving through wasteland, and it takes a few moments to figure it out.
- Tunnels get it confused. Sometimes requires exiting the application, then restarting for it to catch up.
Bad things:
- The process of loading the maps to the SD card is SLOW.
- Maps are updateable...somewhat. Comes with a revised app that, according to reviews, causes poor performance. TomTom needs to address.
Overall, this is a major keeper. The cradle and charger cords are amazingly useful, and it definitely is ideal for a traveler who wants to maximize the use of a Palm. It works with my TX, as well as all Treos and LifeDrives.
Always great when a gadget works out exactly as you hoped!
Thanks to contributors to this blog, as well as my wife, I recently became the proud owner of a Palm GPS for my Palm TX. Consisting of a small (3"x2") Bluetooth GPS unit, a cradle that attaches to your windshield, and a handy cable that charges both the Palm and the GPS, this is TomTom on your Palm. Literally. It uses the TomTom software that you see in all the commercials, and your Palm. And, I'm thrilled to say, works like a charm.You load the software on your Palm, throw the maps on your SD card, and you are in business. The GPS grabs a signal within seconds, and you are good to go. Setup is done through a simple wizard on your Palm, one time, and, as Southwest says, you are now free to move about the country. To test it, I took it on my recent trip to Arizona. I programmed in my favorites: city, street address, and a custom name. Then, when I got in my rental car, I fired it up. In moments, I had a built in navigator, complete with a wonderful British woman's voice (my choice) guiding me to my destination. No maps, no directions: just the GPS.
Great things:
- The voice is loud and clear. She always warned me ahead of time for my next turn or exit, and guided me well.
- The display is superb. Just follow the red line.
- The interface could not be more simple, even to use while driving.
- The software worked flawlessly with the rest of my Palm. Heading from Phoenix to Tucson, I was able to listen to a book with pTunes, then switch over to the GPS. It never missed a step.
- Missed a turn? No problem: it immediately recalibrates, and suggest an alternative route.
OK things:
- Maps are a little old (3-4 years). Newer housing developments are not in it, and you can't add custom destinations. At my niece's house, I wanted to tell it to remember the address, but it could not.
- It occasionally suggests double turns. I learned to mostly ignore the voice, and follow the red line on screen instead as a failsafe.
- The British voice is great, but uses British colloquialisms. Freeways are "motorways" and rotaries are "roundabouts."
- Newer freeway overpasses confuse it. You are suddenly driving through wasteland, and it takes a few moments to figure it out.
- Tunnels get it confused. Sometimes requires exiting the application, then restarting for it to catch up.
Bad things:
- The process of loading the maps to the SD card is SLOW.
- Maps are updateable...somewhat. Comes with a revised app that, according to reviews, causes poor performance. TomTom needs to address.
Overall, this is a major keeper. The cradle and charger cords are amazingly useful, and it definitely is ideal for a traveler who wants to maximize the use of a Palm. It works with my TX, as well as all Treos and LifeDrives. Always great when a gadget works out exactly as you hoped!
Tuesday, January 23, 2007
Our Long National Nightmare Is Over
It came to me in a flash across the screen in a tony eatery in Old Town Scottsdale, Arizona, today. Finally, the day I had dreamed of, since blogging about it two years ago, this month:
Bill Parcells resigns as the coach of the Dallas Cowboys.
We have all endured a terrible ordeal. Now, with this episode behind us, let the healing begin.
It came to me in a flash across the screen in a tony eatery in Old Town Scottsdale, Arizona, today. Finally, the day I had dreamed of, since blogging about it two years ago, this month:Bill Parcells resigns as the coach of the Dallas Cowboys.
We have all endured a terrible ordeal. Now, with this episode behind us, let the healing begin.
Labels: Dallas Cowboys, football
Monday, January 22, 2007
Snow in the Desert
Just a quick update: just got back from Tucson, AZ, where my ongoing luck of bringing bad weather wherever I travel continues. For the first time in 5 years, this desert city received snow. And for the first time in a decade, it was significant accumulation and stuck. I'll bore you all with a travlogue later, but for now, just a quick glimpse of the snow covered desert.
Just a quick update: just got back from Tucson, AZ, where my ongoing luck of bringing bad weather wherever I travel continues. For the first time in 5 years, this desert city received snow. And for the first time in a decade, it was significant accumulation and stuck. I'll bore you all with a travlogue later, but for now, just a quick glimpse of the snow covered desert.
Labels: travel
Wednesday, January 17, 2007
Movin' on up!
Loyalty Lab recently moved offices to 100 Pine St, on the 21st floor. I've mostly worked in low-rises on the Peninsula; our last office was the 7th floor. But this is a GREAT view of the city. Located in the heart of downtown, we see the Bay, the other buildings, and can see the icons of San Francisco, such as the Ferry Building and Transamerica pyramid.
My office is wonderful, looking down on the Tadich Grill, a favorite restaurant of mine, and one of the oldest in San Francisco. From my desk, I can catch a glimpse of Coit Tower and still hear the cable cars, 200 feet below. A welcome respite from the cramped quarters we've had for some time.
The strange thing about the building is the noise and vibrations from the elevators. Years ago, I visited a company in the Twin Towers in NY, and was struck by the din from the passing elevators, and the vibrations of the winds and elevators. It's eerie, being up so high, and feeling shakiness, especially in San Francisco, but it's not too hard to get used to.
Come by and visit for lunch!
Loyalty Lab recently moved offices to 100 Pine St, on the 21st floor. I've mostly worked in low-rises on the Peninsula; our last office was the 7th floor. But this is a GREAT view of the city. Located in the heart of downtown, we see the Bay, the other buildings, and can see the icons of San Francisco, such as the Ferry Building and Transamerica pyramid. 
