Tretakoff Musings
Saturday, August 09, 2008
Desperadoes: iPhone App-Style
ever since the launch of the Apple iTunes App Store for the iPhone, Apple has straddled the line between being an agnostic content aggregator and a fascistic controller of content that makes the Chinese government look like the Wild West. Case in point is that I now have not one, not two, but three separate applications on my iPhone that have since been removed from the Apple store for further downloads, with no explanation. Let's have a look at these insidious apps, shall we, and see what evil they have wrought.
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First up, Tapulous' Friend Book. Tapulous are the makers of the Twitter iPhone client, Twinkle, that was easily one of the most popular Jailbroken applications before they went all legit. In addition, they make Tap Tap Revenge, an iPhone enabled version of Dance Dance Revolution. Friend Book delivers photo dialing, powerful contact search, but best of all, Handshake: select a contact record, hold two iPhones running Friend Book together, and shake. Voila, the contact is sent to the other iPhone. Cool, huh? It's gone. In all fairness, Apple is innocent on this one; Tapulous pulled it down, as it was not up to their expected quality. But I'm still photo dialing away...
Next, Box Office. A simple app that pulls down the movies playing near you, allows you to browse buy title or theater, shows the current showtimes and Rotten Tomatoes score, and even links to let you buy tickets. Free, powerful, helpful, and leverages the geolocation ability of the iPhone. And removed from the store with no explanation.
Finally, PhoneSaber. This app was a lark to me: it leveraged the motion sensing of the iPhone to let you swing a virtual light saber back and forth, complete with correct sound effects for the movement. Free, it was fun, but to watch the transformative effects on non tech folks, you would think it was Apple's best ad. But, alas, you can't have it. Why? Because the license holder for Star Wars content on mobiles objects. As Obi Wan said, "I felt a great disturbance in the Force, as if millions of voices suddenly cried out in terror and were suddenly silenced. I fear something terrible has happened."
Look, I'm all in favor of Apple trying to maintain quality, but you can't do it both ways. My iPhone continues to work perfectly with these apps on it; yours would, too. So this either needs to be an open marketplace, or a closed one with clear rules. But this halfway stuff is what makes people crazy and drives them to strip the DRM and set up Jailbreaking all over again. Even worse, now comes word that Apple may have the ability to remotely remove apps from your phone, even if you've installed them.
Apple, it's time to lead, follow, or get out of the way.
ever since the launch of the Apple iTunes App Store for the iPhone, Apple has straddled the line between being an agnostic content aggregator and a fascistic controller of content that makes the Chinese government look like the Wild West. Case in point is that I now have not one, not two, but three separate applications on my iPhone that have since been removed from the Apple store for further downloads, with no explanation. Let's have a look at these insidious apps, shall we, and see what evil they have wrought.-708062.jpg)
First up, Tapulous' Friend Book. Tapulous are the makers of the Twitter iPhone client, Twinkle, that was easily one of the most popular Jailbroken applications before they went all legit. In addition, they make Tap Tap Revenge, an iPhone enabled version of Dance Dance Revolution. Friend Book delivers photo dialing, powerful contact search, but best of all, Handshake: select a contact record, hold two iPhones running Friend Book together, and shake. Voila, the contact is sent to the other iPhone. Cool, huh? It's gone. In all fairness, Apple is innocent on this one; Tapulous pulled it down, as it was not up to their expected quality. But I'm still photo dialing away...
Next, Box Office. A simple app that pulls down the movies playing near you, allows you to browse buy title or theater, shows the current showtimes and Rotten Tomatoes score, and even links to let you buy tickets. Free, powerful, helpful, and leverages the geolocation ability of the iPhone. And removed from the store with no explanation. Finally, PhoneSaber. This app was a lark to me: it leveraged the motion sensing of the iPhone to let you swing a virtual light saber back and forth, complete with correct sound effects for the movement. Free, it was fun, but to watch the transformative effects on non tech folks, you would think it was Apple's best ad. But, alas, you can't have it. Why? Because the license holder for Star Wars content on mobiles objects. As Obi Wan said, "I felt a great disturbance in the Force, as if millions of voices suddenly cried out in terror and were suddenly silenced. I fear something terrible has happened."Look, I'm all in favor of Apple trying to maintain quality, but you can't do it both ways. My iPhone continues to work perfectly with these apps on it; yours would, too. So this either needs to be an open marketplace, or a closed one with clear rules. But this halfway stuff is what makes people crazy and drives them to strip the DRM and set up Jailbreaking all over again. Even worse, now comes word that Apple may have the ability to remotely remove apps from your phone, even if you've installed them.
Apple, it's time to lead, follow, or get out of the way.
Sunday, July 20, 2008
Evolution Of An Icon
Just installed Tapulous' Twinkle, which is an amazing location-aware Twitter client, on my iPhone. Of course, as expected, Twitter was having access issues. If you have ever encountered these issues on Twitter itself, they usually put up a cartoony picture of a whale, which has inevitably lead to the name "fail whale." So imagine my amusement at seeing this clever icon in Twinkle:
Yep, the fail whale is now a slick looking icon. Bravo, Tapulous. Bravo.
Thanks to Pete for pointing out the new way to take an iPhone screenshot!
Yep, the fail whale is now a slick looking icon. Bravo, Tapulous. Bravo.
Thanks to Pete for pointing out the new way to take an iPhone screenshot!
Labels: iPhone, social networks, Software
Friday, July 11, 2008
iPhone App Review Orgy
Since the new iPhone apps don't have a "try before you buy" option, reviews become critical. Unfortunately, the reviews in the App Store seem to be more focused on declarations of how proud the reviewer is that he/she got their review done first, or complaining about the iPhone 3G, rather than extensive reviews of the applications, so it becomes even more frustrating.
Luckily, Gizmodo has a "marathon liveblog" going, where they are reviewing all the apps they can get their hands on and updating constantly. True, it still has the typical Gizmodo smart-ass attitude mixed with childish humor, but the reviews are actually quite helpful, and already made me pull the trigger on a game I was considering. Nice job, guys.
Since the new iPhone apps don't have a "try before you buy" option, reviews become critical. Unfortunately, the reviews in the App Store seem to be more focused on declarations of how proud the reviewer is that he/she got their review done first, or complaining about the iPhone 3G, rather than extensive reviews of the applications, so it becomes even more frustrating.Luckily, Gizmodo has a "marathon liveblog" going, where they are reviewing all the apps they can get their hands on and updating constantly. True, it still has the typical Gizmodo smart-ass attitude mixed with childish humor, but the reviews are actually quite helpful, and already made me pull the trigger on a game I was considering. Nice job, guys.
iPhone eWallet: Not Complete Until August
Sigh. Even though the iPhone app for eWallet is due in the iTunes app store today, Ilium has disclosed that sync will not be part of it until August. Given that they have had sync between eWallets on multiple computers for some time, as well as the iPhone web beta client, this is a real shock and letdown.
Having said that, I would very much like to call attention to the post where they explain why. It addresses the feelings they know this causes in their users, and attempts to explain why. It also acknowledges that this is a letdown, for both them and us. It's an excellent case study of how to communicate with your customers an unexpected delay. Folks like Apple could take notes.
Sigh. Even though the iPhone app for eWallet is due in the iTunes app store today, Ilium has disclosed that sync will not be part of it until August. Given that they have had sync between eWallets on multiple computers for some time, as well as the iPhone web beta client, this is a real shock and letdown.Having said that, I would very much like to call attention to the post where they explain why. It addresses the feelings they know this causes in their users, and attempts to explain why. It also acknowledges that this is a letdown, for both them and us. It's an excellent case study of how to communicate with your customers an unexpected delay. Folks like Apple could take notes.
Sunday, May 11, 2008
The End of Paper?
Imagine if there were a way to capture every piece of paper, every article you ever read, every scrap of information, online or offline, and be able to dump it all into a single program, that would index it, store it, and make it available to you, wherever you were. Now imagine that program worked with your PC, Mac, or cellphone. Imagine if the program was smart enough to be able to look at the every scanned image and interpret the text it sees there, so you could search on the text in the image. And imagine it's constantly getting better, learning as it goes, being automatically updated.
Now imagine its free.
Ladies and gentlemen, I humbly direct you to Evernote. I've been playing with it in private beta for a week or so now, and I have to say...I'm impressed. I've written previously about my hatred of all things paper, but Evernote takes it to a new level, with online storage, built in automatic optical character recognition (OCR) of text, and so much more. Some people use it exclusively as a note taking application, allowing you to clip images and text from the web into a handy program for future use, but to me, this is the first step in the end of paper.
I highly recommend it. Please let me know if you are in need of an invite.
Now imagine its free.
Ladies and gentlemen, I humbly direct you to Evernote. I've been playing with it in private beta for a week or so now, and I have to say...I'm impressed. I've written previously about my hatred of all things paper, but Evernote takes it to a new level, with online storage, built in automatic optical character recognition (OCR) of text, and so much more. Some people use it exclusively as a note taking application, allowing you to clip images and text from the web into a handy program for future use, but to me, this is the first step in the end of paper.I highly recommend it. Please let me know if you are in need of an invite.
Labels: Software
Saturday, April 19, 2008
Jailbroken...and Happy
I have a confession to make: I am now officially a fugitive. Last weekend, after a cross-country trip, I vowed to Jailbreak my iPhone. Not familiar with the term? It refers to a process that unlocks your iPhone so you can install programs on it, extending the functionality. Now, Apple is already moving this way with the release of the SDK, and I will be very happy to reap the benefits, but I'm a tinkerer at heart. My PC's always have custom skins, I have hacks and shortcuts in my browsers, and more. That, combined with the need to have local games (not a lot of WiFi at 30,000 ft.), sent me on a collision course with Steve & Co.
