Tretakoff Musings
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
It's no iPhone...
But I couldn't wait. My venerable combination of the Palm TX and my Sony Ericsson Z520a has been falling down on the job. My TX is on it's last legs and, with a broken power button, there's no way to reset it to the original ROM. My Z520a has always been a little flaky (random restarts, laggy performance), but the capper was with my Jawbone: the Z520a kept dropping the Bluetooth. Not to mention that, as a GPRS phone, it doesn't even have the speed of EDGE, let alone HSDPA. So, my choices were:
A) Stick it out until the iPhone hits. Sure, it's supposed to ship in June. And the Nintendo Wii shipped in December, yet they are still not on the shelves. Now, with the legendary fan appeal of Apple, a truly amazing phone, and over 1 million inquiries to AT&T/Cingular so far, what are the odds I get my grubby mitts on one before the end of the summer? Sigh. Pass.
B) Pick up a Blackjack. I wanted to. I really did. The styling is great, the phone is slick. I just could not get past the sheer jankiness of Windows Mobile. And, with a very small screen with poor resolution, and no touchscreen, I simply could not do it. What put me over the edge was the fact tat everyone who has one keeps saying "Wait for Windows Mobile 6," and then I saw a video of it...and I was amazed at how craptastic it looked. Scratch the Windows Mobile devices.
C) Embrace the Crackberry. So many people love them. The appeal of on demand email is truly compelling, and the devices are looking sexier. But if I'm replacing my Palm with a smartphone, I want to download and listen to podcasts, watch movies, and more. The Crackberry ain't that.
D) Jump carriers, and pick up the Palm 700p from Verizon. EV-DO connections give DSL speeds to wireless, plus the familiarity of the Palm OS. Every owner I know loves theirs. But the price? Good god. $400 for the device, then another $130 a month for the service? Yikes.
So, what's a gadget guy to do? After a lot of research, consideration, and more, I finally came to a decision:
Yep, the Palm Treo 680. Picked it up today. As I type this, it's dutifully loading the applications I have come to love so much. What made me make the decision?
- Price. At $199 after rebate, it's a heck of a lot of phone and Palm for 1/3 the iPhone price, and half the price of the other Cingular (non-Blackjack) smartphones.
- Palm OS. Yes, I KNOW it's a dead OS. And I know Palm is up for sale. And I know it does not have true multitasking. But guess what? It works, and I already know the bugs. Not to mention, it's elegant, easy to use, and I already have a lot of $ invested in my applications for it.
- True multifunctions. Everything I get with the TX, plus more. Yes, I will DEFINITELY miss the TX's screen size. But already, with only 1 day, carrying the one device makes it a lot easier.
I'll post a full review after 30 days, but already I'm pleased. EDGE is far faster than GPRS, and makes web browsing tolerable. Cingular's XPress Mail, while absolutely one of the worst documented and marketed programs I have ever seen, is actually amazingly elegant, and brings the illusion of push email to the Palm, with no server issue. And the Bluetooth is far better: my Jawbone gets along with it just fine.
I'm not so excited about the slow syncing so far, but I will go so far as to say I'm hopeful it's temporary. My primary goal is to get Quick News and EZSync up and running, so it can get my podcasts with each sync, in the middle of the night; that will negate my primary need for WiFi.
It's a brand new day...and I'll be greeting it with a Treo.
A) Stick it out until the iPhone hits. Sure, it's supposed to ship in June. And the Nintendo Wii shipped in December, yet they are still not on the shelves. Now, with the legendary fan appeal of Apple, a truly amazing phone, and over 1 million inquiries to AT&T/Cingular so far, what are the odds I get my grubby mitts on one before the end of the summer? Sigh. Pass.
B) Pick up a Blackjack. I wanted to. I really did. The styling is great, the phone is slick. I just could not get past the sheer jankiness of Windows Mobile. And, with a very small screen with poor resolution, and no touchscreen, I simply could not do it. What put me over the edge was the fact tat everyone who has one keeps saying "Wait for Windows Mobile 6," and then I saw a video of it...and I was amazed at how craptastic it looked. Scratch the Windows Mobile devices.
C) Embrace the Crackberry. So many people love them. The appeal of on demand email is truly compelling, and the devices are looking sexier. But if I'm replacing my Palm with a smartphone, I want to download and listen to podcasts, watch movies, and more. The Crackberry ain't that.
D) Jump carriers, and pick up the Palm 700p from Verizon. EV-DO connections give DSL speeds to wireless, plus the familiarity of the Palm OS. Every owner I know loves theirs. But the price? Good god. $400 for the device, then another $130 a month for the service? Yikes.
So, what's a gadget guy to do? After a lot of research, consideration, and more, I finally came to a decision:
Yep, the Palm Treo 680. Picked it up today. As I type this, it's dutifully loading the applications I have come to love so much. What made me make the decision?