My office is wonderful, looking down on the Tadich Grill, a favorite restaurant of mine, and one of the oldest in San Francisco. From my desk, I can catch a glimpse of Coit Tower and still hear the cable cars, 200 feet below. A welcome respite from the cramped quarters we've had for some time.The strange thing about the building is the noise and vibrations from the elevators. Years ago, I visited a company in the Twin Towers in NY, and was struck by the din from the passing elevators, and the vibrations of the winds and elevators. It's eerie, being up so high, and feeling shakiness, especially in San Francisco, but it's not too hard to get used to.
Come by and visit for lunch!
Labels: Loyalty Lab, photos
Bandwidth Anchors
I'm the kinda guy who has LOTS of betas, bleeding edge programs, and other sundry things on his computer, looking for the next great thing. I'm also not necessarily one who associates reduced performance with those programs. Good example: the Tab Effect I recommended a few days ago: great idea, but really slows down Firefox's performance: I ended up jettisoning it. Not quite ready for prime time.
However, I recently found out about other such programs, sapping not performance of my computer, but bandwidth. Remember when I mentioned about my aborted efforts to move to DSL? Well, my nephew Jeremy read that post, and IM'ed me this:
Well, I took his advice. While it was more accurate, it reported I had a connection not much better than a 56K modem. For $60 a month, that sucked. I called Comcast. First, they asked me to connect the cable modem directly to the PC: no gateway, no VOIP, no router. Ok, doubled the performance, but still not anywhere near the performance: about 900KBPS. Then they asked the question:
"Sir, do you have any other programs using your internet connection on right now? If so, can you close them?"
I shut them all down, and tried again. Suddenly, I was at 16MBPS! Holy...! I spent the rest of the evening adding each program back in, one by one, to determine the vampires. What did I find? FolderShare, which I blogged so effusively about, was sucking my connection dry. I immediately removed it. After reconnecting everything else, I was at a respectable 6MPBS. Still, I had a taste for the fast lane now, and there's no going back. The culprit seemed to be my gateway and AT&T's VOIP adaptor. Amazon got me a new wireless router/gateway for $50 (also allows me to finally upgrade to 802.11g instead of B, doubling my wireless speed), and a quick call to AT&T had them sending me a brand new Linksys VOIP adaptor to replace my aging Centillium one.
Occasionally, I can recover from my own errors. :-)
EPILOGUE: I called Comcast back, and mentioned that, 12 months ago, I got a great package deal from them. Now, my combined modem & cable bill had swelled to nearly $200. I said the magic words:
"I'm thinking of reducing my services."
The operator immediately asked me to hold. I waited, curious. About 90 seconds later, she came back with an offer: they would cut the cost of the cable modem by 50% for 12 months, and knock $30 off the cable TV service for 6 months. No commitment required, no hassle, no supervisor. Just with one call, of less than 5 minutes, I saved over $500 for the year.
A cable company that offers to reduce my price without hassle, and a phone company that sends me new upgraded equipment, just for asking. As a longtime hater of telcoms, I am floored. Perhaps there still is hope yet!
I'm the kinda guy who has LOTS of betas, bleeding edge programs, and other sundry things on his computer, looking for the next great thing. I'm also not necessarily one who associates reduced performance with those programs. Good example: the Tab Effect I recommended a few days ago: great idea, but really slows down Firefox's performance: I ended up jettisoning it. Not quite ready for prime time.However, I recently found out about other such programs, sapping not performance of my computer, but bandwidth. Remember when I mentioned about my aborted efforts to move to DSL? Well, my nephew Jeremy read that post, and IM'ed me this:
Hey Josh...you know, Cnet's speed test is horribly inaccurate. Go retest with Speakeasy's. http://www.speakeasy.net/speedtest/ I get (on average) 5.7 megs a second....6.1 or so on good nights. I'd stay with Comcast, I've only had a problem maybe 4-5 times in the 3-4 years we've had it, and the reviews on Yahoo and Verizon in your area suck.
Well, I took his advice. While it was more accurate, it reported I had a connection not much better than a 56K modem. For $60 a month, that sucked. I called Comcast. First, they asked me to connect the cable modem directly to the PC: no gateway, no VOIP, no router. Ok, doubled the performance, but still not anywhere near the performance: about 900KBPS. Then they asked the question:"Sir, do you have any other programs using your internet connection on right now? If so, can you close them?"
I shut them all down, and tried again. Suddenly, I was at 16MBPS! Holy...! I spent the rest of the evening adding each program back in, one by one, to determine the vampires. What did I find? FolderShare, which I blogged so effusively about, was sucking my connection dry. I immediately removed it. After reconnecting everything else, I was at a respectable 6MPBS. Still, I had a taste for the fast lane now, and there's no going back. The culprit seemed to be my gateway and AT&T's VOIP adaptor. Amazon got me a new wireless router/gateway for $50 (also allows me to finally upgrade to 802.11g instead of B, doubling my wireless speed), and a quick call to AT&T had them sending me a brand new Linksys VOIP adaptor to replace my aging Centillium one.
Occasionally, I can recover from my own errors. :-)
EPILOGUE: I called Comcast back, and mentioned that, 12 months ago, I got a great package deal from them. Now, my combined modem & cable bill had swelled to nearly $200. I said the magic words:
"I'm thinking of reducing my services."
The operator immediately asked me to hold. I waited, curious. About 90 seconds later, she came back with an offer: they would cut the cost of the cable modem by 50% for 12 months, and knock $30 off the cable TV service for 6 months. No commitment required, no hassle, no supervisor. Just with one call, of less than 5 minutes, I saved over $500 for the year.