First, how do you Jailbreak an iPhone? It's surprisingly simple. First, I downloaded ZiPhone, a Windows application that made it as simple as double clicking. A couple of iPhone restarts, and I was free as a bird. The unusual part of Jailbreaking is how you get the applications after you've Jailbroken: you can really only download them with a new program on your iPhone, called Installer. It allows you to browse the applications out there, even see previews, and then download and install right from your iPhone. You can multiple sources to browse, but the ones it comes with are pretty comprehensive. Ok, so what's now on my iPhone?
- Twinkle. It's a Twitter client for the iPhone. "A Twitter client?" You say? "Why would you need that, when you can just use Twitter's spiffy iPhone online interface, or just use SMS?" All true. But Twinkle does a couple of nice things. First, it uses the iPhone's Locate Me functionality to determine where you area, and tags your Tweets with your location. You can also see people who are tweeting nearby. This was really fun when waiting for the ferry this week, and seeing tweets from other Twinklers expressing the same frustrations. Also, Twinkle allows you to upload a photo with your tweet; of course, only other Twinklers can see them, but still, there's hope for the future.
- Fring. What's the iPhone painfully missing, besides an installed version of eWallet? An IM client. Well, Fring claims to be that, and to be fair, it is. It does AIM, Yahoo, MSN, Google Talk, Skype, ICQ, Twitter...the list goes on. And, it also supposedly handles VOIP calls through SIP or Skype; I haven't tried it. The interface is OK, there's definitely a lag on sending and receiving, but it's free and it works. However, I've actually disabled most of this now, for one major reason: there is no way to control the volume of the notification when a new message comes in. As a result, when I'm riding the bike, listening to a podcast, suddenly there is a sharpened steel spike being shoved through my eardrum as Fring helpfully tells me that a new message is here. Of course, I can't read it, as I have crashed on the side of the road, gripping my skull in agony, convulsing...but hey, minor details. ;-) I do keep it on the iPhone for emergencies, though; you never know when you might need to IM.
- OK, let's talk about the best one: Genesis4iphone. Yep, travel back to the late 80's/early '90's with a perfect emulator of the classic Sega Genesis videogame system, right on your iPhone. With helpful links to ROM's, you have the entire catalog of games available. Installing them to the iPhone is not so easy; you need to download what is essentially an FTP client for your computer to install them; this video walked me through every step of it, while this video walks you through installing the games. Now, I have such classics as Lakers Vs. Bulls, Sonic the Hedgehog, Michael Jackson's Moonwalker, and both X-Men games at my fingertips, with hundreds more available. Oh, I bet you're worried about memory, right? Don't: the games are usually less than 500K, so you could install them all and still have days of music and video.
- I love skins, and even though the iPhone UI is probably the best ever, I can't resist making it better. Summerboard lets me load in custom skins, like the Time Machine one on the left (it's the one I have running right now). There are tons more, ranging from the typical "make your iPhone look like Windows" variety, to the truly sublime, like this one.
- Wouldn't you love to manage your Netflix queue with an iPhone interface? Drag movies up, shift them around, etc? iFlix has your back, and makes queue management cool.
- Volume Boost 1.1.4 lets me finally make my iPhone a little louder at the top end. When you are bombing down a hill at 40 mph on the bike, and the wind is roaring, sometimes you need a little boost to hear those Buzz Out Loud folks.
Of course, there's far more, but I can honestly say that, while I'm happy to have Jailbroken my iPhone, I expected more. Here's a note to Apple: all you would have needed to give me was an eWallet interface, a shopping list application, and games, and I probably would have stayed a happy prisoner. As it is, I'm footloose and fancy free, and browsing my Installer to see what's next.
I have a confession to make: I am now officially a fugitive. Last weekend, after a cross-country trip, I vowed to Jailbreak my iPhone. Not familiar with the term? It refers to a process that unlocks your iPhone so you can install programs on it, extending the functionality. Now, Apple is already moving this way with the release of the SDK, and I will be very happy to reap the benefits, but I'm a tinkerer at heart. My PC's always have custom skins, I have hacks and shortcuts in my browsers, and more. That, combined with the need to have local games (not a lot of WiFi at 30,000 ft.), sent me on a collision course with Steve & Co.First, how do you Jailbreak an iPhone? It's surprisingly simple. First, I downloaded ZiPhone, a Windows application that made it as simple as double clicking. A couple of iPhone restarts, and I was free as a bird. The unusual part of Jailbreaking is how you get the applications after you've Jailbroken: you can really only download them with a new program on your iPhone, called Installer. It allows you to browse the applications out there, even see previews, and then download and install right from your iPhone. You can multiple sources to browse, but the ones it comes with are pretty comprehensive. Ok, so what's now on my iPhone?
- Twinkle. It's a Twitter client for the iPhone. "A Twitter client?" You say? "Why would you need that, when you can just use Twitter's spiffy iPhone online interface, or just use SMS?" All true. But Twinkle does a couple of nice things. First, it uses the iPhone's Locate Me functionality to determine where you area, and tags your Tweets with your location. You can also see people who are tweeting nearby. This was really fun when waiting for the ferry this week, and seeing tweets from other Twinklers expressing the same frustrations. Also, Twinkle allows you to upload a photo with your tweet; of course, only other Twinklers can see them, but still, there's hope for the future.- Fring. What's the iPhone painfully missing, besides an installed version of eWallet? An IM client. Well, Fring claims to be that, and to be fair, it is. It does AIM, Yahoo, MSN, Google Talk, Skype, ICQ, Twitter...the list goes on. And, it also supposedly handles VOIP calls through SIP or Skype; I haven't tried it. The interface is OK, there's definitely a lag on sending and receiving, but it's free and it works. However, I've actually disabled most of this now, for one major reason: there is no way to control the volume of the notification when a new message comes in. As a result, when I'm riding the bike, listening to a podcast, suddenly there is a sharpened steel spike being shoved through my eardrum as Fring helpfully tells me that a new message is here. Of course, I can't read it, as I have crashed on the side of the road, gripping my skull in agony, convulsing...but hey, minor details. ;-) I do keep it on the iPhone for emergencies, though; you never know when you might need to IM.
- OK, let's talk about the best one: Genesis4iphone. Yep, travel back to the late 80's/early '90's with a perfect emulator of the classic Sega Genesis videogame system, right on your iPhone. With helpful links to ROM's, you have the entire catalog of games available. Installing them to the iPhone is not so easy; you need to download what is essentially an FTP client for your computer to install them; this video walked me through every step of it, while this video walks you through installing the games. Now, I have such classics as Lakers Vs. Bulls, Sonic the Hedgehog, Michael Jackson's Moonwalker, and both X-Men games at my fingertips, with hundreds more available. Oh, I bet you're worried about memory, right? Don't: the games are usually less than 500K, so you could install them all and still have days of music and video.
- I love skins, and even though the iPhone UI is probably the best ever, I can't resist making it better. Summerboard lets me load in custom skins, like the Time Machine one on the left (it's the one I have running right now). There are tons more, ranging from the typical "make your iPhone look like Windows" variety, to the truly sublime, like this one.- Wouldn't you love to manage your Netflix queue with an iPhone interface? Drag movies up, shift them around, etc? iFlix has your back, and makes queue management cool.
- Volume Boost 1.1.4 lets me finally make my iPhone a little louder at the top end. When you are bombing down a hill at 40 mph on the bike, and the wind is roaring, sometimes you need a little boost to hear those Buzz Out Loud folks.
Of course, there's far more, but I can honestly say that, while I'm happy to have Jailbroken my iPhone, I expected more. Here's a note to Apple: all you would have needed to give me was an eWallet interface, a shopping list application, and games, and I probably would have stayed a happy prisoner. As it is, I'm footloose and fancy free, and browsing my Installer to see what's next.
Labels: 80's, iPhone, Software, Video Games
Monday, April 07, 2008
Mobile TripIt...Just In Time
Great news, just in time for my upcoming trip: instead of the innovative, but practically dubious, previous "mobile" TripIt access, TripIt itineraries are now truly mobile. Great news, following right on the heels of my installation of Remote Calendars, allowing me to sync any iCal feed to Outlook; I was using it to sync my TripIt itineraries.
If you are a TripIt user, head on over to m.tripit.com and see for yourself.
Great news, just in time for my upcoming trip: instead of the innovative, but practically dubious, previous "mobile" TripIt access, TripIt itineraries are now truly mobile. Great news, following right on the heels of my installation of Remote Calendars, allowing me to sync any iCal feed to Outlook; I was using it to sync my TripIt itineraries. If you are a TripIt user, head on over to m.tripit.com and see for yourself.
Thursday, March 06, 2008
Google's Opening The Kimono?
Two announcements in 24 hours from Google of note:
- Google has released a Windows application to keep Outlook and Google Calendar in sync.
- Google has finally released an API for Contacts in Gmail, allowing external applications to actually integrate directly, such as Plaxo, Yahoo Mail, Outlook, etc.
The former was initially received with heartfelt happiness, until the limitations were revealed: you can only sync a single calendar. In Google, you can subscribe to an infinite number of shared iCal feeds, and they appear in your Google Calendar as a separate color/calendar. However, they don't actually integrate into the Google Calendar, nor is there a way to merge them in. That means the only place they appear is within Google Calendar. This means that Google's Calendar sync is only as good as Plaxo's, and with less error handling. Harumph.
