Tretakoff Musings
Saturday, June 30, 2007
iPhone: first impressions
In case you had not heard, the folks who camped out for days to get their hands on the new iPhone sort of wasted their time: unlike the Nintendo Wii, Apple was prepared for the demand. So much so, that today, I wandered over to the Apple store, where I was easily able to get my hands on an actual iPhone to play with (along with dozens of other people).
The good:
OK, enough gushing. Let's talk about the bad.
There's far more, but check out this accurate rant from another user:
1. Bluetooth is ONLY good for connecting a headset. That's it.
2. There is no file browser on the device at all. Data must be organized (if at all) in the appropriate application.
3. The camera is a simple application that has ONE button: the shutter. Pictures come out okay on the device, but nothing too fancy on a monitor, especially if it was an attempt at a macro shot.
4. SIM card is damn near impossible to open, if at all. I didn't look into it extensively.
5. Web browser is slow, even over WLAN. Even the simple OneList web app that was created takes around 20 seconds to load over WLAN. You can not highlight, cut, copy, or paste and text from a website, and you can not save any images you find from a website either. The only nice thing about it is the tabbed browsing, which crashed on me when I went to Engadget and YouTube on two tabs. This is the only application that allows you to use the keyboard in landscape mode.
6. The keyboard sucks. It gets slightly better after the iPhone "learns" you, as the employees said, but even then, it's not a device you can use with one hand comfortably, much less without looking.
7. You can only send one picture at a time in an email.
8. No custom ringtones (yet, as we were being told) and the alert tones can not be changed whatsoever.
9. The default ringtones are incredibly lame.
10. The only form of customization outside of a lame default ringtone is the wallpaper, which you'll only see when you need to unlock the device or when you get a phone call.
11. "Picture pinching" or using two fingers to zoom on any content is certainly fun to play with, but not practical whatsoever. This operation depends solely on using the device with two hands.
12. No document editor or native viewer. You can not store documents on the device to be viewed, they can only be viewed as attachments when they're sent to your in an email.
13. Visual voicemail is laggy and reacts about the same way as pushing the fast forward and rewind buttons on traditional voicemail systems. The only advantage is for those that get that many voicemail messages a day that they need to sort them according to priority.
14. NO games. None.
15. No voice dialing.
16. No speed dialing (which can be made up by the "quick list", but getting to that quick list isn't as fast as holding a single key on a real keypad).
17. No video (capture).
18. No MMS.
19. It's still <4GB for $500 and <8GB for $600
20. It only takes around 2 hours to explore every menu without any options for expandability except to scrounge around for new web apps that will load slowly and nowhere near as smoothly as the native apps.
The Apple Store I was at sold out of the 8GB versions by 2pm again, but the 4GBs were still available. And they said they expected more in tomorrow. So, I don't expect this to be a rarity. What I think I'll be doing is waiting to see what happens with three things: addressing the email/keyboard issues; looking at expansion to 3rd party apps and widgets; and definitely finding out how the synchronization with Outlook goes, as that's my life right now.
Still, definitely a game-changer, and a whole new class of device, but right now, the price keeps me away for the tradeoffs I mentioned. As the late-30's mother next to me breathed, nearly orgasmically, "I so need this," I would suggest you try for yourself, and make your own conclusions.
In case you had not heard, the folks who camped out for days to get their hands on the new iPhone sort of wasted their time: unlike the Nintendo Wii, Apple was prepared for the demand. So much so, that today, I wandered over to the Apple store, where I was easily able to get my hands on an actual iPhone to play with (along with dozens of other people).The good:
- This thing is the ultimate of small and large. The body is incredibly slim and the size is extremely small, smaller than my Treo, or even my old Palm TX. The screen is startlingly large, especially for movies. There is no obvious bezel, so this baby is all screen.
- The UI is amazing. The perfect Apple UI, it's sexy, responsive, and unbelievably cool. Transitions, scrolling, fonts: this device just screams craftsmanship.
- The phone is extremely great. Call quality is excellent, UI is superb, and address book integration is stunning. And that's not even mentioning the elegant touch of blanking the screen when you hold it to your face while calling.
- The screen cannot be believed. Bright, vibrant, and everything practically pops. with no reflections. Images are perfect, movies and Cover Flow ache to be savored.
- Just incredible UI touches. The dropping of the pins on Google Maps, the speed sensitive flicking of your finger in Cover Flow, the intuitive interface. Magnificent.
- LOVE the widgets. Yahoo Weather is unbelievably sexy, though strangely you can't reorder the cities you are looking at, just delete or add. Stocks was very cool. And Google Maps was delicious. Even Notes were DAMN cool, with a miniature yellow legal pad and sketch like font.
OK, enough gushing. Let's talk about the bad.- The keyboard is as bad as the Newton's handwriting recognition was when it first hit. Yes, the iPhone tries to automatically correct your typing issues, and does an OK job, but this is clearly a device that can only be typed on with a single finger; two thumbs are out. The sensitivity of the keyboard is wonky, and it only takes advantage of the optional horizontal orientation when in web browsing mode; what a mistake. I can see Doonesbury cartoons making fun of this anytime now.