A cable company that offers to reduce my price without hassle, and a phone company that sends me new upgraded equipment, just for asking. As a longtime hater of telcoms, I am floored. Perhaps there still is hope yet!
Sunday, January 14, 2007
Free Headache Relief
I'm one of those "flirt with danger, laugh at hard drive loss" kinda guys. However, with the amount of photos, videos, and receipts I have been accumulating, I've got that little tingle that says I am just 1 Hard Drive crash away from saying, "if only I had backed up..."
Yeah, backups. The ultimate unsexy topic. Might as well talk about actuarial tables. Why, oh why, with this age of broadband and cheap hard drive space, is there not an easy way to automatically back up your files? I'm talking, no paying attention, all security handled, personal-slave-that-does-my-bidding backup here.
Um. There is. And, oh yes...one more thing? It's free.
Yep, say it loud, say it proud: I love Web 2.0. Presenting Mozy, the online backup service, that will back up as much as 2 GB for FREE. Need more than that? How about Mozy Unlimited? $5 bucks a month, and no more concern.
Ok, here's the scoop: you download a little program, choose the files you want to backup, and whenever your computer isn't busy, it backs them up. That's it. Automatic, as high security as you can handle, and great privacy. Freaked about choosing what files to backup? No worries: the wizard will actually scan your HD and suggest files to backup: it even groups them in types. What happens if you need to restore? Download the client, and go to it. No restrictions.
What's the catch? Well, you can't share the files, just back them up. That's fair. For the free product, you agree to be emailed; also fair.
I just installed it, and we'll see how it goes, but if it works well, I'm so plunking down my monthly Lincoln for this ultimate insurance.
Yeah, backups. The ultimate unsexy topic. Might as well talk about actuarial tables. Why, oh why, with this age of broadband and cheap hard drive space, is there not an easy way to automatically back up your files? I'm talking, no paying attention, all security handled, personal-slave-that-does-my-bidding backup here.
Um. There is. And, oh yes...one more thing? It's free.
Yep, say it loud, say it proud: I love Web 2.0. Presenting Mozy, the online backup service, that will back up as much as 2 GB for FREE. Need more than that? How about Mozy Unlimited? $5 bucks a month, and no more concern.Ok, here's the scoop: you download a little program, choose the files you want to backup, and whenever your computer isn't busy, it backs them up. That's it. Automatic, as high security as you can handle, and great privacy. Freaked about choosing what files to backup? No worries: the wizard will actually scan your HD and suggest files to backup: it even groups them in types. What happens if you need to restore? Download the client, and go to it. No restrictions.
What's the catch? Well, you can't share the files, just back them up. That's fair. For the free product, you agree to be emailed; also fair.
I just installed it, and we'll see how it goes, but if it works well, I'm so plunking down my monthly Lincoln for this ultimate insurance.
Saturday, January 13, 2007
$1 Million says there are no psychics
It was 1981. That's Incredible ruled the TV landscape. On came a man who could move the pages of a phone book with his mind, complete with yoga suit. "That's incredible!" Fran Tarkenton cried out.
Then, from backstage, out walked a man who looked like a cross between Santa Claus and a professor. He was introduced as James Randi, a professional debunker. He went by his stage name of "The Amazing Randi," and claimed he could duplicate any so-called psychic tricks with standard cons used by magicians. Even more, he said he could smoke out these people as charlatans, and proceeded to do so, live, to the "psychic". I would never take things at face value again.
Over 20 years later, and I am still a skeptic, thanks to James Randi. And so is he: he is offering $1 Million to the high profile Psychics to just agree to be tested for their feats scientifically. He's spent years offering the prize to anyone, but the kooks come out. Now, let's see John Edwards or the like explain why they won't pick up a $ 1 million check.
Keep the strength up, Randi.
Then, from backstage, out walked a man who looked like a cross between Santa Claus and a professor. He was introduced as James Randi, a professional debunker. He went by his stage name of "The Amazing Randi," and claimed he could duplicate any so-called psychic tricks with standard cons used by magicians. Even more, he said he could smoke out these people as charlatans, and proceeded to do so, live, to the "psychic". I would never take things at face value again.
Over 20 years later, and I am still a skeptic, thanks to James Randi. And so is he: he is offering $1 Million to the high profile Psychics to just agree to be tested for their feats scientifically. He's spent years offering the prize to anyone, but the kooks come out. Now, let's see John Edwards or the like explain why they won't pick up a $ 1 million check.Keep the strength up, Randi.
The Chevy Volt: Sexy Hybrid
With the exception of the Tesla Roadster, is there a law that says electric-influenced cars need to be ugly? I mean, the Prius may be king of the hybrids, but sexy it ain't.
Of all people, Chevy seems to be having a little design renaissance. For instance, the Chevy Volt is gorgeous, and gets somewhere between sixty and One Million Miles per Gallon. Design wise, it takes some cues from the new version of the Camaro, but it definitely improves on the experience.
Now THAT'S riding the lightning!
Of all people, Chevy seems to be having a little design renaissance. For instance, the Chevy Volt is gorgeous, and gets somewhere between sixty and One Million Miles per Gallon. Design wise, it takes some cues from the new version of the Camaro, but it definitely improves on the experience.Now THAT'S riding the lightning!
Labels: cars
Friday, January 12, 2007
The Clash said it best
Should I stay or should I go now?
The quandary: I currently have Comcast for my broadband service; paying them about $60 a month. Speed, according to the CNet bandwidth measurement tool, is about 476.5 kbps. For my Phone service, I pay AT&T for their VOIP service about $30 a month: unlimited calls, great features.