The Contacts API, however, is long overdue. Now, people can sync between their Gmail and apps like Facebook, Plaxo, Trillian, and even, conceivably, a client app for Outlook. Perhaps Apple will even consider adding the conduit to the sync choices in the iPhone 2.0 firmware update in June?
Keep going, Google: this is how you get more eyeballs, and more revenue.
- Google has released a Windows application to keep Outlook and Google Calendar in sync.
- Google has finally released an API for Contacts in Gmail, allowing external applications to actually integrate directly, such as Plaxo, Yahoo Mail, Outlook, etc.
The former was initially received with heartfelt happiness, until the limitations were revealed: you can only sync a single calendar. In Google, you can subscribe to an infinite number of shared iCal feeds, and they appear in your Google Calendar as a separate color/calendar. However, they don't actually integrate into the Google Calendar, nor is there a way to merge them in. That means the only place they appear is within Google Calendar. This means that Google's Calendar sync is only as good as Plaxo's, and with less error handling. Harumph.The Contacts API, however, is long overdue. Now, people can sync between their Gmail and apps like Facebook, Plaxo, Trillian, and even, conceivably, a client app for Outlook. Perhaps Apple will even consider adding the conduit to the sync choices in the iPhone 2.0 firmware update in June?
Keep going, Google: this is how you get more eyeballs, and more revenue.
Friday, February 29, 2008
Outlook Help, Via Twitter
I've written many a time about how I hate Outlook. Today, I struggled for hours to get Outlook even to start. I vented my frustration on Twitter, and, much to my surprise and delight, a Twitter person decided to point me to a great set of tips: Arrow Tips. Now THAT is the power of the Web to deliver solutions!
Now, excuse me, I'm back to figuring out how to reduce a 4GB Outlook Archive file...
I've written many a time about how I hate Outlook. Today, I struggled for hours to get Outlook even to start. I vented my frustration on Twitter, and, much to my surprise and delight, a Twitter person decided to point me to a great set of tips: Arrow Tips. Now THAT is the power of the Web to deliver solutions!Now, excuse me, I'm back to figuring out how to reduce a 4GB Outlook Archive file...
Labels: social networks, Software, Twitter
Sunday, February 03, 2008
Making Firefox Live Bookmarks Favicons
Firefox's Bookmarks toolbar is invaluable. To allow for more links and more efficient use of real estate, I usually kill the name of the bookmark, as the favicon is more than enough for me to be able to know what site I'm clicking on. However, one annoyance I've had is with Firefox's Live Bookmarks: the ability to add an RSS feed as a bookmark that is updated with the articles in the feed. Useful for browsing sites with lots of interesting content, like digg or headlines on the NFL, without having to wade through the pages. However, they lack favicon support, meaning they take up a lot of toolbar real estate.
Enter LiveClick, a Firefox extension that allows you to bring the joy of favicons to your Live Bookmarks, as well. While also offering a ton of micromanagement for these bookmarks, I really love it for the favicon support: it's automatic, slick, and lets that real estate stay valuable.
Now, if I could just figure out why some bookmarks actually pay attention to their site's favicons, while others remain blithely ignorant, I'd be styling.
Enter LiveClick, a Firefox extension that allows you to bring the joy of favicons to your Live Bookmarks, as well. While also offering a ton of micromanagement for these bookmarks, I really love it for the favicon support: it's automatic, slick, and lets that real estate stay valuable.Now, if I could just figure out why some bookmarks actually pay attention to their site's favicons, while others remain blithely ignorant, I'd be styling.
Saturday, January 19, 2008
Divx on iPhone?
One of the minor pain points of switching to the iPhone was the loss of the ability to watch Divx movies on my portable media solution. Not familiar with Divx? Can't say I blame you: it's a video codec that allows you to encode a video is a very compressed format without too much evidence of such on playback. Why does that matter? Well, your average DVD is about 6-8 gigabytes. Your average blank DVD is 4.7 GB. Your average CD ROM? A measly 650 MB. See the need to compress? You get the picture: if you want to build a library of your own videos and keep the space under control, being able to compress the video is a big plus. As a result, I have a significant amount of Divx movies that I can watch on my Divx-capable DVD players, but not on my iPhone. What to do?
Courtesy of RegNow, a division of Digital River, who frequently sell software that can be immediately downloaded and used, I was introduced to the Movavi Video Converter. Yep, it does just what it says: it takes any video format you have, and converts it to the video type of your choice. It also claims to be able to rip DVD's, although I have not put it to the test (I have another solution for that), I am happy to report it does work. Flawlessly and fast.
Best of all, courtesy of RegNow, I (and now you, dear reader) was offered the ability to pick up this handsome utility for less than one Andrew Jackson: $19.95. In other words, for the price of a typical DVD, I can now convert all of my library to formats I can watch on my iPhone. I debated doing so for all of 30 seconds, and I can honestly say I am quite pleased with the results. Note: if you plan to take advantage of this, make sure you remove the "Extended Download Service" they throw in the shopping cart if you don't want it; it adds another $7 to the price otherwise.
iPhone users, the rejoicing can now officially begin.
Courtesy of RegNow, a division of Digital River, who frequently sell software that can be immediately downloaded and used, I was introduced to the Movavi Video Converter. Yep, it does just what it says: it takes any video format you have, and converts it to the video type of your choice. It also claims to be able to rip DVD's, although I have not put it to the test (I have another solution for that), I am happy to report it does work. Flawlessly and fast.Best of all, courtesy of RegNow, I (and now you, dear reader) was offered the ability to pick up this handsome utility for less than one Andrew Jackson: $19.95. In other words, for the price of a typical DVD, I can now convert all of my library to formats I can watch on my iPhone. I debated doing so for all of 30 seconds, and I can honestly say I am quite pleased with the results. Note: if you plan to take advantage of this, make sure you remove the "Extended Download Service" they throw in the shopping cart if you don't want it; it adds another $7 to the price otherwise.
iPhone users, the rejoicing can now officially begin.
Finally! Inline Web Spell Correction!
I've complained before, both in this blog as well as to any co-workers in earshot, of the absolute idiocy of the lack of real-time inline automatic spell correction in web browsers. After all, Firefox offers real-time identification of spelling errors; is it really that hard to do automatic correction? Its one of the main reasons I continue to use Microsoft Outlook, for it's ability to use Word as your email editor, with its superb inline spell correction. But, I finally may have found a way.
As-U-Type takes a more holistic approach: it automatically corrects spelling in ALL applications, not just web browsers. This means IM clients, spreadsheets: you name it. Best of all, it offers the ability to save your common mistakes or abbreviations, and automatically correct them in the future.
I've tried As-U-Type before, but I decided to give it a serious run through. I was pleased to find that some of the areas that annoyed me before, such as the absolutely intrusive alerts on corrections, have been mitigated with user controls, and the app also allows you to specify certain applications it will not correct in (thank, but Word already does auto correction; I don't need another helper).
There are some downsides to the app, of course. One is cost: it's $40. A steep price for the functionality, but for fat fingered folks like me, it's worth it. Another is the training: while you can "teach" As-U-Type in real-time, you have to later go through a process by which you review the mistakes and corrections, and tell it to remember each forever. This one is annoying: I truly wish they had simply aped the Word dialog box flow for these. Finally, while the effect upon correction of wiping out the text you have typed and retying it and all subsequent words for you is very cute, it's unnerving and distracting for people like me who have only a passing ability to touch-type: I still look at the keyboard while I type most of the time, and looking to see text I have already typed disappearing and reappearing is jarring.
Still, with over a month of usage under my belt, I was glad to pull the trigger and my blogging, webmail, and IM's have all benefited. It's a bit of a chore to do the training, but the end definitely justifies the means.
As-U-Type takes a more holistic approach: it automatically corrects spelling in ALL applications, not just web browsers. This means IM clients, spreadsheets: you name it. Best of all, it offers the ability to save your common mistakes or abbreviations, and automatically correct them in the future. I've tried As-U-Type before, but I decided to give it a serious run through. I was pleased to find that some of the areas that annoyed me before, such as the absolutely intrusive alerts on corrections, have been mitigated with user controls, and the app also allows you to specify certain applications it will not correct in (thank, but Word already does auto correction; I don't need another helper).
There are some downsides to the app, of course. One is cost: it's $40. A steep price for the functionality, but for fat fingered folks like me, it's worth it. Another is the training: while you can "teach" As-U-Type in real-time, you have to later go through a process by which you review the mistakes and corrections, and tell it to remember each forever. This one is annoying: I truly wish they had simply aped the Word dialog box flow for these. Finally, while the effect upon correction of wiping out the text you have typed and retying it and all subsequent words for you is very cute, it's unnerving and distracting for people like me who have only a passing ability to touch-type: I still look at the keyboard while I type most of the time, and looking to see text I have already typed disappearing and reappearing is jarring.
Still, with over a month of usage under my belt, I was glad to pull the trigger and my blogging, webmail, and IM's have all benefited. It's a bit of a chore to do the training, but the end definitely justifies the means.
Labels: Software
One Step Closer
Thanks to the good folks at Iliumsoft, I am now a beta tester of their new eWallet Web Companion. If you are not familiar with eWallet, I've mentioned it several times before: it's the most elegant, secure, and useful program for managing sensitive information, such as passwords, PINs and the like. I have been a grateful user since version 2.0; they are up to 6.0 now, which I happily paid $10 to upgrade to for the access to the Web Companion.