- Price. At $199 after rebate, it's a heck of a lot of phone and Palm for 1/3 the iPhone price, and half the price of the other Cingular (non-Blackjack) smartphones.
- Palm OS. Yes, I KNOW it's a dead OS. And I know Palm is up for sale. And I know it does not have true multitasking. But guess what? It works, and I already know the bugs. Not to mention, it's elegant, easy to use, and I already have a lot of $ invested in my applications for it.
- True multifunctions. Everything I get with the TX, plus more. Yes, I will DEFINITELY miss the TX's screen size. But already, with only 1 day, carrying the one device makes it a lot easier.
I'll post a full review after 30 days, but already I'm pleased. EDGE is far faster than GPRS, and makes web browsing tolerable. Cingular's XPress Mail, while absolutely one of the worst documented and marketed programs I have ever seen, is actually amazingly elegant, and brings the illusion of push email to the Palm, with no server issue. And the Bluetooth is far better: my Jawbone gets along with it just fine.
I'm not so excited about the slow syncing so far, but I will go so far as to say I'm hopeful it's temporary. My primary goal is to get Quick News and EZSync up and running, so it can get my podcasts with each sync, in the middle of the night; that will negate my primary need for WiFi.
It's a brand new day...and I'll be greeting it with a Treo.
Labels: cell phones, Palm
Saturday, March 24, 2007
March Musings
Just a random post to share, of some great tidbits.
- I always like to use this blog to share the new and cool online applications I find. Well, today I've found a blog that does nothing but this: I bring you MakeUseOf, a directory/blog of some of the coolest sites on the web for free things to make your life interesting. Although the visual style is closer to a wiki than a blog, it definitely offers a great, constantly updating collection of some of the more interesting sites that provide useful services to the consumer. Think Original Signal without the (ahem) noise.
- Yahoo has released version 4 of Yahoo Widget Engine, promising less memory hogging, and new mini-docking, to allow your widgets to be displayed in an intuitive collection, for neatness. It also introduces a drag and drop upload widget for Flickr, as well as support for just about all old widgets. Seems like a worthy download, and is definitely sucking less of my precious resources.
- Speaking of Flickr, they migrated everyone to a required Yahoo account this month. I have no objections to this, but the tool they have to merge an existing Yahoo account with your Flickr account definitely needs work: it kept getting confused. C'mon, guys...QA this stuff if you are going to require it's use.
- Looking for some new ringtones or audio clips? Check out Entertonement for a HUGE collection of freebies. Best of all, they have search and browse, and some really cool ones, such as the ticking clock for 24, or various TOS Star Trek clips. Movies, music, TV, commercials, sports, video games...they have them all.
- Need a logo, or a great stylized text image? Check out the venerable CoolText for the ability to create like a pro, for free.
- Yes, the Jawbone arrived, and is as good as advertised. Controls are a bit cryptic, but it completely eliminates background noise to the people you call. Got a convertible, or like to drive with the windows open? This is your headset. Style is ultra cool, noise reduction is simply the best, volume is just OK. Bonus: charger is USB based, so you can always get a charge from your laptop: no need to lug that AC adaptor around on your trips.
More as I think to write...
- I always like to use this blog to share the new and cool online applications I find. Well, today I've found a blog that does nothing but this: I bring you MakeUseOf, a directory/blog of some of the coolest sites on the web for free things to make your life interesting. Although the visual style is closer to a wiki than a blog, it definitely offers a great, constantly updating collection of some of the more interesting sites that provide useful services to the consumer. Think Original Signal without the (ahem) noise.- Yahoo has released version 4 of Yahoo Widget Engine, promising less memory hogging, and new mini-docking, to allow your widgets to be displayed in an intuitive collection, for neatness. It also introduces a drag and drop upload widget for Flickr, as well as support for just about all old widgets. Seems like a worthy download, and is definitely sucking less of my precious resources.- Speaking of Flickr, they migrated everyone to a required Yahoo account this month. I have no objections to this, but the tool they have to merge an existing Yahoo account with your Flickr account definitely needs work: it kept getting confused. C'mon, guys...QA this stuff if you are going to require it's use.
- Looking for some new ringtones or audio clips? Check out Entertonement for a HUGE collection of freebies. Best of all, they have search and browse, and some really cool ones, such as the ticking clock for 24, or various TOS Star Trek clips. Movies, music, TV, commercials, sports, video games...they have them all.- Need a logo, or a great stylized text image? Check out the venerable CoolText for the ability to create like a pro, for free.
- Yes, the Jawbone arrived, and is as good as advertised. Controls are a bit cryptic, but it completely eliminates background noise to the people you call. Got a convertible, or like to drive with the windows open? This is your headset. Style is ultra cool, noise reduction is simply the best, volume is just OK. Bonus: charger is USB based, so you can always get a charge from your laptop: no need to lug that AC adaptor around on your trips.