- Web browsing is slow, even on WiFi. This surprised me, as we're talking about Safari on a closed OS X environment. Why so slow? There are no other apps to slow it down? In contrast, the YouTube app was extremely slick and responsive. I was pleasantly surprised to see NetVibes load smoothly with no issues, but signing in was a strange experience on navigation controls that were hidden under translucent menus.
- Email was a pain. Sure, reading was actually cool and sexy (especially loved the inline photos, etc.), but writing only was good if you were replying or emailign someone in your address book. Typing the address in the To field was an exercise in frustration (see the keyboard issues).
- Orientation changing sometimes worked. Worked great in iPod mode for music, but video stayed stubbornly widescreen. Not that I'm complaining, but still... And the orientation change only works for some apps, not all.
- What the heck is up with Bluetooth? Bad enough they shipped a multimedia device without Bluetooth 2.0 (2.0 lets you stream audio to headphones wirelessly), but there seemed to be no obvious way to set the iPhone's Bluetooth name. Normally, not a huge problem, but in an ever increasing Bluetooth world, you better know what you are pairing with!
There's far more, but check out this accurate rant from another user:
1. Bluetooth is ONLY good for connecting a headset. That's it.
2. There is no file browser on the device at all. Data must be organized (if at all) in the appropriate application.
3. The camera is a simple application that has ONE button: the shutter. Pictures come out okay on the device, but nothing too fancy on a monitor, especially if it was an attempt at a macro shot.
4. SIM card is damn near impossible to open, if at all. I didn't look into it extensively.
5. Web browser is slow, even over WLAN. Even the simple OneList web app that was created takes around 20 seconds to load over WLAN. You can not highlight, cut, copy, or paste and text from a website, and you can not save any images you find from a website either. The only nice thing about it is the tabbed browsing, which crashed on me when I went to Engadget and YouTube on two tabs. This is the only application that allows you to use the keyboard in landscape mode.
6. The keyboard sucks. It gets slightly better after the iPhone "learns" you, as the employees said, but even then, it's not a device you can use with one hand comfortably, much less without looking.
7. You can only send one picture at a time in an email.
8. No custom ringtones (yet, as we were being told) and the alert tones can not be changed whatsoever.
9. The default ringtones are incredibly lame.
10. The only form of customization outside of a lame default ringtone is the wallpaper, which you'll only see when you need to unlock the device or when you get a phone call.
11. "Picture pinching" or using two fingers to zoom on any content is certainly fun to play with, but not practical whatsoever. This operation depends solely on using the device with two hands.
12. No document editor or native viewer. You can not store documents on the device to be viewed, they can only be viewed as attachments when they're sent to your in an email.
13. Visual voicemail is laggy and reacts about the same way as pushing the fast forward and rewind buttons on traditional voicemail systems. The only advantage is for those that get that many voicemail messages a day that they need to sort them according to priority.
14. NO games. None.
15. No voice dialing.
16. No speed dialing (which can be made up by the "quick list", but getting to that quick list isn't as fast as holding a single key on a real keypad).
17. No video (capture).
18. No MMS.
19. It's still <4GB for $500 and <8GB for $600
20. It only takes around 2 hours to explore every menu without any options for expandability except to scrounge around for new web apps that will load slowly and nowhere near as smoothly as the native apps.
The Apple Store I was at sold out of the 8GB versions by 2pm again, but the 4GBs were still available. And they said they expected more in tomorrow. So, I don't expect this to be a rarity. What I think I'll be doing is waiting to see what happens with three things: addressing the email/keyboard issues; looking at expansion to 3rd party apps and widgets; and definitely finding out how the synchronization with Outlook goes, as that's my life right now.
Still, definitely a game-changer, and a whole new class of device, but right now, the price keeps me away for the tradeoffs I mentioned. As the late-30's mother next to me breathed, nearly orgasmically, "I so need this," I would suggest you try for yourself, and make your own conclusions.
Labels: Apple, cell phones, Google Maps, iPhone, Palm, widgets, youtube
We now live in an iPhone world
Yep, it's official: Mr. Jobs owns our souls. After yesterday's frenzied national campout, the iPhone is no longer a fantasy. Rather than regale you with a recap of the festivities, check out Google News' coverage.
And no, I did not wait in line for one. I might peep one today, but we'll see.
Yep, it's official: Mr. Jobs owns our souls. After yesterday's frenzied national campout, the iPhone is no longer a fantasy. Rather than regale you with a recap of the festivities, check out Google News' coverage.And no, I did not wait in line for one. I might peep one today, but we'll see.
Labels: Apple, cell phones, iPhone, news
Farewell to NFL Europe
After a decade and a half, the NFL has finally given up on its minor league, NFL Europe, and pulled the plug. What started out as a spring league for those die hard football fans who wanted to see genuine professional football had morphed into a late night, low quality product that even the NFL was ashamed to show on its own network. Thus, we bid a fond farewell to NFL Europe.