My router is starting to fail, so I'll get a new one, but it made me wonder: were there other providers that could do the job for me? Lo and behold,DSL has finally made it's way to my neighborhood.
Looks like AT&T/Yahoo's system to determine if service is available at an address needs work. After a 45 minute chat online with a rep, she verified service is NOT available. Sigh. Read on for details for your research.
AT&T/Yahoo will give me DSL that is 6 Mbps for about $40; 3 Mbps for $25 a month. Roughly half the cost of cable, and almost 10x the speed. Plus, they'll sweeten the pot with a $75 prepaid VISA. Potentially, I could save even more if I combine with Cingular (which changes it's name to AT&T Monday). Downside? I have to put a phone line back in. Of course, they offer an "all you can eat" phone service for $40 a month, or I could just get a basic line for $10 and keep my VOIP.
Monthly total for broadband & phone today: $90
With AT&T:
1) $80 for 6 MBPS & Unlimited calling line
2) $70 for 6 MBPS & VOIP
3) $65 for 3 MBPS & Unlimited Calling
4) $55 for 3 MBPS & VOIP
If you'd like to benefit from my research, and see if this would work for you, I've put together a Google spreadsheet for you to use. Good luck!
The quandary: I currently have Comcast for my broadband service; paying them about $60 a month. Speed, according to the CNet bandwidth measurement tool, is about 476.5 kbps. For my Phone service, I pay AT&T for their VOIP service about $30 a month: unlimited calls, great features. My router is starting to fail, so I'll get a new one, but it made me wonder: were there other providers that could do the job for me? Lo and behold,
Looks like AT&T/Yahoo's system to determine if service is available at an address needs work. After a 45 minute chat online with a rep, she verified service is NOT available. Sigh. Read on for details for your research.
AT&T/Yahoo will give me DSL that is 6 Mbps for about $40; 3 Mbps for $25 a month. Roughly half the cost of cable, and almost 10x the speed. Plus, they'll sweeten the pot with a $75 prepaid VISA. Potentially, I could save even more if I combine with Cingular (which changes it's name to AT&T Monday). Downside? I have to put a phone line back in. Of course, they offer an "all you can eat" phone service for $40 a month, or I could just get a basic line for $10 and keep my VOIP.Monthly total for broadband & phone today: $90
With AT&T:
1) $80 for 6 MBPS & Unlimited calling line
2) $70 for 6 MBPS & VOIP
3) $65 for 3 MBPS & Unlimited Calling
4) $55 for 3 MBPS & VOIP
If you'd like to benefit from my research, and see if this would work for you, I've put together a Google spreadsheet for you to use. Good luck!
Thursday, January 11, 2007
Firefox: 3D effects on tab switching
On a lighter note, check out this amazingly cool Firefox extension. Firefox brought tabbed browsing mainstream, but this extension adds an incredibly cool 3D effect when you switch tabs.
Requires a decent video card, but man, what a Mac-like experience it brings. And FREE!
On a lighter note, check out this amazingly cool Firefox extension. Firefox brought tabbed browsing mainstream, but this extension adds an incredibly cool 3D effect when you switch tabs.Requires a decent video card, but man, what a Mac-like experience it brings. And FREE!
San Franciscans Gone Wild
I spent a few years as a professional singer. A Cappella harmony, Barbershop, even a little Gilbert & Sullivan. Who knew this could get you physically assaulted, especially in the most liberal area of the country? Well, apparently, some of my fellow Bay Areans decided a group from Yale who sang the National Anthem on New Year's Eve deserved something in return for their patriotism, violence-style.
I'm a firm Libertarian, and generally side on the Blue State aspects of the country, but this makes me see Red. This is despicable. Not only is violence like this absolutely abhorrent and intolerable, but to take violence against people making music, on a night of national revelry, in this area...it's enough to make someone agree with Bill O'Reilly.
San Francisco, specifically the people who did this: you should not only be ashamed, prosecuted, and punished: you should be publicly humiliated and pilloried. I'm ashamed to share the same country, state, and city with you.
I'm a firm Libertarian, and generally side on the Blue State aspects of the country, but this makes me see Red. This is despicable. Not only is violence like this absolutely abhorrent and intolerable, but to take violence against people making music, on a night of national revelry, in this area...it's enough to make someone agree with Bill O'Reilly.
San Francisco, specifically the people who did this: you should not only be ashamed, prosecuted, and punished: you should be publicly humiliated and pilloried. I'm ashamed to share the same country, state, and city with you.
Labels: news, San Francisco
Wednesday, January 10, 2007
My Palm Is No Longer Top Dog
Yep, it's official: Steve Jobs has been reading my blog on the ultimate device, and went ahead and created it. This will serve as an epitaph for my Palm: ladies and gentlemen, I humbly yield my evangelism of my Palm TX as the ultimate multipurpose device, and give you the iPhone.
Why is the iPhone the perfect device? Let me count the ways:
- Apple (no longer Apple Computer; now just Apple, inc. - nice touch, Steve) understands that the killer app for a cell phone is...the phone functions. With Apple's clout, they were able to make the largest cell carrier innovate (visual voicemail: click what messages you want to listen to, rather than be forced to listen to them all), and promises more. Hell, they make making a phone call look sexy on this thing.
- Perfect form factor. Slimmer than any other smartphone, to appeal to the sexy crowd. All screen: you can't mess up the buttons on this thing. The right size to talk on, watch movies...just perfect.
- It runs Mac OS X. Read that again. Not some stripped down version of Linux, or a proprietary OS: the real Mac OS. You want a platform to innovate on or get apps to run on? This is the most robust possibility, ever.
- It syncs with all of the Apple apps, seamlessly as your iPod syncs with iTunes. Music, video, podcasts, contacts, calendar...effortless.