More as I think to write...
Labels: blogs, cell phones, commercials, free, fun, gadgets, Software, Star Trek, TV, Video Games, Web 2.0, widgets, Yahoo
Tuesday, March 20, 2007
Shared To Do Lists
We're in the process of moving, which means it's time to make lots of to do lists. Utilities to transfer, subscriptions to update, things to buy...all the property of the standard to do list. Yet we have different jobs, different schedules, so syncing two different lists to make sure we don't overlap is a pain. Surely, I asked, the web has a better way?
Yup. From 37signals, the folks who make free to inexpensive purpose-based solutions for project management and scheduling, comes Backpack. Simple: create your to do list, using multiple categories, and the easiest Web 2.0 controls, and share with another Backpack user. One of you thinks of something to add? Log in to your Backpack page, and with a few clicks, done. Check one off the list? Done. Add some details to a previous to do? Easy to edit.
37 Signals focuses on delivering simple, purpose driven applications, and for this, it's ideal. With a paid account, you can add calendar links, images, and more, but for dealing with moving tasks, it's perfect. What could they add? Syncing with other to do lists would be nice, as would RSS feeds to see when someone else checks off a task or adds one. Even better, some prebuilt templates for common uses (like moving, one might say :-)), but hey, it's free. Who can quibble?
Yup. From 37signals, the folks who make free to inexpensive purpose-based solutions for project management and scheduling, comes Backpack. Simple: create your to do list, using multiple categories, and the easiest Web 2.0 controls, and share with another Backpack user. One of you thinks of something to add? Log in to your Backpack page, and with a few clicks, done. Check one off the list? Done. Add some details to a previous to do? Easy to edit.37 Signals focuses on delivering simple, purpose driven applications, and for this, it's ideal. With a paid account, you can add calendar links, images, and more, but for dealing with moving tasks, it's perfect. What could they add? Syncing with other to do lists would be nice, as would RSS feeds to see when someone else checks off a task or adds one. Even better, some prebuilt templates for common uses (like moving, one might say :-)), but hey, it's free. Who can quibble?
Saturday, March 17, 2007
Hot Tub. Big Screen TV. Car. ZERO Emissions.
Ladies and gentlemen, have a look at the man on the left. Looks fairly unassuming, right? Hardly what you would think of as a revolutionary? Well, prepare to bow down before him: he has created a zero emission home and car ecosystem that he lives by. As the Christian Science Monitor says,
That's zero emissions, and as much power as you want. Better, he also has a hydrogen fuel cell powered car that he fills with hydrogen from his own electrolyzer. Yep, total power and transportation from sunlight and water.
The downside? He spent $500K, but got $250K back from the state. The hydrogen generator system is hardly efficient (he loses 50% in evaporation). But, his quote is the most telling:
"Nothing is as wildly expensive as destroying the whole planet."
Ladies and gentlemen, have a look at the man on the left. Looks fairly unassuming, right? Hardly what you would think of as a revolutionary? Well, prepare to bow down before him: he has created a zero emission home and car ecosystem that he lives by. As the Christian Science Monitor says, "On sunny days, solar panels on the roof of Strizki's detached garage generate more than enough electricity to power his home. The excess electricity powers a device inside the garage called an electrolyzer, which transforms a tank of water into its base elements – oxygen and hydrogen.
"The oxygen is released into the atmosphere, while the hydrogen is stored in 10 1,000-gallon propane tanks on Strizki's property. In the winter, when the solar panels collect less energy than the home needs, that hydrogen is piped to an air-conditioner-size fuel cell, located just outside the garage, which generates electricity."
That's zero emissions, and as much power as you want. Better, he also has a hydrogen fuel cell powered car that he fills with hydrogen from his own electrolyzer. Yep, total power and transportation from sunlight and water.
The downside? He spent $500K, but got $250K back from the state. The hydrogen generator system is hardly efficient (he loses 50% in evaporation). But, his quote is the most telling:
"Nothing is as wildly expensive as destroying the whole planet."
Labels: Eco-friendly, news
Jawbone is on the way...
I could no longer resist. My Jawbone Bluetooth headset is on the way, courtesy of eBay. I'll post a review as soon as I can.
I could no longer resist. My Jawbone Bluetooth headset is on the way, courtesy of eBay. I'll post a review as soon as I can.Labels: cell phones, gadgets
Cavernous subways
As long as I can remember, I've been fascinated with subways. In Boston, where I grew up, I was a virtual Charlie on the M(B)TA. Some of the stations, especially on the Red and Blue lines, were fascinating:
- South Station had the oldest working escalator in the world: the steps were made from interlocking wooden dowels!
- The Aquarium stop was so deep and steep, you could get vertigo from the ride down the escalators.
- Porter Square in Cambridge was a twisting, turning rut that opened into a 2 story underground chamber.