It started as the WLAF: World League of American Football. A strange combination of teams: half in North America in non-NFL cities like San Antonio (Go Riders!) and Montreal (Mean Machine!), with stalwarts of spring leagues (Birmingham, Orlando). The other half were in Europe: the London Monarchs, Frankfurt Galaxy, and Barcelona Dragons, for instance. Quality was good: supplemental NFL players, all trying to make teams, with quality coaches (Jack Bicknell, former Boston College head coach, and Doug Flutie's mentor, coached the Dragons), but it was so odd to have this spread out league, it never quite caught on.
After a couple of years, the NFL retooled, and made the league the World League, and headed to Europe only. There was a bit of fan base; the Monarchs continued to thrive, for instance. And the league started to pay dividends: Kurt Warner, 2 time NFL MVP, came out of the World League, as did Brad Johnson (starting QB for so many teams), as well as Mr. Clutch himself, Adam Vinitieri - he's only got 4, yes 4, Superbowl rings, as well as being the greatest clutch kicker of all time.
After a few more years, the league was shut and relaunched as NFL Europe. The NFL really tried this time: including local players on all teams, going to cities that were sports strongholds but alien to Americans (Hamburg? Cologne?). They invested in showing the games on their fledgling TV network, and even tried current and former NFL players as announcers. Still, the detached nature of it, as well as the clearly empty stadiums and their odd effect on the game made this league's future clear.
I've been a staunch proponent of a minor league for football; using a college for this is just bizarre to me, and a crapshoot. While the rise of Warner is frequently cited as a success story, the same could be said about the Arena League (which the NFL invested in and many NFL players own teams), where Warner played (Go Barnstormers!). It's clear there is a needs and a niche for this time of the year and this product; let's hope Arena Football can continue to fill it, as the last vestiges of NFL spring football fade into memory.
After a decade and a half, the NFL has finally given up on its minor league, NFL Europe, and pulled the plug. What started out as a spring league for those die hard football fans who wanted to see genuine professional football had morphed into a late night, low quality product that even the NFL was ashamed to show on its own network. Thus, we bid a fond farewell to NFL Europe.It started as the WLAF: World League of American Football. A strange combination of teams: half in North America in non-NFL cities like San Antonio (Go Riders!) and Montreal (Mean Machine!), with stalwarts of spring leagues (Birmingham, Orlando). The other half were in Europe: the London Monarchs, Frankfurt Galaxy, and Barcelona Dragons, for instance. Quality was good: supplemental NFL players, all trying to make teams, with quality coaches (Jack Bicknell, former Boston College head coach, and Doug Flutie's mentor, coached the Dragons), but it was so odd to have this spread out league, it never quite caught on.
After a couple of years, the NFL retooled, and made the league the World League, and headed to Europe only. There was a bit of fan base; the Monarchs continued to thrive, for instance. And the league started to pay dividends: Kurt Warner, 2 time NFL MVP, came out of the World League, as did Brad Johnson (starting QB for so many teams), as well as Mr. Clutch himself, Adam Vinitieri - he's only got 4, yes 4, Superbowl rings, as well as being the greatest clutch kicker of all time.After a few more years, the league was shut and relaunched as NFL Europe. The NFL really tried this time: including local players on all teams, going to cities that were sports strongholds but alien to Americans (Hamburg? Cologne?). They invested in showing the games on their fledgling TV network, and even tried current and former NFL players as announcers. Still, the detached nature of it, as well as the clearly empty stadiums and their odd effect on the game made this league's future clear.
I've been a staunch proponent of a minor league for football; using a college for this is just bizarre to me, and a crapshoot. While the rise of Warner is frequently cited as a success story, the same could be said about the Arena League (which the NFL invested in and many NFL players own teams), where Warner played (Go Barnstormers!). It's clear there is a needs and a niche for this time of the year and this product; let's hope Arena Football can continue to fill it, as the last vestiges of NFL spring football fade into memory.
Monday, June 25, 2007
Lock your Windows computer with a click
Pretty slick and simple walkthrough on creating a desktop shortcut to lock your Windows computer with a simple double click. Easy. Should be built in.
Pretty slick and simple walkthrough on creating a desktop shortcut to lock your Windows computer with a simple double click. Easy. Should be built in.Labels: lifehacks
Sunday, June 24, 2007
Chumby: Almost Here
A year ago, Widgets and the Real World were announced to finally be married: Chumby was coming to the market. A perfect device, Chumby was billed as the ultimate bedside companion/office clock, with built in WiFi, "squeeze sensors," and, most importantly, complete support for almost all the widgets you could imagine. Picture a device that sits by your bed, and downloads your favorite RSS feeds, wakes you up with any song form your music library, shows you the weather, and more. The Web was abuzz with excitement.
A year later, and we are still Chumbyless. But help is on the way! TechCrunch reports that Chumby is due out in just a couple of months, and will sell for $180. While I'm thrilled to see Chumby coming to market (probably about the time the next round of iPhone shipments will finally arrive, that $180 price point is pretty hard to take for what is essentially an uberclock. I was hoping for the magical $99 price point, but alas, I am out of luck.