- It ships with 4 or 8 GB of flash memory. Not a hard drive: flash. That means FAST, and no moving parts. Sure, on a music player, that might be not news, but as a phone as well?
- Widgets. This is the ultimate platform for widget displays, all with the whole Apple Dashboard library to choose from.
- Video. I finally have a reason to buy TV shows from iTunes. No more ripping, and dithering down: this sucker will play them all. And you KNOW the integration with FrontRow is coming...can you say Apple TV DVR?
- Music. It's an iPod, the gold standard of MP3 players. And it uses the same connector, which means the accessories are amazing.
- Elegant design. An integrated accelerometer "knows" when you turn it to see it in widescreen, and changes the display to match. A sensor "knows" when you bring it to your face, and turns off the screen, so the light is not on and you can't hit any buttons by accident.
- Connectivity. WiFi built in and Bluetooth 2.0. The phone "senses" when you are near a WiFi connection and uses that; if unavailable, it falls back to the EDGE connection.
- Battery life: it was called out as a feature, not a drawback. The talk time and usage is clearly a focus.
- Price: $599 for the 8GB version. Top smartphones cost close to that, and don't begin to offer the features this does.
- Yahoo push e-mail and Google Maps, built in. Oh my goodness.
I could go on and on, but as great as this device (it's impossible to consider this just a phone) is already, it's real secret weapon is that the potential has not even begun to be explored. 3rd party apps on Mac OSX. Video games. GPS. The mind boggles.
So, are there any flaws? Yes.
1)No camera. It took me a full day to realize that omission. As I have mentioned before, this is a surprisingly popular feature. People will not be thrilled about giving this up, especially with such a capable device to send the pictures from.
UPDATE: Uh-oh, it just got even better. According to the iPhone specs page, it comes with a 2.0 Megapixel camera. Wow.
2) Battery. iPods are notorious for having "closed cases:" you cannot pop a new battery on, when the old one dies. While this may be ok for iPods, phones are critical: let's hope when June comes around (when the release is), it allows for the end user to change the battery.
3) Price. Yes, it's a hell of a deal for all of what you get, but it's still the elite of elites. Will I buy it? Of course. But the iPod took a while to get fully entrenched because of the price.
4) It's wedded to Cingular. Some people tolerate Cingular, others hate it. IMHO, all of the companies are the same, but it will turn off some folks. Your iPod is individual; this attaches you to Cingular for at least 2 years.
5) Memory. 8GB sounds like a lot, until you load all your music, photos, videos and contacts on it. No expansion I saw. This allows Apple to intro the 10GB, etc., later, but it means Flash memory needs to keep up with the demand. Plus, how happy will people by having to spend another $600 every year or two?
6) 3G connectivity. EDGE is the least acceptable cellular data rate. Cingular's HDSPA is much more DSL-like, and rolls back to EDGE. Not a big deal, until you remember: Steve Jobs hates compromise. The browser is Safari, a full web browser. Reading the NY Times on EDGE on a real web browser is like using a 14.4 modem instead of broadband. I didn't see any scaled down version there; that will be my prediction of the first app that makes it's debut, so people can read pages fast. I LOVE WiFi on this device, but HDSPA should have been the cellular standard.
6) Outlook connectivity. Look, the world still runs on Outlook. There needed to be a seamless integration, day 1. OK, no Outlook? How about GMail & Google Calendar? It's still fuzzy how the contacts and calendar apps will sync. Will it only be with the .Mac apps, or will Windows users have an option?
All this aside, this is a truly landscape changing device. Companies that will be affected:
- Nokia. Dead within 3 years, or Europe only is my prediction.
- Motorola. Their design team had been in the lead...they just lost it, and it won't be coming back.
- Blackberry (RIM). Push e-mail from Yahoo? It'll become a tool for the IT executives only.
- Microsoft. After watching Windows Mobile make huge inroads, the sexiest BlackJacks and Q's will look like Newtons compared to this.
- Sprint. 5000 layoffs, same day as this announcement. Connection? No, but expect the 3rd cell carrier to abandon the consumer market and stick to the Nextel business needs.
- Palm. The Palm OS is already a dead OS; now, their legendary ease of use and hardware is antiquated. This device is what Palm should have introduced, not Apple.
- HTC. They make most of the smartphones on the market today (Q, BlackJack, Wizard, etc.), and now they are reduced to a 2nd tier player.
Finally, I leave you with this: not only was this the greatest Apple product yet; not only was this the best keynote yet; not only is this product a world-changer. Even better, check out the dining option Steve and Phil Schiller of Apple decided on in the keynote, while demoing the SMS messaging of the app:
Yep, the best phone, from the best company...at the best Sushi in the state. As a card-carrying Sushi Ran Sushi Love member, I salute you, Steve. The 49er Roll is on me.
Why is the iPhone the perfect device? Let me count the ways:- Apple (no longer Apple Computer; now just Apple, inc. - nice touch, Steve) understands that the killer app for a cell phone is...the phone functions. With Apple's clout, they were able to make the largest cell carrier innovate (visual voicemail: click what messages you want to listen to, rather than be forced to listen to them all), and promises more. Hell, they make making a phone call look sexy on this thing.
- Perfect form factor. Slimmer than any other smartphone, to appeal to the sexy crowd. All screen: you can't mess up the buttons on this thing. The right size to talk on, watch movies...just perfect.
- It runs Mac OS X. Read that again. Not some stripped down version of Linux, or a proprietary OS: the real Mac OS. You want a platform to innovate on or get apps to run on? This is the most robust possibility, ever.
- It syncs with all of the Apple apps, seamlessly as your iPod syncs with iTunes. Music, video, podcasts, contacts, calendar...effortless.