- Park Street? All glorious tile and inlay.
The list goes on. I've always tried to ride subways in every city I go, from Montreal's famous rubber-tired trains, to the cool efficiency of the Metro in DC, to the classic "El" in Chicago, to the opulent carpets and couches of the Bay Area's BART. It's just an efficient, effective way to travel, and evokes the speed of rail with the convenience of in-town.
However, some places take subways to another level. Moscow's elegant crystal and marble; Berlin's modern efficiency. But Stockholm's is a whole world apart. Check out that image to the left: it's a station carved from a cave. These pictures are amazing; as the site says:
- South Station had the oldest working escalator in the world: the steps were made from interlocking wooden dowels!
- The Aquarium stop was so deep and steep, you could get vertigo from the ride down the escalators.
- Porter Square in Cambridge was a twisting, turning rut that opened into a 2 story underground chamber.
- Park Street? All glorious tile and inlay.
The list goes on. I've always tried to ride subways in every city I go, from Montreal's famous rubber-tired trains, to the cool efficiency of the Metro in DC, to the classic "El" in Chicago, to the opulent carpets and couches of the Bay Area's BART. It's just an efficient, effective way to travel, and evokes the speed of rail with the convenience of in-town.
However, some places take subways to another level. Moscow's elegant crystal and marble; Berlin's modern efficiency. But Stockholm's is a whole world apart. Check out that image to the left: it's a station carved from a cave. These pictures are amazing; as the site says:"The Stockholm Tunnelbana has three lines encompassing 110km of track and 100 stations of which 64km and 55 stations are underground. Several of the deep underground stations are cut into solid rock which were left with cave-like ceilings. The builders carved fascinating artistic objects out of the rock. One like the base of a gigantic Greek column (Station Radhuset) resembles the excavated remains of some lost city of Atlantis encased in an ancient lava flow. The Station Kungstradgarden has torsos and lion heads emerging from the rock. Modern murals and statues are liberally used in many other stations."
Monday, March 12, 2007
Alan Moore's Triumph?
If you know Alan Moore, you know that image to the left, and it chills you to think this might actually make it to the screen. Can it finally be that Alan Moore will get the Hollywood respect?
Who the heck is Alan Moore? V for Vendetta is one of his. So is the original (not the Hollywood version) League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. His works are absolutely as influential as Frank Miller or Neil Gaiman in the world of graphic novels. Alan Moore wrote many of the most startling visions of the late 80's, and pretty much claimed the world of graphic novels. But nothing, nothing, defined Alan Moore's work better than the amazing series, Watchmen. It's uncompromising, unrelenting, utterly adult, and perfect for the medium.
Alas, for Alan Moore fans, we've waited for his amazing writing to grace the silver screen. LXG was an abomination, making him so violently disgusted with Hollywood, he swore off any future participation. V was a triumph, but he even disavowed that. And Watchmen? It's been considered "unfilmable." But the director of this week's hit Frank Miller adaptation, The 300, is making a savvy attempt to plead his case, with that image up on the left inserted into a web-only 300 trailer: Rorschach, in all his grim Watchmen glory. Smartly appealing to the fanboys, this director made a success out of another "unfilmable" movie this weekend; perhaps he can try with the greatest Moore epic of all?
And yes, I do own the original Watchmen series, along with the original Frank Moore Batman Returns and the infamous "Death of Phoenix" X-Men, along with about 1000 others. I'll be glad to post an inventory, if you're interested.
If you know Alan Moore, you know that image to the left, and it chills you to think this might actually make it to the screen. Can it finally be that Alan Moore will get the Hollywood respect?Who the heck is Alan Moore? V for Vendetta is one of his. So is the original (not the Hollywood version) League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. His works are absolutely as influential as Frank Miller or Neil Gaiman in the world of graphic novels. Alan Moore wrote many of the most startling visions of the late 80's, and pretty much claimed the world of graphic novels. But nothing, nothing, defined Alan Moore's work better than the amazing series, Watchmen. It's uncompromising, unrelenting, utterly adult, and perfect for the medium.
Alas, for Alan Moore fans, we've waited for his amazing writing to grace the silver screen. LXG was an abomination, making him so violently disgusted with Hollywood, he swore off any future participation. V was a triumph, but he even disavowed that. And Watchmen? It's been considered "unfilmable." But the director of this week's hit Frank Miller adaptation, The 300, is making a savvy attempt to plead his case, with that image up on the left inserted into a web-only 300 trailer: Rorschach, in all his grim Watchmen glory. Smartly appealing to the fanboys, this director made a success out of another "unfilmable" movie this weekend; perhaps he can try with the greatest Moore epic of all?
And yes, I do own the original Watchmen series, along with the original Frank Moore Batman Returns and the infamous "Death of Phoenix" X-Men, along with about 1000 others. I'll be glad to post an inventory, if you're interested.