If you're still jonesing for Chumby, here's what you get for those 9 Jacksons:
Features: 3.5" LCD color touchscreen • two external USB 2.0 full-speed ports • 350 MHz ARM controller • 64 MB SDRAM • 64 MB NAND flash ROM • stereo 2W speakers • headphone output • squeeze sensor • accelerometer (motion sensor) • wi-fi connectivity • integrated microphone
Ok, Chumby...bring it to market, then let's see what happens.
A year ago, Widgets and the Real World were announced to finally be married: Chumby was coming to the market. A perfect device, Chumby was billed as the ultimate bedside companion/office clock, with built in WiFi, "squeeze sensors," and, most importantly, complete support for almost all the widgets you could imagine. Picture a device that sits by your bed, and downloads your favorite RSS feeds, wakes you up with any song form your music library, shows you the weather, and more. The Web was abuzz with excitement. A year later, and we are still Chumbyless. But help is on the way! TechCrunch reports that Chumby is due out in just a couple of months, and will sell for $180. While I'm thrilled to see Chumby coming to market (probably about the time the next round of iPhone shipments will finally arrive, that $180 price point is pretty hard to take for what is essentially an uberclock. I was hoping for the magical $99 price point, but alas, I am out of luck.
If you're still jonesing for Chumby, here's what you get for those 9 Jacksons:
Features: 3.5" LCD color touchscreen • two external USB 2.0 full-speed ports • 350 MHz ARM controller • 64 MB SDRAM • 64 MB NAND flash ROM • stereo 2W speakers • headphone output • squeeze sensor • accelerometer (motion sensor) • wi-fi connectivity • integrated microphone
Ok, Chumby...bring it to market, then let's see what happens.
Thursday, June 21, 2007
The iPhone Campout Begins
You know it's going to be a zoo when AT&T stores send out memos telling their staff how to deal with the landlords and the expected crowds of people camping out for their iPhones.
Side note: Port-A-Potty companies expect their stock to skyrocket. ;-)
You know it's going to be a zoo when AT&T stores send out memos telling their staff how to deal with the landlords and the expected crowds of people camping out for their iPhones.Side note: Port-A-Potty companies expect their stock to skyrocket. ;-)
Labels: cell phones, iPhone
Sunday, June 17, 2007
Candy Heaven
A Bizarre Challenger to the Madden Throne
Why do hot dogs come in packages of 10, but buns in packages of 8? Why do gas stations display their prices in 9/10 of a cent? Why do major airlines insist on charging more money for a one-way ticket than a round trip? These are some of the major annoyances in life, but none tops one of my personal pet peeves:
Why do the makers of football games for consoles (PS, XBox, etc.) not make the rosters able to be updated over the Internet?
The answers to all of the above, of course, is to make more money. In the case of the last example, it's particularly galling. Electronic Arts, makers of the venerable Madden franchise of football video games, has been doing this since 1988. See, Madden costs about $60. Every August, video gamers who are football fans (like myself) pony up the bucks. What do we get in return? Gee-whiz new features, like NFL Network play by play, or a new and improved "build your own superstar" subplot. But what we all really are paying for is the updated rosters: we all want to play as our favorite teams, with the right rankings of the breakout stars from last season (Marques Colston, anyone?), and the new hot rookies who are sure to make an impact (hello, JaMarcus Russell).
Now, every console on the market is able to be hooked up online. Imagine if you could just download the latest roster and rankings. Cool idea, right? Sure, and that is how it works on the PC version (mostly). But consoles are where the money is: that $60 every year is EA's lifeblood. Imagine how they felt a few years ago when some upstart, 2KSports, started making a worthy competitor to Madden: ESPN 2K5! It had even slicker TV-like graphics, all the NFL teams and players, and even ESPN personalities and presentations. In many ways, the gameplay was simpler, yet slicker, than Madden. If that was not enough, they had the cojones to price it at $20! It FLEW off the shelves. Guess what happened next? EA essentially bribed the NFL into giving them the exclusive rights to the teams, players, and stadiums of the NFL. Why? Same answer: money.
Although 2K5 was a better game in many ways, it was starved to death: no new rosters means no play, Sure, you could laboriously create new players, and move others to new teams, even update their ranking. By that time, you'd have missed the entire season. Sigh. Madden celebrated their complete domination by making their "classic teams" function even lamer: the classic teams would no longer have the names or numbers of the greats, just lame "QB #3." Joe Montana to Jerry Rice? Uh-uh. Aikman hands off to Emmitt? Nope. The Fridge over the goal line? Heck no.
Well, if they can't fight fair, it's time to fight any way you can. 2KSports is making another go of it, with their recently announced All-Pro Football 2K8. The tagline? "Football Resurrected." No you can't play as the Patriots or Broncos. No, you can't see Reggie Bush scamper all over the Superdome. But you CAN create your ultimate dream teams: Johnny Unitas hands off to Walter Payton. Barry Sanders eludes Dick Butkus. And, as you can see from the image, Ronnie Lott and Jerry Rice don uniforms from the same team once again. It's clever, but it's priced in the $60 rarified zone, so it's a hard call on taking a risk. Plus, although they call it "ultimate customization," the lack of NFL logos, uniforms, and stadiums puts it squarely into the realm of the Miami Sharks (Any Given Sunday) and Washington Sentinels (The Replacements): entertaining, but ain't quite the NFL. And even 2K doesn't offer updateable rosters: are they hoping to get us to buy next year's version with Brett Favre and Andre Rison?