- It ships with 4 or 8 GB of flash memory. Not a hard drive: flash. That means FAST, and no moving parts. Sure, on a music player, that might be not news, but as a phone as well?
- Widgets. This is the ultimate platform for widget displays, all with the whole Apple Dashboard library to choose from.- Video. I finally have a reason to buy TV shows from iTunes. No more ripping, and dithering down: this sucker will play them all. And you KNOW the integration with FrontRow is coming...can you say Apple TV DVR?
- Music. It's an iPod, the gold standard of MP3 players. And it uses the same connector, which means the accessories are amazing.
- Elegant design. An integrated accelerometer "knows" when you turn it to see it in widescreen, and changes the display to match. A sensor "knows" when you bring it to your face, and turns off the screen, so the light is not on and you can't hit any buttons by accident.
- Connectivity. WiFi built in and Bluetooth 2.0. The phone "senses" when you are near a WiFi connection and uses that; if unavailable, it falls back to the EDGE connection.
- Battery life: it was called out as a feature, not a drawback. The talk time and usage is clearly a focus.
- Price: $599 for the 8GB version. Top smartphones cost close to that, and don't begin to offer the features this does.
- Yahoo push e-mail and Google Maps, built in. Oh my goodness.
I could go on and on, but as great as this device (it's impossible to consider this just a phone) is already, it's real secret weapon is that the potential has not even begun to be explored. 3rd party apps on Mac OSX. Video games. GPS. The mind boggles.
So, are there any flaws? Yes.
1)
UPDATE: Uh-oh, it just got even better. According to the iPhone specs page, it comes with a 2.0 Megapixel camera. Wow.
2) Battery. iPods are notorious for having "closed cases:" you cannot pop a new battery on, when the old one dies. While this may be ok for iPods, phones are critical: let's hope when June comes around (when the release is), it allows for the end user to change the battery.
3) Price. Yes, it's a hell of a deal for all of what you get, but it's still the elite of elites. Will I buy it? Of course. But the iPod took a while to get fully entrenched because of the price.
4) It's wedded to Cingular. Some people tolerate Cingular, others hate it. IMHO, all of the companies are the same, but it will turn off some folks. Your iPod is individual; this attaches you to Cingular for at least 2 years.
5) Memory. 8GB sounds like a lot, until you load all your music, photos, videos and contacts on it. No expansion I saw. This allows Apple to intro the 10GB, etc., later, but it means Flash memory needs to keep up with the demand. Plus, how happy will people by having to spend another $600 every year or two?
6) 3G connectivity. EDGE is the least acceptable cellular data rate. Cingular's HDSPA is much more DSL-like, and rolls back to EDGE. Not a big deal, until you remember: Steve Jobs hates compromise. The browser is Safari, a full web browser. Reading the NY Times on EDGE on a real web browser is like using a 14.4 modem instead of broadband. I didn't see any scaled down version there; that will be my prediction of the first app that makes it's debut, so people can read pages fast. I LOVE WiFi on this device, but HDSPA should have been the cellular standard.6) Outlook connectivity. Look, the world still runs on Outlook. There needed to be a seamless integration, day 1. OK, no Outlook? How about GMail & Google Calendar? It's still fuzzy how the contacts and calendar apps will sync. Will it only be with the .Mac apps, or will Windows users have an option?
All this aside, this is a truly landscape changing device. Companies that will be affected:
- Nokia. Dead within 3 years, or Europe only is my prediction.
- Motorola. Their design team had been in the lead...they just lost it, and it won't be coming back.
- Blackberry (RIM). Push e-mail from Yahoo? It'll become a tool for the IT executives only.
- Microsoft. After watching Windows Mobile make huge inroads, the sexiest BlackJacks and Q's will look like Newtons compared to this.
- Sprint. 5000 layoffs, same day as this announcement. Connection? No, but expect the 3rd cell carrier to abandon the consumer market and stick to the Nextel business needs.
- Palm. The Palm OS is already a dead OS; now, their legendary ease of use and hardware is antiquated. This device is what Palm should have introduced, not Apple.
- HTC. They make most of the smartphones on the market today (Q, BlackJack, Wizard, etc.), and now they are reduced to a 2nd tier player.
Finally, I leave you with this: not only was this the greatest Apple product yet; not only was this the best keynote yet; not only is this product a world-changer. Even better, check out the dining option Steve and Phil Schiller of Apple decided on in the keynote, while demoing the SMS messaging of the app:
Yep, the best phone, from the best company...at the best Sushi in the state. As a card-carrying Sushi Ran Sushi Love member, I salute you, Steve. The 49er Roll is on me.
Labels: Apple, cell phones, favorites, gadgets, iPhone
Tuesday, January 09, 2007
Wireless Power...finally here!
A gadget lover's dream: no more cradles or wires. Just drop your phone, Palm, iPod, etc. on this special plate, and it recharges wirelessly. Finally. Y'know, my Sonicare toothbrush has had this for years: just get near the cradle, and it starts charging. I'm amazed it took so long for this to come out.
However, call me convinced: another good purchase for next holiday!
A gadget lover's dream: no more cradles or wires. Just drop your phone, Palm, iPod, etc. on this special plate, and it recharges wirelessly. Finally. Y'know, my Sonicare toothbrush has had this for years: just get near the cradle, and it starts charging. I'm amazed it took so long for this to come out.However, call me convinced: another good purchase for next holiday!
Labels: cell phones, gadgets, gifts
Monday, January 08, 2007
Gadget Time of Year
With the International Consumer Electronics Show in Vegas in full swing, followed by tomorrow's Mac World, it's a good week to be a gadget lover.