Why am I so happy about this? Well, the iPhone has proved to be a great device, but it severely lacks the ability to access my passwords and sensitive data on the fly, as you can not, yet, load programs on to it without Jailbreaking it. Hopefully, with the SDK releasing next month, that's a temporary condition, but it, along with my old Texas Hold'em game, are the two biggest pain points I feel since moving from my Treo. With Web Companion, I get some relief: it offers secure web access to my data, and even provides a slick iPhone interface for access on the go.
I was lucky enough to get into the beta, and I have been very impressed with the attention to detail so far. For one, they clearly indicate where the current lacks are upfront, such as the ability to change your Web Companion password, which helps set expectations. For another, the online syncing ability between the Windows application and the Web Companion is smooth, seamless, and very slick. In other words, just what I would have expected from the folks at Ilium Software.
I look forward to the future revisions, as well as the refinements they will bring. Of course, I'm sure that the brilliant folks are already hard at work on the SDK-ready version, so I'll be ready!
Thanks to the good folks at Iliumsoft, I am now a beta tester of their new eWallet Web Companion. If you are not familiar with eWallet, I've mentioned it several times before: it's the most elegant, secure, and useful program for managing sensitive information, such as passwords, PINs and the like. I have been a grateful user since version 2.0; they are up to 6.0 now, which I happily paid $10 to upgrade to for the access to the Web Companion.Why am I so happy about this? Well, the iPhone has proved to be a great device, but it severely lacks the ability to access my passwords and sensitive data on the fly, as you can not, yet, load programs on to it without Jailbreaking it. Hopefully, with the SDK releasing next month, that's a temporary condition, but it, along with my old Texas Hold'em game, are the two biggest pain points I feel since moving from my Treo. With Web Companion, I get some relief: it offers secure web access to my data, and even provides a slick iPhone interface for access on the go.
I was lucky enough to get into the beta, and I have been very impressed with the attention to detail so far. For one, they clearly indicate where the current lacks are upfront, such as the ability to change your Web Companion password, which helps set expectations. For another, the online syncing ability between the Windows application and the Web Companion is smooth, seamless, and very slick. In other words, just what I would have expected from the folks at Ilium Software.
I look forward to the future revisions, as well as the refinements they will bring. Of course, I'm sure that the brilliant folks are already hard at work on the SDK-ready version, so I'll be ready!
Sunday, January 06, 2008
Kicking the Outlook Habit
As a professional with over 8K contacts and over 2K appointments, I am a hopeless Microsoft Outlook addict. However, as any power user of Outlook will tell you, it becomes massively bloated, slow as molasses, and utterly frustrating with even the slightest extended usage. Worse, there is no way to make it go back to even resembling a responsive application once the damage has been done. Why, then, you ask, do I continue to use it?
- It is still the best email application, with it's MS Word integration with the only true inline spell correct on the market.
- It is the defacto standard for corporate mail and appointment requests.
- It is the best all in one application.
However, like any Outlook power user, I have found that I need to add things on to it to make it usable. This is where it gets fun: each of those add-ons makes Outlook massively harder to use. For instance:
- Spam control. Outlook's spam filters are laughable. I could use our server's draconian spam controls, but would easily miss emails from my clients.
Instead, I happily subscribe to Cloudmark Desktop: for $5 a month, I get incredibly intelligent spam protection, with built in crowdsourcing from over half a million users. The first user who gets a spam email marks it as such in Outlook, using the Outlook-integrated Cloudmark Desktop. The next person does the same. If a few more do, every other person who gets that email will automatically have it thrown in the spam folder. Using Cloudmark, I went from over 100 emails a day I had to delete as spam to less then 2. It works, period.
- Syncing. I sync my contacts and tasks with Salesforce, so I can keep up with my organization's workload. I sync everything with Plaxo, so I can have my information synchronized across Google, Yahoo, etc. Until last week, I synced with Palm for my Treo. Each of these require a little add-on to Outlook.
- Lookout. Though no longer made, and no longer available (Microsoft acquired the company, and replaced it with the far more bloated Windows Search), it can still be found, if you know where to look for it. It adds a powerful search, Google-style, to Outlook that makes it easy to find any email or contact, ever, in your Outlook. Outlook's own built-in search is so woefully painful, Lookout is simply a must-have.
However, time has marched on, and ever so slowly, there have started to appear a crop of combinations that tempt me to finally break my Outlook addiction. First, let me say it: I would LOVE to switch to Gmail exclusively. The calendar functions are perfect (actually, superior to Outlook by far), and play nicely with Outlook meeting requests. Their email interface is incredibly powerful, with integrated Google search that is truly the gold standard, and their spam detection is incredibly good, with almost no errors. With Plaxo integration, it even satisfies most of my syncing habits. However, the biggest Outlook withdrawal I would feel is the lack of realtime inline spell correction. I've written about this before, but it amazes me still this hasn't been solved. I've recently given As-U-Type a more thorough try, and, with some tweaking of the settings, it actually seems to do what I want without annoying the hell out of me. So, it seems possible this might be my Methadone.
Syncing? Well, Plaxo does 50% of the work. However, it lacks 2 major sync points: Salesforce and my new iPhone. For Salesforce, the picture looks pretty bleak: while there are definitely tools coming to sync Salesforce's Calendar to Google Calendar, I have found nothing for the contacts. Ouch. Given the announced partnership between the two companies, I expected something, but so far it's only seemed to yield AdWords and Google Maps integration.
For the iPhone, the future looks much brighter. First, there is Yahoo Contacts syncing built into iTunes. However, it means either dealing with Yahoo's abominable mail interface (uh...can I actually see my mail, or are there only ads in there?), or ponying up $20 for a Yahoo Plus account. Alas, the Plaxo/Yahoo sync is offline for now, and importing my contacts from a CSV seemed to top out at 1K or so, leaving me with no contacts past the letter "C." Not a real confidence builder, but the built-in iTunes sync is pretty tempting...
Even better, GooSync offers over-the-air based synchronization of Google Calendars, for free, and it even works with the iPhone. A paid version gets you more bells and whistles, but, alas, still no contact syncing. The problem seems to lie with Google, not providing an API for Gmail Contacts like they do for Calendar. There are some promising developments coming, not the least of which is Apple's February release of the iPhone SDK, but there is also the tantalizing temptation of Funambol, which claims they will have an over-the-air mobile contact sync soon:
As a professional with over 8K contacts and over 2K appointments, I am a hopeless Microsoft Outlook addict. However, as any power user of Outlook will tell you, it becomes massively bloated, slow as molasses, and utterly frustrating with even the slightest extended usage. Worse, there is no way to make it go back to even resembling a responsive application once the damage has been done. Why, then, you ask, do I continue to use it?- It is still the best email application, with it's MS Word integration with the only true inline spell correct on the market.
- It is the defacto standard for corporate mail and appointment requests.
- It is the best all in one application.
However, like any Outlook power user, I have found that I need to add things on to it to make it usable. This is where it gets fun: each of those add-ons makes Outlook massively harder to use. For instance:
- Spam control. Outlook's spam filters are laughable. I could use our server's draconian spam controls, but would easily miss emails from my clients.
Instead, I happily subscribe to Cloudmark Desktop: for $5 a month, I get incredibly intelligent spam protection, with built in crowdsourcing from over half a million users. The first user who gets a spam email marks it as such in Outlook, using the Outlook-integrated Cloudmark Desktop. The next person does the same. If a few more do, every other person who gets that email will automatically have it thrown in the spam folder. Using Cloudmark, I went from over 100 emails a day I had to delete as spam to less then 2. It works, period.- Syncing. I sync my contacts and tasks with Salesforce, so I can keep up with my organization's workload. I sync everything with Plaxo, so I can have my information synchronized across Google, Yahoo, etc. Until last week, I synced with Palm for my Treo. Each of these require a little add-on to Outlook.
- Lookout. Though no longer made, and no longer available (Microsoft acquired the company, and replaced it with the far more bloated Windows Search), it can still be found, if you know where to look for it. It adds a powerful search, Google-style, to Outlook that makes it easy to find any email or contact, ever, in your Outlook. Outlook's own built-in search is so woefully painful, Lookout is simply a must-have.However, time has marched on, and ever so slowly, there have started to appear a crop of combinations that tempt me to finally break my Outlook addiction. First, let me say it: I would LOVE to switch to Gmail exclusively. The calendar functions are perfect (actually, superior to Outlook by far), and play nicely with Outlook meeting requests. Their email interface is incredibly powerful, with integrated Google search that is truly the gold standard, and their spam detection is incredibly good, with almost no errors. With Plaxo integration, it even satisfies most of my syncing habits. However, the biggest Outlook withdrawal I would feel is the lack of realtime inline spell correction. I've written about this before, but it amazes me still this hasn't been solved. I've recently given As-U-Type a more thorough try, and, with some tweaking of the settings, it actually seems to do what I want without annoying the hell out of me. So, it seems possible this might be my Methadone.
Syncing? Well, Plaxo does 50% of the work. However, it lacks 2 major sync points: Salesforce and my new iPhone. For Salesforce, the picture looks pretty bleak: while there are definitely tools coming to sync Salesforce's Calendar to Google Calendar, I have found nothing for the contacts. Ouch. Given the announced partnership between the two companies, I expected something, but so far it's only seemed to yield AdWords and Google Maps integration.