Hot Water, by Color
I've seen concepts of this on various tech blogs before, but never something real...and cheap! You want to know when the water gets hot, to wash your hands...why make your digits suffer hypothermia while you wait? Instead, let this LED faucet head give you a visual clue: cold water, blue; water above 89 degrees? Red. Simple, and even useful for those middle of the night sink runs! Plus the cool/geek factor cannot be beat.
Oh, the price for this cutting edge gadget? Hang on to that Jackson: $19.99. Now we're talking!
I've seen concepts of this on various tech blogs before, but never something real...and cheap! You want to know when the water gets hot, to wash your hands...why make your digits suffer hypothermia while you wait? Instead, let this LED faucet head give you a visual clue: cold water, blue; water above 89 degrees? Red. Simple, and even useful for those middle of the night sink runs! Plus the cool/geek factor cannot be beat.Oh, the price for this cutting edge gadget? Hang on to that Jackson: $19.99. Now we're talking!
Wireframes in the Real World
I've always loved wireframes, from the moment I played my first rounds of BattleZone and Star Castle. But this artist has taken them out of the Tron world and into the street, with his wireframe sculpture of a Subaru WRX. No, this ain't CG, folks: this is the real thing. Check out the additional photos in the link.
I've always loved wireframes, from the moment I played my first rounds of BattleZone and Star Castle. But this artist has taken them out of the Tron world and into the street, with his wireframe sculpture of a Subaru WRX. No, this ain't CG, folks: this is the real thing. Check out the additional photos in the link.
Sunday, March 11, 2007
Flip Side of Corporate: NeoBedouins
If the Google corporate culture is one end of the spectrum, the ever-improving SFGate.com has a perspective on the other end: the "neo-nomad," or "Bedouins:" those that prefer to work out of a coffee shop. Seems unlikely? Add in WiFi (nearly a requirement for San Francisco), an atmosphere designed for small groups to be able to be together, some funky music, and power, and you've got an incubator for small companies and innovators.
While I definitely prefer the comfort and focus of an office, I tend to make use of these while I am on the road. My favorite is Caribou Coffee: free WiFi that you need to renew every hour; makes you buy more coffee. Lodge-like atmosphere. BIG chairs, friendly staff. However, the idea of doing my work at one of these places is...bizarre. Now add in San Francisco's funky culture and passionate commitment to loud music. How the heck can you work?
Suffice it to say, it's not for everyone, but it's a very interesting insight into a world unlike my own. Bonus: check out this GREAT Slideshow with voiceover from the article. This combination of newspaper with NPR-like immersion is exactly what I wanted to see after reading the article. Gives you a sense of the actual people and atmosphere in the article. Kudos to SFGate for this feature.
If the Google corporate culture is one end of the spectrum, the ever-improving SFGate.com has a perspective on the other end: the "neo-nomad," or "Bedouins:" those that prefer to work out of a coffee shop. Seems unlikely? Add in WiFi (nearly a requirement for San Francisco), an atmosphere designed for small groups to be able to be together, some funky music, and power, and you've got an incubator for small companies and innovators.While I definitely prefer the comfort and focus of an office, I tend to make use of these while I am on the road. My favorite is Caribou Coffee: free WiFi that you need to renew every hour; makes you buy more coffee. Lodge-like atmosphere. BIG chairs, friendly staff. However, the idea of doing my work at one of these places is...bizarre. Now add in San Francisco's funky culture and passionate commitment to loud music. How the heck can you work?
Suffice it to say, it's not for everyone, but it's a very interesting insight into a world unlike my own. Bonus: check out this GREAT Slideshow with voiceover from the article. This combination of newspaper with NPR-like immersion is exactly what I wanted to see after reading the article. Gives you a sense of the actual people and atmosphere in the article. Kudos to SFGate for this feature.
Transit, by Google
What do you do when you need employees in a competitive environment, and stock options and salary are really not enough to distinguish you? Well, after you add free gourmet meals, onsite oil changes and car washes, and other lifestyle perks, you look at what the pain points for the Silicon Valley worker are: commuting. And then? If you're Google, you start a luxury bus line.
Yes, the Goog is now one of the largest transit system operators in the Bay Area. This New York Times article describes what transit is like, Google style:
WiFi, pets, bikes and comfort? Zero environmental impact? FREE? This is living. The article goes on, later, to describe that similar efforts are done by Cisco and Yahoo. In San Francisco, I see the Williams Sonoma luxury coaches delivering workers to BART or the Ferry, from their HQ by Ghirardelli Square every day.
Now, why not take this one step further? Let companies bid on the right to operate public transit? Essentially, privatize it: companies would get the benefit of always having their employees have easy access to work, while being required to still serve areas that are lower income and no direct benefit to them. How to convince them of the latter? Let them install ads, and realize income. Hell, with WiFi on the buses, you could even have touchscreens, and do pay per click ads. I think Google and Yahoo know something about this!