For instance, CES has already yielded some great announcements, including:
- Microsoft is bringing IPTV to the XBox. Want another good reason to invest in this gaming platform? It already can play some of the best games, is a kick-ass DVD player, and offers wireless connectivity to allow you to download movies and games right to your TV. Now, add the ability to subscribe over the Internet to your favorite TV channels, and it's goodbye cable. Add in DVR functionality, and the battle for the living room is over.
- The Tivo Comcast announcement. I shall say no more.
- The now-near legendary rumor of the iPhone from Apple gets more legs, as the Wall Street Journal leaks that Cingular is rumored to be providing a private cell network for Apple, and iChat has already been updated...stay tuned for the Reality Distortion Field at 9AM tomorrow.
- eBook readers start to go prime time. With eInk, this may finally take off. I already read books on my Palm, but this promises to be a much more forgiving technology.
And how did I miss this one? Side Show, a new small external LCD screen supported by Windows Vista, specifically for displaying the content of your favorite widget...even when the PC is off!
Man, it's good to be a gadget lover. And with my new Palm GPS just having arrived, I'll have much more to talk about soon!
With the International Consumer Electronics Show in Vegas in full swing, followed by tomorrow's Mac World, it's a good week to be a gadget lover.For instance, CES has already yielded some great announcements, including:
- Microsoft is bringing IPTV to the XBox. Want another good reason to invest in this gaming platform? It already can play some of the best games, is a kick-ass DVD player, and offers wireless connectivity to allow you to download movies and games right to your TV. Now, add the ability to subscribe over the Internet to your favorite TV channels, and it's goodbye cable. Add in DVR functionality, and the battle for the living room is over.
- The Tivo Comcast announcement. I shall say no more.
- The now-near legendary rumor of the iPhone from Apple gets more legs, as the Wall Street Journal leaks that Cingular is rumored to be providing a private cell network for Apple, and iChat has already been updated...stay tuned for the Reality Distortion Field at 9AM tomorrow.
- eBook readers start to go prime time. With eInk, this may finally take off. I already read books on my Palm, but this promises to be a much more forgiving technology.
And how did I miss this one? Side Show, a new small external LCD screen supported by Windows Vista, specifically for displaying the content of your favorite widget...even when the PC is off! Man, it's good to be a gadget lover. And with my new Palm GPS just having arrived, I'll have much more to talk about soon!
Labels: cell phones, gadgets
Tivo...almost on my Comcast DVR!
So close, I can almost taste it. Today, at CES, Comcast finally demo'ed Tivo on their DVR. As I have this miserable piece of crap excuse for a box, with it's sluggish UI and hit or miss recording ability, I miss my Tivo every day. Will I be willing to pay a few bucks more a month for Tivo's UI, reliability, and great features on my already bloated Comcast box?
YES.
Now, when's the date? Rumor is, I'll be able to update the existing box instead of getting a new one. Seems unlikely, as Tivo's Thumbs Up/Down buttons aren't on the Comcast remote. Still, I'll keep you posted!
So close, I can almost taste it. Today, at CES, Comcast finally demo'ed Tivo on their DVR. As I have this miserable piece of crap excuse for a box, with it's sluggish UI and hit or miss recording ability, I miss my Tivo every day. Will I be willing to pay a few bucks more a month for Tivo's UI, reliability, and great features on my already bloated Comcast box?YES.
Now, when's the date? Rumor is, I'll be able to update the existing box instead of getting a new one. Seems unlikely, as Tivo's Thumbs Up/Down buttons aren't on the Comcast remote. Still, I'll keep you posted!
Saturday, January 06, 2007
Been waiting all week for Saturday night
Live blogging my Dallas Cowboys, back in the playoffs...finally! This game comes down to the talent of Romo and Julius Jones against a team with heart, the Seattle Seahawks.
In the 1st quarter, both teams look sloppy. Romo is throwing too low, and the defenses are setting the tone. Need a big play.
Q2: C'mon, Romo. More low throws. He scrambled; that's when you need magic!
Q2: Penalties! What the hell, Boys? You aren't the Raiders!
Q2: Madden is right. Romo needs to settle down. He's dangerous when he scrambles, but he's throwing erratically. Where's that poise he got to the Pro Bowl with?
Q2: I've never been a Parcells fan, but nice to see him fired up. About time.
Q2: Goddam Owens. Most overpaid asshole in the game. Drops, drops, drops. Earn that pay.
Q2: TOUCHDOWN! That's the Romo I've been waiting for!
Q3: More penalties, and the Hawks are looking much sharper. Don't let them back in...
Q3: Seahawks TD. Good Seattle drive. They definitely are much more focused.
Q3: Miles Austin, my new hero. TOUCHDOWN, Cowboys. Great kickoff runback, for a TD. Yeah!
Q4: Great tip and pick by Newman to Roy Williams. Now, they need to build on this.
Q4: Jones finally getting on track. Boys settle for a field goal, though. A TD would have put it away. Still only 1 score separates these 2.
Q4: Another huge penalty, with Newman mugging the receiver. Frustration, clearly, with Hasselbeck picking them apart. 4th down, on the goalline...and the Hawks turn it over!
Q4: Whoa! What the hell? An insane play: pass to Glenn, fumbled, ball in the endzone, ball goes out, but flipped back in...and a safety! What a wild play.
Q4: Seahawks with a great pass. TD. Seahawks take the lead, but fail on the 2 pt conversion. 21-20, Seahawks.
Q4: Less than 2 minutes left, the Boys are near the goalline...4th down...Field goal snap is fumbled! Romo runs...but stopped. Oh NO.
Q4: Hail Mary. 1 play left...Romo throws...incomplete. Seahawks win. The Cowboys season is over. Unreal.