For the iPhone, the future looks much brighter. First, there is Yahoo Contacts syncing built into iTunes. However, it means either dealing with Yahoo's abominable mail interface (uh...can I actually see my mail, or are there only ads in there?), or ponying up $20 for a Yahoo Plus account. Alas, the Plaxo/Yahoo sync is offline for now, and importing my contacts from a CSV seemed to top out at 1K or so, leaving me with no contacts past the letter "C." Not a real confidence builder, but the built-in iTunes sync is pretty tempting...Even better, GooSync offers over-the-air based synchronization of Google Calendars, for free, and it even works with the iPhone. A paid version gets you more bells and whistles, but, alas, still no contact syncing. The problem seems to lie with Google, not providing an API for Gmail Contacts like they do for Calendar. There are some promising developments coming, not the least of which is Apple's February release of the iPhone SDK, but there is also the tantalizing temptation of Funambol, which claims they will have an over-the-air mobile contact sync soon:"Compatible with Gmail, Yahoo! Mail, AOL, Microsoft Outlook as well as other email systems, the software interfaces with the free myFUNAMBOL portal which stores the most up-to-date collection of your PIM data. By the end of this year, Funambol expect to have a basic, contacts-sync’ing version available."For now, it appears I am still stuck sucking on the Outlook glass pipe while Google and Apple chortle at a new addiction they are cooking up. Hey, I'm open to ideas here: anyone??
Wednesday, January 02, 2008
Flickr, Local
I do love Flickr; it makes photo sharing, storage, and all around management perfect. But one annoying problem I have is getting my nice Flickr photos locally, on my hard drive. Half of you are going "Huh? That makes no sense: you uploaded them from your local computer, didn't you?", while the other half of you are asking "Uh...why would you want to? The photos are all on Flickr; can't you just view them there?" Both of you are right, but here are my reasons:
1) I use Picnik to edit and improve my photos. Once edited, I save them directly back to Flickr, overwriting the uploaded versions. That means, even if the image was originally sent from my hard drive, I don't have the edited version locally.
2) Windows' built in screensaver has an option to display pictures, but only local ones. Sure, I can use a Flickr screensaver, but it doesn't fill the screen like the Windows one.
3) I also have a networked DVD player hooked to a TV. While it can wirelessly browse the network and web, it can't pull pictures from anything but the local network. So, if I want to show off the latest Flickr pics on the big TV, I'm SOL.
Enter FlickrDown. It allows you to specify a Flickr username, and pull down all of the sets for that user to your local hard drive. Sets become folders, so no losing any of the groupings. And it just works, period. Down come the images, all in their native sizes, and voila: all three of my points above are addressed. I'm not too sure if there's any syncing possible (i.e. I delete a photo on Flickr, and it deletes locally), but I'll start with this. Hey Flickr: might want to think about adding this to the repertoire of tools!
1) I use Picnik to edit and improve my photos. Once edited, I save them directly back to Flickr, overwriting the uploaded versions. That means, even if the image was originally sent from my hard drive, I don't have the edited version locally.
2) Windows' built in screensaver has an option to display pictures, but only local ones. Sure, I can use a Flickr screensaver, but it doesn't fill the screen like the Windows one.
3) I also have a networked DVD player hooked to a TV. While it can wirelessly browse the network and web, it can't pull pictures from anything but the local network. So, if I want to show off the latest Flickr pics on the big TV, I'm SOL.
Enter FlickrDown. It allows you to specify a Flickr username, and pull down all of the sets for that user to your local hard drive. Sets become folders, so no losing any of the groupings. And it just works, period. Down come the images, all in their native sizes, and voila: all three of my points above are addressed. I'm not too sure if there's any syncing possible (i.e. I delete a photo on Flickr, and it deletes locally), but I'll start with this. Hey Flickr: might want to think about adding this to the repertoire of tools!
Tuesday, January 01, 2008
When IS the right time to drink that wine?
Living in Northern California, I have learned to LOVE wine. I've become kind of a California wine snob, only because the Napa and Sonoma valleys are less than an hour away, so why go to a wine store? After a day of tastings and tours, I tend to buy some selected bottles, carefully storing them for eventual drinking. After all, wine ages well, right? Not always, as I recently found out with one of my cherished 1994 La Crema Pinot Noirs: there are ideal times to drink wines. But when is the right time for each of my disparate bottles?
Enter Vinofolio.com's VinCellar. Free, it allows you to enter each of the bottles in your collection. It looks each up, presenting you with an image of the label to ensure it's actually your wine, then compliments each with reviews, value estimates, and, most importantly, ideal peak years to drink. Voila: your collection is stored,and you can even add your own notes.
It's a great asset that, with a little Web 2.0 work, could be made even better. Imagine being able to see the notes from other VinCellar users with the same bottles. Or get an email when the wines you've rated the highest are available for sale. RSS or email alerts for ideal drinking times? Share your VinCellar with others? The list goes on.
In any case, I highly recommend you get your free VinCellar account to keep that wine flowing at its ideal, and don't be saddened when you open that treasured bottle ever again.
Enter Vinofolio.com's VinCellar. Free, it allows you to enter each of the bottles in your collection. It looks each up, presenting you with an image of the label to ensure it's actually your wine, then compliments each with reviews, value estimates, and, most importantly, ideal peak years to drink. Voila: your collection is stored,and you can even add your own notes.It's a great asset that, with a little Web 2.0 work, could be made even better. Imagine being able to see the notes from other VinCellar users with the same bottles. Or get an email when the wines you've rated the highest are available for sale. RSS or email alerts for ideal drinking times? Share your VinCellar with others? The list goes on.
In any case, I highly recommend you get your free VinCellar account to keep that wine flowing at its ideal, and don't be saddened when you open that treasured bottle ever again.
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
The Treo 680 Gets Updated
Yep, it's here.
What's in it?
This software update provides device enhancements including improved Bluetooth® wireless performance for some headsets and car kits, audio quality, and media file functionality in Messaging. In addition, you'll get brand new features such as Push To Talk, for walkie-talkie functionality, and Microsoft's Direct Push Technology to get your latest email, appointments, and contacts sent directly to you, and more.
* Push to Talk – With Push to Talk, you can use your Treo 680 like a walkie-talkie to talk to one person or a group of up to 29. A quick glance at your smartphone shows whether family, friends, and coworkers are available to talk before you call.
* Corporate email as it arrives – Have your corporate email delivered to you with Microsoft® Direct Push Technology. Accept or decline meeting invites on the go and have your work calendar updated automatically. With the ability to access your company directory wirelessly, you can quickly address an email to a colleague just by typing a few letters.
* IM on your Treo smartphone – Access your instant messaging service from AOL, Windows Live Messenger, or Yahoo! A tabbed graphical Mobile IM interface makes it easy to log in to your instant messaging accounts and quickly switch between IM communities3.
* Easy access to additional services – Easily access extra services on your Treo smartphone such as TeleNav GPS Navigator and MobiTV for watching live TV4.
* Power saving enhancements – Helps conserve battery life with improved power management and updated default system power preferences.
* Supports larger expansion cards – Carry more of your work, music, photos, and other files, with support for up to 4GB SD expansion cards (including the SDHC format), sold separately.
* Enhanced ringtone support – MP3 and other sound files purchased from the web or sent from friends can now be set as ringtones and alerts. Supported ringtone formats include MP3, AAC, AAC+, MIDI, WAV, and AMR.
* Cingular, now the new AT&T – You’ll notice updated graphics reflecting the new AT&T branding, including a new look for the Xpress Mail application.
* Three updates in one – This update incorporates three previously released software updates: Treo 680 Camera Update (January 2007), Daylight Saving Time Update (February 2007), and Treo 680 Software Update 1.09 (May 2007).
Trying it now...
UPDATE: Well, after several false starts and the installer hanging, the upgrade is complete.
The good news:
- The apps are all installed
- The IM support is stunning: all three major IM services, with a slick interface to tab between them, and you can even leave it running while you make calls, etc.
- The Push To Talk functionality is all there.
- Haven't been able to figure out how to use MP3's as ringtones yet, as it does not seem to recognize them on the SD card. Installing them to the Palm now, thanks to Filez.
- Overall performance seems a bit more sporty, especially when recovering from a soft reset.
The bad news:
- It wiped my Treo clean. Yep, nothing left. However, doing a restore HotSync brought most of it back. I used Resco Backup to restore the rest. Make sure you backup your Treo before you sync.
- There is definitely some lagginess. Sometimes the Treo simply locks, for up to a minute. On playback of MP3's, you get a skip and a stutter every 20 minutes or so.
- Bloatware. I don't want MobiTV. I don't need the TeleNav. Leave those "trial" apps off my ROM, please.
Overall, the functionality outweighs the bad stuff, so I applaud AT&T & Palm for releasing new functionality that dramatically enhances the Treo experience. Well done.
Yep, it's here. What's in it?
This software update provides device enhancements including improved Bluetooth® wireless performance for some headsets and car kits, audio quality, and media file functionality in Messaging. In addition, you'll get brand new features such as Push To Talk, for walkie-talkie functionality, and Microsoft's Direct Push Technology to get your latest email, appointments, and contacts sent directly to you, and more.
* Push to Talk – With Push to Talk, you can use your Treo 680 like a walkie-talkie to talk to one person or a group of up to 29. A quick glance at your smartphone shows whether family, friends, and coworkers are available to talk before you call.