Sigh, Makes me think of just biting the bullet and buying a PC to hook to the TV instead.
The answers to all of the above, of course, is to make more money. In the case of the last example, it's particularly galling. Electronic Arts, makers of the venerable Madden franchise of football video games, has been doing this since 1988. See, Madden costs about $60. Every August, video gamers who are football fans (like myself) pony up the bucks. What do we get in return? Gee-whiz new features, like NFL Network play by play, or a new and improved "build your own superstar" subplot. But what we all really are paying for is the updated rosters: we all want to play as our favorite teams, with the right rankings of the breakout stars from last season (Marques Colston, anyone?), and the new hot rookies who are sure to make an impact (hello, JaMarcus Russell).Now, every console on the market is able to be hooked up online. Imagine if you could just download the latest roster and rankings. Cool idea, right? Sure, and that is how it works on the PC version (mostly). But consoles are where the money is: that $60 every year is EA's lifeblood. Imagine how they felt a few years ago when some upstart, 2KSports, started making a worthy competitor to Madden: ESPN 2K5! It had even slicker TV-like graphics, all the NFL teams and players, and even ESPN personalities and presentations. In many ways, the gameplay was simpler, yet slicker, than Madden. If that was not enough, they had the cojones to price it at $20! It FLEW off the shelves. Guess what happened next? EA essentially bribed the NFL into giving them the exclusive rights to the teams, players, and stadiums of the NFL. Why? Same answer: money.
Although 2K5 was a better game in many ways, it was starved to death: no new rosters means no play, Sure, you could laboriously create new players, and move others to new teams, even update their ranking. By that time, you'd have missed the entire season. Sigh. Madden celebrated their complete domination by making their "classic teams" function even lamer: the classic teams would no longer have the names or numbers of the greats, just lame "QB #3." Joe Montana to Jerry Rice? Uh-uh. Aikman hands off to Emmitt? Nope. The Fridge over the goal line? Heck no.
Well, if they can't fight fair, it's time to fight any way you can. 2KSports is making another go of it, with their recently announced All-Pro Football 2K8. The tagline? "Football Resurrected." No you can't play as the Patriots or Broncos. No, you can't see Reggie Bush scamper all over the Superdome. But you CAN create your ultimate dream teams: Johnny Unitas hands off to Walter Payton. Barry Sanders eludes Dick Butkus. And, as you can see from the image, Ronnie Lott and Jerry Rice don uniforms from the same team once again. It's clever, but it's priced in the $60 rarified zone, so it's a hard call on taking a risk. Plus, although they call it "ultimate customization," the lack of NFL logos, uniforms, and stadiums puts it squarely into the realm of the Miami Sharks (Any Given Sunday) and Washington Sentinels (The Replacements): entertaining, but ain't quite the NFL. And even 2K doesn't offer updateable rosters: are they hoping to get us to buy next year's version with Brett Favre and Andre Rison?Sigh, Makes me think of just biting the bullet and buying a PC to hook to the TV instead.
Saturday, June 16, 2007
Studio 60: RIP
Alas, the rumors are true. While Studio 60 On The Sunset Strip was a welcome addition to my DVR, NBC clearly felt there were not enough like me. As a result, while spared the ignominious end of outright cancellation, the show has not been renewed by NBC. Sure, it gives the outside chance that another network could pick it up (CBS? Hell, how about the UPN/WB merged channel?), but it's not likely.
The good news is that, as it is not officially cancelled, the rest of this season's episodes continue to air. And it's interesting: as with all Aaron Sorkin shows, it takes a little while for the cast to gel. They are just starting to, and the results are the trademark banter and repartee that don't seem forced anymore, or just a rehash of West Wing. Nonetheless, I will savor the great chemistry of the key players (whoever thought I would actually like Amanda Peet?), and see the show off into the Sunset Strip, with the hopes of seeing it, a la Deadwood, sometime in the future.
Alas, the rumors are true. While Studio 60 On The Sunset Strip was a welcome addition to my DVR, NBC clearly felt there were not enough like me. As a result, while spared the ignominious end of outright cancellation, the show has not been renewed by NBC. Sure, it gives the outside chance that another network could pick it up (CBS? Hell, how about the UPN/WB merged channel?), but it's not likely.The good news is that, as it is not officially cancelled, the rest of this season's episodes continue to air. And it's interesting: as with all Aaron Sorkin shows, it takes a little while for the cast to gel. They are just starting to, and the results are the trademark banter and repartee that don't seem forced anymore, or just a rehash of West Wing. Nonetheless, I will savor the great chemistry of the key players (whoever thought I would actually like Amanda Peet?), and see the show off into the Sunset Strip, with the hopes of seeing it, a la Deadwood, sometime in the future.
Friday, June 15, 2007
A bike, coffee...and a cupholder?