Sigh. What looked like a great win becomes a loss. The Dallas Cowboys of 2006: snatching defeat from the jaws of victory.
In the 1st quarter, both teams look sloppy. Romo is throwing too low, and the defenses are setting the tone. Need a big play.
Q2: C'mon, Romo. More low throws. He scrambled; that's when you need magic!
Q2: Penalties! What the hell, Boys? You aren't the Raiders!
Q2: Madden is right. Romo needs to settle down. He's dangerous when he scrambles, but he's throwing erratically. Where's that poise he got to the Pro Bowl with?
Q2: I've never been a Parcells fan, but nice to see him fired up. About time.Q2: Goddam Owens. Most overpaid asshole in the game. Drops, drops, drops. Earn that pay.
Q2: TOUCHDOWN! That's the Romo I've been waiting for!
Q3: More penalties, and the Hawks are looking much sharper. Don't let them back in...
Q3: Seahawks TD. Good Seattle drive. They definitely are much more focused.
Q3: Miles Austin, my new hero. TOUCHDOWN, Cowboys. Great kickoff runback, for a TD. Yeah!Q4: Great tip and pick by Newman to Roy Williams. Now, they need to build on this.
Q4: Jones finally getting on track. Boys settle for a field goal, though. A TD would have put it away. Still only 1 score separates these 2.
Q4: Another huge penalty, with Newman mugging the receiver. Frustration, clearly, with Hasselbeck picking them apart. 4th down, on the goalline...and the Hawks turn it over!
Q4: Whoa! What the hell? An insane play: pass to Glenn, fumbled, ball in the endzone, ball goes out, but flipped back in...and a safety! What a wild play.
Q4: Seahawks with a great pass. TD. Seahawks take the lead, but fail on the 2 pt conversion. 21-20, Seahawks.
Q4: Less than 2 minutes left, the Boys are near the goalline...4th down...Field goal snap is fumbled! Romo runs...but stopped. Oh NO.Q4: Hail Mary. 1 play left...Romo throws...incomplete. Seahawks win. The Cowboys season is over. Unreal.
Sigh. What looked like a great win becomes a loss. The Dallas Cowboys of 2006: snatching defeat from the jaws of victory.Labels: Dallas Cowboys, football
Tuesday, January 02, 2007
New Year's Eve
We welcomed 2007 with a cruise on the Bay, courtesy of Hornblower Cruises. 
A luxurious windowside seat, with a decadent 4 course dinner of Tiger Shrimp & Scallops, followed by duck, with a main of Filet Mignon, and a Cappuccino Napolean for dessert. 
Charles and Karen arranged the trip, and we had a wonderful time, punctuated by a great fireworks display and a Zino Mouton Cadet #3 on the cool deck air, as we passed under both the Golden Gate and Bay Bridges.
Lloyd and John turned us on to Hornblower, years ago, with the fabulous lunch cruises, and the dinner aboard the California Hornblower was absolutely memorable. A reserved table, open bar with premium selection, seated on the topmost Captain's Lounge, with a jazz duo playing 20 feet away, was just the way to start the new year off right!
We welcomed 2007 with a cruise on the Bay, courtesy of Hornblower Cruises. 
A luxurious windowside seat, with a decadent 4 course dinner of Tiger Shrimp & Scallops, followed by duck, with a main of Filet Mignon, and a Cappuccino Napolean for dessert. 
Charles and Karen arranged the trip, and we had a wonderful time, punctuated by a great fireworks display and a Zino Mouton Cadet #3 on the cool deck air, as we passed under both the Golden Gate and Bay Bridges.
Lloyd and John turned us on to Hornblower, years ago, with the fabulous lunch cruises, and the dinner aboard the California Hornblower was absolutely memorable. A reserved table, open bar with premium selection, seated on the topmost Captain's Lounge, with a jazz duo playing 20 feet away, was just the way to start the new year off right!
Labels: dining, fun, photos, San Francisco
Kodak Gets It
Kodak, the venerable institution of Americana, clearly is in a state of transition. With both savvy acquisitions and organic growth in the digital space, they have carefully moved into a position where they are on the cusp of being the fastest growing digital imaging company in the world...again.
But, despite that, that's not what I am posting about tonight. As a company, as a culture, they have definitely understood the world is changing, and want all of their employees to understand they GET IT. This video, originally produced for internal use, is absolutely the best example of how a large company, steeped in tradition, can inspire the energy, the passion, and the fun of the changing world they live in:
Now, tell me THAT is not a company you would love to work for! A company that can poke fun at itself while paying homage to their legacy, and showing a whole new side...MAN. Remember, this was for internal use: they used this to show the vast, longtime employees of Kodak that not only do they have nothing to fear, but that this is one of the most exciting times to be in their space, and this is one of the companies poised to rule it.
Bravo, Kodak: this irreverence combined with passion is what every company needs to have. To paraphrase the Engadget article on this, let's see what happens next!
But, despite that, that's not what I am posting about tonight. As a company, as a culture, they have definitely understood the world is changing, and want all of their employees to understand they GET IT. This video, originally produced for internal use, is absolutely the best example of how a large company, steeped in tradition, can inspire the energy, the passion, and the fun of the changing world they live in:
Now, tell me THAT is not a company you would love to work for! A company that can poke fun at itself while paying homage to their legacy, and showing a whole new side...MAN. Remember, this was for internal use: they used this to show the vast, longtime employees of Kodak that not only do they have nothing to fear, but that this is one of the most exciting times to be in their space, and this is one of the companies poised to rule it.
Bravo, Kodak: this irreverence combined with passion is what every company needs to have. To paraphrase the Engadget article on this, let's see what happens next!