* Corporate email as it arrives – Have your corporate email delivered to you with Microsoft® Direct Push Technology. Accept or decline meeting invites on the go and have your work calendar updated automatically. With the ability to access your company directory wirelessly, you can quickly address an email to a colleague just by typing a few letters.
* IM on your Treo smartphone – Access your instant messaging service from AOL, Windows Live Messenger, or Yahoo! A tabbed graphical Mobile IM interface makes it easy to log in to your instant messaging accounts and quickly switch between IM communities3.
* Easy access to additional services – Easily access extra services on your Treo smartphone such as TeleNav GPS Navigator and MobiTV for watching live TV4.
* Power saving enhancements – Helps conserve battery life with improved power management and updated default system power preferences.
* Supports larger expansion cards – Carry more of your work, music, photos, and other files, with support for up to 4GB SD expansion cards (including the SDHC format), sold separately.
* Enhanced ringtone support – MP3 and other sound files purchased from the web or sent from friends can now be set as ringtones and alerts. Supported ringtone formats include MP3, AAC, AAC+, MIDI, WAV, and AMR.
* Cingular, now the new AT&T – You’ll notice updated graphics reflecting the new AT&T branding, including a new look for the Xpress Mail application.
* Three updates in one – This update incorporates three previously released software updates: Treo 680 Camera Update (January 2007), Daylight Saving Time Update (February 2007), and Treo 680 Software Update 1.09 (May 2007).
Trying it now...
UPDATE: Well, after several false starts and the installer hanging, the upgrade is complete.
The good news:
- The apps are all installed
- The IM support is stunning: all three major IM services, with a slick interface to tab between them, and you can even leave it running while you make calls, etc.
- The Push To Talk functionality is all there.
- Haven't been able to figure out how to use MP3's as ringtones yet, as it does not seem to recognize them on the SD card. Installing them to the Palm now, thanks to Filez.
- Overall performance seems a bit more sporty, especially when recovering from a soft reset.
The bad news:
- It wiped my Treo clean. Yep, nothing left. However, doing a restore HotSync brought most of it back. I used Resco Backup to restore the rest. Make sure you backup your Treo before you sync.
- There is definitely some lagginess. Sometimes the Treo simply locks, for up to a minute. On playback of MP3's, you get a skip and a stutter every 20 minutes or so.
- Bloatware. I don't want MobiTV. I don't need the TeleNav. Leave those "trial" apps off my ROM, please.
Overall, the functionality outweighs the bad stuff, so I applaud AT&T & Palm for releasing new functionality that dramatically enhances the Treo experience. Well done.
Friday, December 07, 2007
Cruise on down to Nokia Avvenu
Interesting news, as Nokia has purchased Avvenu. Not familiar with Avvenu? Not surprising, if you weren't a Palm OS user. They make a little program that lives on your PC, making the files available to be accessed with a mobile phone. The revenue model was invisible, so it was always a little headscratching. As to access, well, it was OK, but never amazing. And the idea of having all of your files open to be accessed by anyone hitting a URL and entering a username and password always seemed a bit harebrained to me.
On the odder side, Nokia immediately discontinued access outside the US and killed Avvenu's streaming music service in favor of their own.
Here's what they had to say:
Interesting news, as Nokia has purchased Avvenu. Not familiar with Avvenu? Not surprising, if you weren't a Palm OS user. They make a little program that lives on your PC, making the files available to be accessed with a mobile phone. The revenue model was invisible, so it was always a little headscratching. As to access, well, it was OK, but never amazing. And the idea of having all of your files open to be accessed by anyone hitting a URL and entering a username and password always seemed a bit harebrained to me.On the odder side, Nokia immediately discontinued access outside the US and killed Avvenu's streaming music service in favor of their own.
Here's what they had to say:
Dear Avvenu Customer,
As a registered user of the Avvenu service, we wanted to let you know that Nokia and Avvenu have signed an agreement under which Nokia has acquired Avvenu Inc.
Nokia intends to continue the Avvenu Access 'n Share service, and enhance Avvenu's secure remote access and private sharing capabilities moving forward. The sharing features of the Avvenu Music service have been discontinued, as Nokia already offers a separate music service.
During the transition it is necessary to limit access to those users based in the United States. We plan to resume service in most other countries within a few weeks. Until that time, if you reside outside the United States, you'll be unable to remotely access your PCs. If you'd like to be notified when service is restored in your country, please go to http://www.avvenu.com/countries.php and register for email notification.
If you have any questions or concerns, please contact customer support at http://support.avvenu.com.
More information on the acquisition is available at http://www.avvenu.com/acquisition.php.
As all of us at Avvenu join Nokia, we look forward to bringing you improved access and sharing services.
Best Regards,
Avvenu Customer Support
Wednesday, November 07, 2007
Reason #471 Facebook drives me crazy
Why, oh why, does Facebook make things so difficult? For instance, in the last week, I discovered that I could post these blog entries directly to "My Notes" in Facebook by harvesting the RSS feed. How did I discover this? The easy to use walkthrough of Facebook when you sign up? Oh, that's right: doesn't exist. Ah, the helpful tips email Facebook sends? Um, no...that's not anywhere. Perhaps the "We noticed you are not using function X..." note from Facebook they sent me? Er...no, that's my imagination again. No, I learned about this from (sigh) Plaxo Pulse, as I was prompted to hook up yet another feed to my Plaxo Pulse profile and they'd take care of everything else, so you get great things like this:
Now, take the Facebook Photos application, for instance. You create a new album, and you get this:
"Location:" what the heck is that? Hyperlinked for easy help, or a tool tip on mouseover? Nope. Ah, the ever helpful (hidden) Help link in the bottom right. Ok, let's click on it. What do we get? Standard help landing screen. After some navigation, we get to the help for Facebook Photos...and the helpful details are:
Um...where's the explanation for Location? Can I link to a photo on my website, or is that for flagging the location where the photo was taken? Nothing.
This type of poor quality and unintuitive use drives me bonkers. Hey, I'm fine with 3rd party apps replacing Facebook's own, especially if they HAVE documentation or are intuitive; just don't foist poor quality versions on me by default. With the Open Social or Plaxo approach, you simply don't have these problems: you use the apps of your choice, and are directed to them for you to automatically build your profile.
From the exponential growth I have seen in Plaxo Pulse in the last 2 weeks, and the Open Social alliance, it seems I am not alone at recognizing that Facebook's limitations are quickly getting exposed. Time to take some of that warchest and spend it on divesting the anchors that will keep it in place, while others zoom past.
Now, take the Facebook Photos application, for instance. You create a new album, and you get this:
"Location:" what the heck is that? Hyperlinked for easy help, or a tool tip on mouseover? Nope. Ah, the ever helpful (hidden) Help link in the bottom right. Ok, let's click on it. What do we get? Standard help landing screen. After some navigation, we get to the help for Facebook Photos...and the helpful details are:
Um...where's the explanation for Location? Can I link to a photo on my website, or is that for flagging the location where the photo was taken? Nothing.
This type of poor quality and unintuitive use drives me bonkers. Hey, I'm fine with 3rd party apps replacing Facebook's own, especially if they HAVE documentation or are intuitive; just don't foist poor quality versions on me by default. With the Open Social or Plaxo approach, you simply don't have these problems: you use the apps of your choice, and are directed to them for you to automatically build your profile.
From the exponential growth I have seen in Plaxo Pulse in the last 2 weeks, and the Open Social alliance, it seems I am not alone at recognizing that Facebook's limitations are quickly getting exposed. Time to take some of that warchest and spend it on divesting the anchors that will keep it in place, while others zoom past.
Thursday, November 01, 2007
iTunes on Treo
I've been a podcast consumer since before they had a name. While this is not quite as outrageous a statement as recent Nobel Prize winner Al Gore's claim to have invented the internet (which, ironically, is almost true), I used to commute 120 miles, each way, 3x a week. At that time, podcasts were the exclusive property of Audible.com, using DRM-wrapped MP3's, but I consumed programs like the WSJ, Car Talk, and more. With the podcast revolution, the landscape has exploded with amazing timely content, and I bask in the glory of CNET's Buzz Out Loud, Bill Maher's Real Time, and more.
As my biking has ramped up, I have relied heavily on podcasts to keep me company. As I am loathe to have multiple devices, I use my Treo 680 with Pocket Tunes, streaming wirelessly over Bluetooth to my Motorola HT280 headphones. All good, but updating podcasts on the 680 with QuickNews has proved to work, though much slower and more cumbersome than is really practical. On the other hand, the best podcast manager application, in my opinion, is Apple's iTunes: subscriptions are easily managed, new subscriptions easily browsed and found, and Smart Playlists allow rules-based playlists (i.e. 5 most recently updated podcasts). The downside: it lives in the Apple ecosystem, so it syncs only with iPods. So, how to get iTunes to manage podcasts on my Treo?
Enter the Mass Storage Synchronizer, a small macro-based program that does just this...sorta. It allows you to define a playlist in iTunes, named "Treo smartphone," and add the content of your choice. Yes, it can also be a Smart Playlist. Now, here come the useful, if not slightly kludgy, step. Got an SD card reader? Good, you need it. Pop your SD card in, and make sure there's a folder named Audio on it. Double click the Mass Storage Synchronizer icon, and up comes a window, suspiciously DOS-looking. It protests a few times; just keep clicking Continue. Finally, it quietly thinks for about 10 seconds, and the alerts you everything has been updated. Yep, the contents of your playlist are now on the SD card.