Of course, San Francisco has another approach: make transit free. A bold social experiment, if you combined it with privatized lines like Google's, you just might have a winner.
What do you do when you need employees in a competitive environment, and stock options and salary are really not enough to distinguish you? Well, after you add free gourmet meals, onsite oil changes and car washes, and other lifestyle perks, you look at what the pain points for the Silicon Valley worker are: commuting. And then? If you're Google, you start a luxury bus line.Yes, the Goog is now one of the largest transit system operators in the Bay Area. This New York Times article describes what transit is like, Google style:
"The company now ferries about 1,200 employees to and from Google daily — nearly one-fourth of its local work force — aboard 32 shuttle buses equipped with comfortable leather seats and wireless Internet access. Bicycles are allowed on exterior racks, and dogs on forward seats, or on their owners’ laps if the buses run full.
Riders can sign up to receive alerts on their computers and cellphones when buses run late. They also get to burnish their green credentials, not just for ditching their cars, but because all Google shuttles run on biodiesel. Oh, and the shuttles are free."
WiFi, pets, bikes and comfort? Zero environmental impact? FREE? This is living. The article goes on, later, to describe that similar efforts are done by Cisco and Yahoo. In San Francisco, I see the Williams Sonoma luxury coaches delivering workers to BART or the Ferry, from their HQ by Ghirardelli Square every day.
Now, why not take this one step further? Let companies bid on the right to operate public transit? Essentially, privatize it: companies would get the benefit of always having their employees have easy access to work, while being required to still serve areas that are lower income and no direct benefit to them. How to convince them of the latter? Let them install ads, and realize income. Hell, with WiFi on the buses, you could even have touchscreens, and do pay per click ads. I think Google and Yahoo know something about this!
Of course, San Francisco has another approach: make transit free. A bold social experiment, if you combined it with privatized lines like Google's, you just might have a winner.
Friday, March 09, 2007
Google Desktop 3.0: Ready Yet?
I'm a big fan of the Goog: fast, powerful, and accessible applications, all at the right price (FREE). When Google Desktop hit the scene, I was delighted: email search, and replace that crappy Microsoft search with a real power tool, PLUS Gadgets (widgets)? call me crazy, I thought we had a winner.
Unfortunately, version 1 was VERY resource intensive, and slowed my computer to a crawl. Version 2 took the Gadgets up a notch, but the search was still too limiting: it could only search up to 100K emails (I have easily over 1 million), and had a few security risks. Now version 3 has hit the street, and it adds a whole lotta eye candy. Now, the ubiquitous Sidebar samples your desktop picture, and blends the Gadgets to match. It adds a dramatic touch with gradients and light text on dark backgrounds to the News and RSS modules. The Weather is very cool; the Notepad is cute. And, of course, it uses all of the Gadgets out there.
So what's the verdict? Well, the self learning news and RSS modules were always my favorite, and the stylization that comes with Version 3 makes it truly cool. The Sidebar is definitely now ready for prime time. I'm still hoping they expand the number of emails to index, but I'll survive. In short, I think we finally have a winner.
I'm a big fan of the Goog: fast, powerful, and accessible applications, all at the right price (FREE). When Google Desktop hit the scene, I was delighted: email search, and replace that crappy Microsoft search with a real power tool, PLUS Gadgets (widgets)? call me crazy, I thought we had a winner.Unfortunately, version 1 was VERY resource intensive, and slowed my computer to a crawl. Version 2 took the Gadgets up a notch, but the search was still too limiting: it could only search up to 100K emails (I have easily over 1 million), and had a few security risks. Now version 3 has hit the street, and it adds a whole lotta eye candy. Now, the ubiquitous Sidebar samples your desktop picture, and blends the Gadgets to match. It adds a dramatic touch with gradients and light text on dark backgrounds to the News and RSS modules. The Weather is very cool; the Notepad is cute. And, of course, it uses all of the Gadgets out there.
So what's the verdict? Well, the self learning news and RSS modules were always my favorite, and the stylization that comes with Version 3 makes it truly cool. The Sidebar is definitely now ready for prime time. I'm still hoping they expand the number of emails to index, but I'll survive. In short, I think we finally have a winner.
Monday, March 05, 2007
Netflix Streaming: As Good As Advertised
If you haven't heard, Netflix has finally started to live up to their name by offering you the ability to stream movies over the web. Unlike iTunes, or other services, you can watch over 1000 movies via a live stream, included as part of your monthly subscription fee. Here's how it works: let's say you are on the Netflix $18 a month plan. In addition to your unlimited DVD's out per month, you get 18 hours of streaming per month.