Maybe it's just me, but I have a hard enough time pedaling. Yes, I miss my morning coffee, but this seems like an accident waiting to happen.
Maybe it's just me, but I have a hard enough time pedaling. Yes, I miss my morning coffee, but this seems like an accident waiting to happen.
Monday, June 11, 2007
Richard is BACK!
The man who invented the gadget craze of the 80's and 90's is back. After being ousted at The Sharper Image, get ready for RichardSolo.com, a bare-bones gadget e-commerce site that looks like TSI-lite for product and 1996 for design.
The Marin IJ has some even handed coverage of it, but this little snippet from the web said it best:
Ouch. Well, don't count him out, yet. This is a man who's business was supposed to have been killed several times over: Circuity City Express in the early '90's, the Internet later, and so on, but he kept on coming. And there's nowhere to go but up for RichardSolo.com!
The man who invented the gadget craze of the 80's and 90's is back. After being ousted at The Sharper Image, get ready for RichardSolo.com, a bare-bones gadget e-commerce site that looks like TSI-lite for product and 1996 for design.The Marin IJ has some even handed coverage of it, but this little snippet from the web said it best:
"Sometimes successful company founders should know when to fold them. Case in point is Richard Thalheimer who founded Sharper Image and has now founded an eCommerce site called Richard Solo that painfully displays that Thalheimer doesn't understand modern eCommerce....Richard Solo is an ugly site that has now competitive advantages. You can find better prices on Amazon, eBay or Froogle and you can discover cooler gadgets via Gizmodo or Engadget. We almost feel sorry for the guy, trying to stick it to his old company but making an inept attempt at it."
Ouch. Well, don't count him out, yet. This is a man who's business was supposed to have been killed several times over: Circuity City Express in the early '90's, the Internet later, and so on, but he kept on coming. And there's nowhere to go but up for RichardSolo.com!
Saturday, June 09, 2007
JetBlue: keeping you informed
Friday, June 08, 2007
Use your Treo as a Modem for your Laptop
While I'm on the road, I use my laptop vigorously. I choose hotels based on their WiFi coverage and inclusiveness. This trip, I noticed my email from my corporate server can be downloaded, but not sent. Why? My IT guy reports that many WiFi ISP's block port 25, to prevent spammers from "wardriving," finding a free hotspot, and blasting away. So, thanks to Palm, Bluetooth, and my Treo, I wired up to my Treo 680 as it's own Bluetooth hotspot. Sure, it's no WiFi, but my mail gets out.
Damn, that was easy.
While I'm on the road, I use my laptop vigorously. I choose hotels based on their WiFi coverage and inclusiveness. This trip, I noticed my email from my corporate server can be downloaded, but not sent. Why? My IT guy reports that many WiFi ISP's block port 25, to prevent spammers from "wardriving," finding a free hotspot, and blasting away. So, thanks to Palm, Bluetooth, and my Treo, I wired up to my Treo 680 as it's own Bluetooth hotspot. Sure, it's no WiFi, but my mail gets out.Damn, that was easy.
Labels: cell phones, lifehacks, Palm, Treo
Google: Evil is in the Eye of the Publisher
A rather amusing tale of someone who finds Google's "Do no Evil" mantra a bit disingenuous. For some time, Google has been introducing Book Search, digitizing libraries to try to create a digital books market. Sounds fine, but when your entire book can be slurped up by Google and read by anyone, for free, copyright owners get a bit piqued. Google responds that won't refrain from stealing the content unless they get a specific notice from the copyright owner: in essence, putting the onus on the "victim."
Well, Richard Charkin decided to let Google see what it was like for them to experience the same. At the recent BookExpo, he calmly walked up to Google's booth, and helped himself to two laptops, something Google employees working the booth did not notice for more than an hour. As he put it:
Of course, as soon as the employees noticed, he cheerfully returned their laptops, with a bit of lecturing at the befuddled booth workers. Hey, I'm all in favor of digitizing books, but this guy makes his point with a flourish, using the same tactics. A well planned heist always leads to a good story.
A rather amusing tale of someone who finds Google's "Do no Evil" mantra a bit disingenuous. For some time, Google has been introducing Book Search, digitizing libraries to try to create a digital books market. Sounds fine, but when your entire book can be slurped up by Google and read by anyone, for free, copyright owners get a bit piqued. Google responds that won't refrain from stealing the content unless they get a specific notice from the copyright owner: in essence, putting the onus on the "victim."Well, Richard Charkin decided to let Google see what it was like for them to experience the same. At the recent BookExpo, he calmly walked up to Google's booth, and helped himself to two laptops, something Google employees working the booth did not notice for more than an hour. As he put it:
"Our justification for this appalling piece of criminal behaviour? The owner of the computer had not specifically told us not to steal it. If s/he had, we would not have done so. When s/he asked for its return, we did so. It is exactly what Google expects publishers to expect and accept in respect to intellectual property."
Of course, as soon as the employees noticed, he cheerfully returned their laptops, with a bit of lecturing at the befuddled booth workers. Hey, I'm all in favor of digitizing books, but this guy makes his point with a flourish, using the same tactics. A well planned heist always leads to a good story.