Note I said "contents." That means that the actual playlist did not transfer, so you are left to your own devices (ahem) to create the Playlist on the Treo. For me, I use this tool to get podcasts on my Treo, so it's a simple matter to use Pocket Tunes to just create or edit a playlist on the Treo and add in all the content with the genre "podcasts." Then a little reordering, and I'm good to go.
Overall, this solution has a lot going for it. For one, it works, which is more than I can say about Pocket Tunes' Windows Media integration (works once, but never again). For another, it's fast: mere seconds to transfer big podcast files. And finally, it's got the magic price point: free. Who can argue with that?
Personally, I think Apple's got to eventually expand iTunes to non-Apple devices to continue adoption of their leadership role in digital content. I'm not saying this year, or even next, but as NBC recently showed, without critical market mass, the whole inexpensive content supply dries up. Apple can sell as many iPods and iPhones as they can, but if they want to continue dictating pricing and terms to big content providers, they have to show they are the only game in town. That means playing nice, at least in a limited fashion, with Zunes, Sansas and the like, or risk Amazon or Microsoft stealing their thunder.
For now, I'm happy with this workaround. That iPhone keeps looking better and better...but, for instance, this is just one of many blog entries written entirely on my Treo. I'll stick with the keyboard...and the poor man's iPod for that alone.
As my biking has ramped up, I have relied heavily on podcasts to keep me company. As I am loathe to have multiple devices, I use my Treo 680 with Pocket Tunes, streaming wirelessly over Bluetooth to my Motorola HT280 headphones. All good, but updating podcasts on the 680 with QuickNews has proved to work, though much slower and more cumbersome than is really practical. On the other hand, the best podcast manager application, in my opinion, is Apple's iTunes: subscriptions are easily managed, new subscriptions easily browsed and found, and Smart Playlists allow rules-based playlists (i.e. 5 most recently updated podcasts). The downside: it lives in the Apple ecosystem, so it syncs only with iPods. So, how to get iTunes to manage podcasts on my Treo?
Enter the Mass Storage Synchronizer, a small macro-based program that does just this...sorta. It allows you to define a playlist in iTunes, named "Treo smartphone," and add the content of your choice. Yes, it can also be a Smart Playlist. Now, here come the useful, if not slightly kludgy, step. Got an SD card reader? Good, you need it. Pop your SD card in, and make sure there's a folder named Audio on it. Double click the Mass Storage Synchronizer icon, and up comes a window, suspiciously DOS-looking. It protests a few times; just keep clicking Continue. Finally, it quietly thinks for about 10 seconds, and the alerts you everything has been updated. Yep, the contents of your playlist are now on the SD card.Note I said "contents." That means that the actual playlist did not transfer, so you are left to your own devices (ahem) to create the Playlist on the Treo. For me, I use this tool to get podcasts on my Treo, so it's a simple matter to use Pocket Tunes to just create or edit a playlist on the Treo and add in all the content with the genre "podcasts." Then a little reordering, and I'm good to go.
Overall, this solution has a lot going for it. For one, it works, which is more than I can say about Pocket Tunes' Windows Media integration (works once, but never again). For another, it's fast: mere seconds to transfer big podcast files. And finally, it's got the magic price point: free. Who can argue with that?
Personally, I think Apple's got to eventually expand iTunes to non-Apple devices to continue adoption of their leadership role in digital content. I'm not saying this year, or even next, but as NBC recently showed, without critical market mass, the whole inexpensive content supply dries up. Apple can sell as many iPods and iPhones as they can, but if they want to continue dictating pricing and terms to big content providers, they have to show they are the only game in town. That means playing nice, at least in a limited fashion, with Zunes, Sansas and the like, or risk Amazon or Microsoft stealing their thunder.
For now, I'm happy with this workaround. That iPhone keeps looking better and better...but, for instance, this is just one of many blog entries written entirely on my Treo. I'll stick with the keyboard...and the poor man's iPod for that alone.
Thursday, October 25, 2007
Email, now landing on runway 44
Email is never as sexy as it is in the movies. Think of Mission: Impossible, or Disclosure, among others: email there is cool, animated, and very sleek. Sure, there have been some attempts to help out, like IncrediMail, but they are mostly cartoonish and not at all engaging. Not to mention that, if you have email volume anything like mine, it's not even close to realistic.
But help (or hurt?) is on the way! 3D Mailbox, who brought us your email inbox represented as Miami Beach, now introduces Level 2: the LA Airport! Yes, depending on where your email came from, you can see a jumbo jet land in 3d photorealism, along with pilot chatter and more. Want to see Spam eliminated? What's that...a surface to air missile? Email attachment...hey, is that a DHL cargo jet I see taking off?
See for yourself:
Yes, I admit it's hilarious...and horrific...yet oddly compelling. TechCrunch sure hates it, as does CrunchGear. I am inclined to try it, if only for the ATC voiceovers. Years ago, at The Sharper Image, our VP of Loss Prevention (who was also a pilot and former government employee), used to have this screensaver on his computer, which had a simulated ATC display along with precanned pilot chatter. People would come in his office, see the screen, hear the chatter, and stop dead in their tracks. He's calmly look up, look at the screen, and comment, "Oh, I'm just helping out Air Traffic Control on a part time basis." The office visitor would look...be stunned, and eventually retreat. VERY effective way to be productive.
Let's see if 3D Mailbox does the job.
UPDATE: Alas, my laptop is not up to snuff for 3D Mailbox's technical requirements. Actually, neither is my home machine. If I don't even have a good enough machine to run an email program, mich be time to hit up the Dell Outlet...:-)
But help (or hurt?) is on the way! 3D Mailbox, who brought us your email inbox represented as Miami Beach, now introduces Level 2: the LA Airport! Yes, depending on where your email came from, you can see a jumbo jet land in 3d photorealism, along with pilot chatter and more. Want to see Spam eliminated? What's that...a surface to air missile? Email attachment...hey, is that a DHL cargo jet I see taking off?
See for yourself:
Yes, I admit it's hilarious...and horrific...yet oddly compelling. TechCrunch sure hates it, as does CrunchGear. I am inclined to try it, if only for the ATC voiceovers. Years ago, at The Sharper Image, our VP of Loss Prevention (who was also a pilot and former government employee), used to have this screensaver on his computer, which had a simulated ATC display along with precanned pilot chatter. People would come in his office, see the screen, hear the chatter, and stop dead in their tracks. He's calmly look up, look at the screen, and comment, "Oh, I'm just helping out Air Traffic Control on a part time basis." The office visitor would look...be stunned, and eventually retreat. VERY effective way to be productive.
Let's see if 3D Mailbox does the job.
UPDATE: Alas, my laptop is not up to snuff for 3D Mailbox's technical requirements. Actually, neither is my home machine. If I don't even have a good enough machine to run an email program, mich be time to hit up the Dell Outlet...:-)
Saturday, October 20, 2007
Screw Photoshop! Hello, Picnik!
Flickr managed to seduce me from keeping my photos on my website, but Picnik takes me all the way. See, normally I upload my raw pictures to the PC, fire up Photoshop to do my crops, color balances, and edits, and then painstakingly save each photo, finally uploading the finished product to Flickr for the world to see. However, Photoshop is a HUGE program, and, as the last version I purchased is several years old, I am always loathe to get in there with the monstrous kludginess.
This year, after taking some photos in San Antonio and capturing the Blue Angels from Angel Island, I decided another approach was in order. I uploaded the raw images to Flickr, then fired up Picnik.com, a site that claims to be a free online Web 2.0 photo editor. In literally seconds, I was pulling in my Flickr images, and editing, faster and better than Photoshop ever let me do. Cropping? Definitely. Color and contract balancing? Count on it. Best of all, an "auto-fix" feature that corrects my horrific raw photos to sensational pieces.
For instance, here's a raw photo:
Now, check it out after Picnik does it's work:
Gotta say, I'm very impressed. Oh, yes, did I mention...FREE? :-)
Flickr managed to seduce me from keeping my photos on my website, but Picnik takes me all the way. See, normally I upload my raw pictures to the PC, fire up Photoshop to do my crops, color balances, and edits, and then painstakingly save each photo, finally uploading the finished product to Flickr for the world to see. However, Photoshop is a HUGE program, and, as the last version I purchased is several years old, I am always loathe to get in there with the monstrous kludginess.This year, after taking some photos in San Antonio and capturing the Blue Angels from Angel Island, I decided another approach was in order. I uploaded the raw images to Flickr, then fired up Picnik.com, a site that claims to be a free online Web 2.0 photo editor. In literally seconds, I was pulling in my Flickr images, and editing, faster and better than Photoshop ever let me do. Cropping? Definitely. Color and contract balancing? Count on it. Best of all, an "auto-fix" feature that corrects my horrific raw photos to sensational pieces.
For instance, here's a raw photo:
Now, check it out after Picnik does it's work:
Gotta say, I'm very impressed. Oh, yes, did I mention...FREE? :-)
Monday, August 06, 2007
Closed is NOT the new Open
Seth Goldstein is a man who's views on Web 2.0 I tend to value. His blog recently proclaimed that "closed is the new open." In essence, that closed networks, like Facebook and MySpace, done right, are better than the random collection of open network tools, like Flickr and Twitter. Apologies to Seth, but I most vociferously have to disagree. Case in point: today's launch of Plaxo's Pulse network.