I saw that this was an option for me tonight in my account. As I type this, I'm watching Westworld, full screen, on my other monitor. What I was concerned about was the speed and quality of the streaming. Much to my surprise, the installation was fast and painless, and the streaming started immediately. No hiccups, no skips, no delays: just instant movie watching. Wow.
No, you can't save the movies; too bad, as I'd love to watch them on my Palm. But, for a service that is included with your subscription, at no extra cost, it's amazing. IE only, and, of course, PC only (Mac users, try it with Parallels; should work). Next step: hook the PC up to the TV, and watch these movies on the BIG screen!
Stay tuned...and check your Netflix account to see if you have streaming available! Go to My Account, then click the link that says "How can I watch streaming movies?"
Ok, back to Westworld!
If you haven't heard, Netflix has finally started to live up to their name by offering you the ability to stream movies over the web. Unlike iTunes, or other services, you can watch over 1000 movies via a live stream, included as part of your monthly subscription fee. Here's how it works: let's say you are on the Netflix $18 a month plan. In addition to your unlimited DVD's out per month, you get 18 hours of streaming per month. I saw that this was an option for me tonight in my account. As I type this, I'm watching Westworld, full screen, on my other monitor. What I was concerned about was the speed and quality of the streaming. Much to my surprise, the installation was fast and painless, and the streaming started immediately. No hiccups, no skips, no delays: just instant movie watching. Wow.
No, you can't save the movies; too bad, as I'd love to watch them on my Palm. But, for a service that is included with your subscription, at no extra cost, it's amazing. IE only, and, of course, PC only (Mac users, try it with Parallels; should work). Next step: hook the PC up to the TV, and watch these movies on the BIG screen!
Stay tuned...and check your Netflix account to see if you have streaming available! Go to My Account, then click the link that says "How can I watch streaming movies?"
Ok, back to Westworld!
Labels: movies
Sunday, March 04, 2007
Samuel L. Jackson, Pulp Fiction, and Animated Text
I'm no huge fan of Pulp Fiction, but it's undeniable that this was the vehicle that made us understand Sam Jackson as the riveting screen influence he is. His speech and role in PF is constantly quoted as the meme, and this enterprising animated short shows how text, fonts, and animation can be combined to reflect the same power. Enjoy...but make sure you do not watch with the speakers turned up (language may...hell, will...offend).
How much is your domain worth?
Yep, it's now here. dnScoop lets you type in whatever domain you want, and it will tell you how much it's worth, based on traffic, views, and links. The interesting part to me was the Yahoo feature that lets you see who's linking to your domain; I had no idea I had so many links. While many were flattering and fun (Pete's blog, Lani's blog, Leslie's blog), a surprising amount were because of my post on the Jet Pack, some months ago.
On the Blog Value side, dnScoop also helpfully tells me that the estimated value of a single link on http://www.tretakoff.com is $5 /month, and that if I were to sell 8 spots on one page, I could generate $40/month in revenue for your website. Yeah, I'm retiring off of that.
Oh, yes, the value? Get ready:
Yep, it's now here. dnScoop lets you type in whatever domain you want, and it will tell you how much it's worth, based on traffic, views, and links. The interesting part to me was the Yahoo feature that lets you see who's linking to your domain; I had no idea I had so many links. While many were flattering and fun (Pete's blog, Lani's blog, Leslie's blog), a surprising amount were because of my post on the Jet Pack, some months ago.On the Blog Value side, dnScoop also helpfully tells me that the estimated value of a single link on http://www.tretakoff.com is $5 /month, and that if I were to sell 8 spots on one page, I could generate $40/month in revenue for your website. Yeah, I'm retiring off of that.
Oh, yes, the value? Get ready:
Labels: blogs
Exercise in Honesty, An Error, or a Great Strategy?
This last week was an interesting one. After all the dust settles, I may well share some insight on it all, but the situation is still in flux. Suffice it to say, this week determined my career, my home, and my mental state. It's been a busy one, to say the least.
One odd experience was with the power and peril of social networking on the web, and blogs. I am a passionate LinkedIn user, as it has always yielded me great results for professional networking and hiring. When you are a LinkedIn user, as you make updates to your profile, your linked contacts are notified of the changes, through email. I received one notification of a change, from someone I work with: he added a link to his blog. Curious, I checked it out. The first entry I saw?
This was startling, to say the least. My first reaction was shock, then embarrassment for the co-worker: he obviously had not realized his fellow company mates would see this. I could not tell him directly, as it was delicate, and I had reasons of my own. I shared the blog with some others, so they could talk with him.
As I thought more about this, I realized his "error" was actually one of three possibilities:
Now, I have worked with him for years, and find him to be one of the most honest and easygoing people I have ever worked with. He will dig his heels in when he thinks he's right, and cheerfully abandon objections when he sees no merit to them. I still have not figured out which of the above it is, but as more and more of us blog online, I wonder if this will be a more common occurrence, and if so, if he's not just a bit ahead of the rest of us on using this as a tool for change.