Labels: Google
The Cult of Dunkin' Donuts
I'm sitting in a crappy Long Island hotel, nearly 2am, with the dual effects of steamy summer fog clinging to me as only the East Coast has to offer, trying to catch up on work. Yes, this is the joy of business travel. But, although nearly every factor should leave me aggravated, tired, and cranky, I'm suspiciously happy. Why? Two words:
Dunkin' Donuts.
Yep, I'm back among the land of the worst coffee and exceptional pastries. The world where a lahge regulah means something, and a chocolate donut is not a dry cakey pastry, but a wonder to be slowly, orgasmically consumed. I'm not alone; seems there is an entire sub-culture of DD fans out there, and most, like me, were raised in Boston. Having been a San Francisco resident for over a decade, I do not miss much about the other Bay State, but Dunkin' Donuts is still a major loss (there's not a single one in Northern CA).
By the way, two Boston area icons helped me realize this tonight. First, the link above comes from the venerable Bill Simmons' column of random thinking. And if you're looking for a funnier take on it, check out Denis Leary's "coffee-flavored coffee" rant below.
Ah, that tastes good.
Dunkin' Donuts.Yep, I'm back among the land of the worst coffee and exceptional pastries. The world where a lahge regulah means something, and a chocolate donut is not a dry cakey pastry, but a wonder to be slowly, orgasmically consumed. I'm not alone; seems there is an entire sub-culture of DD fans out there, and most, like me, were raised in Boston. Having been a San Francisco resident for over a decade, I do not miss much about the other Bay State, but Dunkin' Donuts is still a major loss (there's not a single one in Northern CA).
By the way, two Boston area icons helped me realize this tonight. First, the link above comes from the venerable Bill Simmons' column of random thinking. And if you're looking for a funnier take on it, check out Denis Leary's "coffee-flavored coffee" rant below.
Ah, that tastes good.
Labels: Bill Simmons, coffee, travel, youtube
Saturday, June 02, 2007
Frak Me: The Cylons Finally Won
Battlestar Galactica (the current, SciFi Channel version, not the original ABC series) is jumping off into the end of its flight. Next season will be the last of the successful remade series, according to its producers, as they feel "This show was always meant to have a beginning, a middle and finally, an end."
As an incredible fan of the original series (I own the boxed DVD set: the Cylon holographic eye box is the best - thanks Lani & Pete!), I greeted the remake with a large degree of disgust and trepidation (Starbuck is a woman? Cylons look human?). I was amazed to find that it was incredible, with breathtaking effects, great storyline, and a gritty realism that few science fiction series have ever pulled off. I was hooked.
Over the last seasons, however, I have been more and more turned off by the storylines: clearly, Ronald Moore (formerly of Star Trek TNG, etc.) was trying to make the series parallel current events. Occupations and their resistance, how to deal with terrorism, religious fundamentalism...all were getting pushed on the viewer with a ham handed approach that was uncomfortable. I am still addicted to Ron Moore's amazing podcasts, however: it's like having a commentary track on a DVD for every episode, with some great behind the scenes info. Complicated by bizarre scheduling, looooong hiatuses followed by short bursts of episodes, it was always an exercise in patience. In short, the series has had its ups and downs, but is still one of the better ones on TV, and easily the best sci-fi one.
With the upcoming last season, I can look forward to the larger focus of dealing with the Colonists exile, and the resolution of the human-Cylon relationship. Ron Moore has already hinted at TV movies to cover some of the more interesting aspects of the universe (the original Cylon war, for instance?), so I doubt it will completely be gone. I am sad to see it go, but I will be glad the end might focus the producers on delivering that same riveting, tightly scripted show that won over this Lorne Greene-Dirk Benedict fan. What will Richard Hatch do for another 20 years now? :-)
Battlestar Galactica (the current, SciFi Channel version, not the original ABC series) is jumping off into the end of its flight. Next season will be the last of the successful remade series, according to its producers, as they feel "This show was always meant to have a beginning, a middle and finally, an end." As an incredible fan of the original series (I own the boxed DVD set: the Cylon holographic eye box is the best - thanks Lani & Pete!), I greeted the remake with a large degree of disgust and trepidation (Starbuck is a woman? Cylons look human?). I was amazed to find that it was incredible, with breathtaking effects, great storyline, and a gritty realism that few science fiction series have ever pulled off. I was hooked.
Over the last seasons, however, I have been more and more turned off by the storylines: clearly, Ronald Moore (formerly of Star Trek TNG, etc.) was trying to make the series parallel current events. Occupations and their resistance, how to deal with terrorism, religious fundamentalism...all were getting pushed on the viewer with a ham handed approach that was uncomfortable. I am still addicted to Ron Moore's amazing podcasts, however: it's like having a commentary track on a DVD for every episode, with some great behind the scenes info. Complicated by bizarre scheduling, looooong hiatuses followed by short bursts of episodes, it was always an exercise in patience. In short, the series has had its ups and downs, but is still one of the better ones on TV, and easily the best sci-fi one.
With the upcoming last season, I can look forward to the larger focus of dealing with the Colonists exile, and the resolution of the human-Cylon relationship. Ron Moore has already hinted at TV movies to cover some of the more interesting aspects of the universe (the original Cylon war, for instance?), so I doubt it will completely be gone. I am sad to see it go, but I will be glad the end might focus the producers on delivering that same riveting, tightly scripted show that won over this Lorne Greene-Dirk Benedict fan. What will Richard Hatch do for another 20 years now? :-)
Labels: TV
Friday, June 01, 2007
Make your Smartphone Smarter
This week, Palm attempted to prove they are still relevant in the mobile computing space with a newly announced device. Foleo is, in essence, a halfway device: it's not a laptop, nor is it a smartphone. Instead, its a slim, sleek instant-on device that is designed to pair seamlessly with your smartphone to provide laptop-like functionality. The idea is that there are times you need a full keyboard and a larger screen to use, but rather than invest in a separate laptop (with Windows bloatware and laptop weight), this device relies on your nearby smartphone to provide it with connectivity.
Positives:
Negatives:
See for yourself:
It's an interesting play. Foleo does fill a niche: the trend towards convergence is clear, but there are times you simply need the full keyboard and larger screen. It's not a groundbreaker, but it is intriguing. My prediction is a failure (see the Palm LifeDrive, for instance), but it will gain a surprising audience of hackers who figure out how to use the hardware to run Ubuntu and turn this into a full fledged ultralight network laptop.
The truly interesting part of the announcement is how it focuses on the cyclical nature of the computer business. See that photo to the left? It's the Apple PowerBook Duo 280c. It was my mainstay, a decade ago. Designed to bridge the gap between a desktop and a laptop, it offered an ultralight body with decent power and expandability. It's true value, however, was in the office: slide it into the dock, and seamlessly small motors pulled it in, making all of the necessary connections, and you had a full desktop machine, complete with additional hard drive space and power. To this day, while laptops proliferate, there is nothing like it: you still have endless cables and connections. Even the docks they sell are simply brute stands, that you have to fumble with connectors and wires to make work. Apple, as always, was ahead of its time.
The Foleo is taking a cue from the same philosophy, but going a different way. while I applaud the sentiment, I can see myself picking one of these up...after the price cut has happened and the happy hackers have started to make this the device it's meant to be.
This week, Palm attempted to prove they are still relevant in the mobile computing space with a newly announced device. Foleo is, in essence, a halfway device: it's not a laptop, nor is it a smartphone. Instead, its a slim, sleek instant-on device that is designed to pair seamlessly with your smartphone to provide laptop-like functionality. The idea is that there are times you need a full keyboard and a larger screen to use, but rather than invest in a separate laptop (with Windows bloatware and laptop weight), this device relies on your nearby smartphone to provide it with connectivity.Positives:
- The "instant on" is immediately appealing. Hell, most of the time, my laptop at work stays on the desk, as waiting for it to come out of sleep mode in a meeting seems to make Windows behave like a bear roused early from hibernation.
- It is definitely a minimalist device: good for travelers, for instance, who just want to watch a movie, catch up on email, or take notes in meetings.
- The Linux-based UI seems to be a hybrid of Palm's legendary ease of use and the familiar Windows interface.
- WiFi is built in, so you have the option of using your smartphone's connection or a handy hotspot.
- In a clearly desperate, though savvy, bid to remain relevant, the Foleo is designed to talk to lots of smartphones, not just Palm ones. That means Blackberrys, Windows Mobile devices, and...yeah, you guessed it...iPhones.
Negatives:
- 5 hours of battery life? C'mon, while that's good, it's not great, especially for cross-country flights.
- The price is ridiculous. At $500, you can get a cheap laptop with tons more power and flexibility. This needed to be $299.
- 2.5 lbs of weight? Remember, we're not talking about a full laptop here. High end notebooks are around that weight. Needed to be under 2 lbs, minimum.
See for yourself:
It's an interesting play. Foleo does fill a niche: the trend towards convergence is clear, but there are times you simply need the full keyboard and larger screen. It's not a groundbreaker, but it is intriguing. My prediction is a failure (see the Palm LifeDrive, for instance), but it will gain a surprising audience of hackers who figure out how to use the hardware to run Ubuntu and turn this into a full fledged ultralight network laptop.
The truly interesting part of the announcement is how it focuses on the cyclical nature of the computer business. See that photo to the left? It's the Apple PowerBook Duo 280c. It was my mainstay, a decade ago. Designed to bridge the gap between a desktop and a laptop, it offered an ultralight body with decent power and expandability. It's true value, however, was in the office: slide it into the dock, and seamlessly small motors pulled it in, making all of the necessary connections, and you had a full desktop machine, complete with additional hard drive space and power. To this day, while laptops proliferate, there is nothing like it: you still have endless cables and connections. Even the docks they sell are simply brute stands, that you have to fumble with connectors and wires to make work. Apple, as always, was ahead of its time.The Foleo is taking a cue from the same philosophy, but going a different way. while I applaud the sentiment, I can see myself picking one of these up...after the price cut has happened and the happy hackers have started to make this the device it's meant to be.