There's no resolution that I know of, but his subsequent blog entries make me think he's staying, so I hope, if he had planned to use this as a change agent, it worked. Would any of you do this?
And no, I will not put the link to his blog here. :-)
This last week was an interesting one. After all the dust settles, I may well share some insight on it all, but the situation is still in flux. Suffice it to say, this week determined my career, my home, and my mental state. It's been a busy one, to say the least.One odd experience was with the power and peril of social networking on the web, and blogs. I am a passionate LinkedIn user, as it has always yielded me great results for professional networking and hiring. When you are a LinkedIn user, as you make updates to your profile, your linked contacts are notified of the changes, through email. I received one notification of a change, from someone I work with: he added a link to his blog. Curious, I checked it out. The first entry I saw?
A time for change?
It's been over 3 years that I've been at my current company. I have never stayed with one company this long, and I'm getting the itch for a change. I've got several reasons why I want to change, and several reasons to stay put.
This was startling, to say the least. My first reaction was shock, then embarrassment for the co-worker: he obviously had not realized his fellow company mates would see this. I could not tell him directly, as it was delicate, and I had reasons of my own. I shared the blog with some others, so they could talk with him.
As I thought more about this, I realized his "error" was actually one of three possibilities:
- He made a genuine error, not realizing others in the company would see it.
- He blogs honestly and transparently, and is proud that others in the worlds he lives in can see his thoughts, regardless of the consequences.
- He did this as a conscious strategy to get others in the company to recognize his unhappiness, and choose to address it with him, either with discussion or perhaps compensation.
Now, I have worked with him for years, and find him to be one of the most honest and easygoing people I have ever worked with. He will dig his heels in when he thinks he's right, and cheerfully abandon objections when he sees no merit to them. I still have not figured out which of the above it is, but as more and more of us blog online, I wonder if this will be a more common occurrence, and if so, if he's not just a bit ahead of the rest of us on using this as a tool for change.
There's no resolution that I know of, but his subsequent blog entries make me think he's staying, so I hope, if he had planned to use this as a change agent, it worked. Would any of you do this?
And no, I will not put the link to his blog here. :-)
Are we REALLY that short of attention span?
"Blog" is short for weblog. Weblogs started as short online journals, for people like me to post their thoughts, and share with several people at once. But now, we have short-form weblogs: Tumblelogs, courtesy of Tumblr.
I feel like the old man I am for saying this, but has it really come down to this? No context, no setup, no storytelling: just brief excerpts of consciousness. For instance, have a look at this tumblelog. I love the formatting, and the visual treatment, but the content? It's like walking into a movie halfway through.
I pride myself on keeping up with the latest web trends, but this one might take a while.
"Blog" is short for weblog. Weblogs started as short online journals, for people like me to post their thoughts, and share with several people at once. But now, we have short-form weblogs: Tumblelogs, courtesy of Tumblr.I feel like the old man I am for saying this, but has it really come down to this? No context, no setup, no storytelling: just brief excerpts of consciousness. For instance, have a look at this tumblelog. I love the formatting, and the visual treatment, but the content? It's like walking into a movie halfway through.
I pride myself on keeping up with the latest web trends, but this one might take a while.
Google Maps Sightseeing
There have been planes. There have been ships. There have been cars. But now? How about Google Maps capturing a cruise missile in flight, over the Utah desert?
Big Brother's eye is unblinking.
Big Brother's eye is unblinking.
Labels: Google Maps
Thursday, March 01, 2007
Set your Remote on Stun
In case you hadn't known, I'm kind of a Trek fan. I got hooked on rerun of The Original Series (TOS), then, after being skeptical, got completely pulled into The Next Generation (TNG); TNG is still exceptional, and I could watch an episode any day or time. Deep Space Nine (DS9) kind of lost me, but Leslie turned me on to just how great the last season was. Voyager (VOY) was a bit aimless, but rediscovered that TNG vibe towards the end. Enterprise? Oooh boy. They should have stuck with the movies.
However, who has not wanted to point their remote at the TV and watch the bolt of energy fly out from it? Well, combine your TOS Star Trek Phaser and your boob tube control habits to get this killer remote. I actually have a TNG one from my old Sharper Image days, complete with sound effects, but this looks to be a bit more comprehensive.
And be on the lookout for the new J.J. Abrams TOS movie prequel next year. Lost meets Star Trek? Count me in!
However, who has not wanted to point their remote at the TV and watch the bolt of energy fly out from it? Well, combine your TOS Star Trek Phaser and your boob tube control habits to get this killer remote. I actually have a TNG one from my old Sharper Image days, complete with sound effects, but this looks to be a bit more comprehensive.And be on the lookout for the new J.J. Abrams TOS movie prequel next year. Lost meets Star Trek? Count me in!