I'm a big fan of Plaxo, as it solves one of the most frustrating problems of people like myself with large contact lists: it creates the ability for someone to update their information in one place, and Plaxo subscribers immediately have their address books updated with the new information. Although my 7000+ contacts seem to frequently cause performance issues with it, I have stuck with them, and even upgraded to some of their premium services. For instance, the ability to immediately be reminded of an upcoming birthday, and send an e-card, personalized. Fantastic stuff for someone who never has enough time to be as thoughtful as I aspire to be.
Plaxo has gone one step further. They have created their own social network, Pulse, so you can get updated whenever your Pulse friends update anything. And I mean, anything. Want to get notified when a friend adds to their Amazon wishlist? Got it covered. Read the latest post from their blog? Gotcha. Post some pictures to Picasa or Flickr? Check. See what they are digging on Digg? Yup. I mean, this is what's been needed: a single network, to pull together the content from these purpose driven sites, and syndicate them. I want to know when Charles adds a new DVD to his wishlist. I want to see some new pictures from a faraway family member or friend. I love the push of a blog entry. Man, this is what it's all about: push me the content I want, for the people I want, saving me from 100 different "pulls". Timesaving, elegant, and superb. I would GLADLY pay for this service, and will, as soon as their tech support people figure out how I can use Plaxo Premium without destroying the performance of my already bloated Outlook account.
I mean, check out the range of services they pull in. Add in Facebook and LinkedIn, and sayonara any other service. Open is flexible, extensible, and always with the times. My NetVibes page does the same with my homepage (so does Pageflakes, and even the new MyYahoo), so this is just a natural extension. With this architecture, Plaxo can add new feeds for the new properties. So, yesterday's MySpace fades away, and gives rise to Facebook. Google Video gives it up for YouTube. Who knows what comes next? One thing's for sure: Plaxo will be the source to find it.
Seth Goldstein is a man who's views on Web 2.0 I tend to value. His blog recently proclaimed that "closed is the new open." In essence, that closed networks, like Facebook and MySpace, done right, are better than the random collection of open network tools, like Flickr and Twitter. Apologies to Seth, but I most vociferously have to disagree. Case in point: today's launch of Plaxo's Pulse network.I'm a big fan of Plaxo, as it solves one of the most frustrating problems of people like myself with large contact lists: it creates the ability for someone to update their information in one place, and Plaxo subscribers immediately have their address books updated with the new information. Although my 7000+ contacts seem to frequently cause performance issues with it, I have stuck with them, and even upgraded to some of their premium services. For instance, the ability to immediately be reminded of an upcoming birthday, and send an e-card, personalized. Fantastic stuff for someone who never has enough time to be as thoughtful as I aspire to be.
Plaxo has gone one step further. They have created their own social network, Pulse, so you can get updated whenever your Pulse friends update anything. And I mean, anything. Want to get notified when a friend adds to their Amazon wishlist? Got it covered. Read the latest post from their blog? Gotcha. Post some pictures to Picasa or Flickr? Check. See what they are digging on Digg? Yup. I mean, this is what's been needed: a single network, to pull together the content from these purpose driven sites, and syndicate them. I want to know when Charles adds a new DVD to his wishlist. I want to see some new pictures from a faraway family member or friend. I love the push of a blog entry. Man, this is what it's all about: push me the content I want, for the people I want, saving me from 100 different "pulls". Timesaving, elegant, and superb. I would GLADLY pay for this service, and will, as soon as their tech support people figure out how I can use Plaxo Premium without destroying the performance of my already bloated Outlook account.
I mean, check out the range of services they pull in. Add in Facebook and LinkedIn, and sayonara any other service. Open is flexible, extensible, and always with the times. My NetVibes page does the same with my homepage (so does Pageflakes, and even the new MyYahoo), so this is just a natural extension. With this architecture, Plaxo can add new feeds for the new properties. So, yesterday's MySpace fades away, and gives rise to Facebook. Google Video gives it up for YouTube. Who knows what comes next? One thing's for sure: Plaxo will be the source to find it.
Thursday, July 19, 2007
Dude, I'm So Tripping
I travel a lot for work and fun. I tend to book trips on the individual airline's websites (after I use Farecast and SideStep to find the best deals), so I get the mileage bonuses. The pain of that is that you get all of these different confirmations, emails, and tracking numbers, so it's not easy to consolidate them down to my schedule. I use TravelTracker for the Treo to type it all in, but it's time consuming, and annoying.
Enter TripIt. That email confirmation you got? Forward it to plans@tripit.com. In under a minute, you head over to TripIt, and you get this:
Want to add more to the trip, like a car rental? Just forward it on, and TripIt adds it to it. Want to track some activities you want to do while on the trip? Use the TripClipper to bookmark it to your trip.
I like the service a lot: they focus on ease of use and solving a problem. There is definitely room to improve here, though: syncing with Outlook or Google Calendar, for instance. Consolidating Frequent Flyer accounts is another area they can help with. But for sheer, purpose-driven Web 2.0 approaching a difficult problem with a cool effortless solution. it works.
I have 5 invites I can give out if you're interested in trying it; let me know.
I travel a lot for work and fun. I tend to book trips on the individual airline's websites (after I use Farecast and SideStep to find the best deals), so I get the mileage bonuses. The pain of that is that you get all of these different confirmations, emails, and tracking numbers, so it's not easy to consolidate them down to my schedule. I use TravelTracker for the Treo to type it all in, but it's time consuming, and annoying.Enter TripIt. That email confirmation you got? Forward it to plans@tripit.com. In under a minute, you head over to TripIt, and you get this:
Want to add more to the trip, like a car rental? Just forward it on, and TripIt adds it to it. Want to track some activities you want to do while on the trip? Use the TripClipper to bookmark it to your trip.
I like the service a lot: they focus on ease of use and solving a problem. There is definitely room to improve here, though: syncing with Outlook or Google Calendar, for instance. Consolidating Frequent Flyer accounts is another area they can help with. But for sheer, purpose-driven Web 2.0 approaching a difficult problem with a cool effortless solution. it works.
I have 5 invites I can give out if you're interested in trying it; let me know.
Labels: beta, free, Google Maps, Software, travel, weather, Web 2.0
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
Adventures of an Anal Retentive Comic Geek
As Charles says, "What are bros for?" He chortles, as he sends me an URL that is guaranteed to cater to my not so recently supressed past, as well as the vein of obsessive compulsion that runs through me, causing me to quake and realize that its time to come clean about my deepest, darkest secret...
Hello, my name is Josh, and I am a comic book collector.
Well, "collector" implies a bit of present tense, so it's not entirely true. With the exception of the signed Kevin Smith original Daredevils and Green Arrows I picked up in the last couple of years, my collection is firmly rooted in what I consider comics' heyday, the 1980's. Like all of my ilk of that time, the X-Men and their spinoffs dominate my collection. but that is also the time of Frank Miller's Dark Knight series, which changed comics (and movies) forever. It's the time of Alan Moore, who brought V for Vendetta to a public who clearly had no idea what to do with it. And it's the time for the rise of the alternate universe, where anything is possible.
Like all collectors of the time, most of my comics are polybagged and boxed (though not boarded, to my chagrin). I occasionally consider selling them off, as the collection is good; I tried to, some years ago, but the cataloging required lots of spreadsheets and value estimates. Thus, I held on.
Now, the Web threatens to take my obsession and make it go full blown again, Phoenix-like. Comic Collector Live allows you to catalog your comic collection, with all of the key indicators, in classic Web 2.0 free style. I can see many hours spent, transferring my Google spreadsheet to this, and identifying the holes in my collection. Instead of selling, I could be coerced into...gasp...buying!
Hello, my name is Josh, and I am a comic book collector.
Well, "collector" implies a bit of present tense, so it's not entirely true. With the exception of the signed Kevin Smith original Daredevils and Green Arrows I picked up in the last couple of years, my collection is firmly rooted in what I consider comics' heyday, the 1980's. Like all of my ilk of that time, the X-Men and their spinoffs dominate my collection. but that is also the time of Frank Miller's Dark Knight series, which changed comics (and movies) forever. It's the time of Alan Moore, who brought V for Vendetta to a public who clearly had no idea what to do with it. And it's the time for the rise of the alternate universe, where anything is possible.
Like all collectors of the time, most of my comics are polybagged and boxed (though not boarded, to my chagrin). I occasionally consider selling them off, as the collection is good; I tried to, some years ago, but the cataloging required lots of spreadsheets and value estimates. Thus, I held on.
Now, the Web threatens to take my obsession and make it go full blown again, Phoenix-like. Comic Collector Live allows you to catalog your comic collection, with all of the key indicators, in classic Web 2.0 free style. I can see many hours spent, transferring my Google spreadsheet to this, and identifying the holes in my collection. Instead of selling, I could be coerced into...gasp...buying!
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
Backup your Treo
I know, I'm still overdue on two reviews: one for my Jawbone headset, and another for my Treo 680. Suffice it to say, for the moment, I am impressed with the Jawbone, but have reservations on the fit...more will come, I promise. The 680, on the other hand, is more than I hoped for, and is truly a worthy pre-iPhone device, with actually a lot more going for it. I will be sitting down to devote some serious time to share the joy.
For the moment, I will instead pass along one of the many surprises I've had since becoming a Treo owner. and it's about my least sexy topic, backups. Palm has released a beta application for backing up most of the essentials for your Treo, automatically, every night, over the air. Yup, like Mozy, the app comes up, contacts a Palm server, and backs up your contacts, Favorites, and more. You do need a significant data plan from your carrier, and you have only vague controls on the timing, but it just works. And, of course, it's free...for now.
Damn, this is smart. I already use RescoBackup to backup my Palm, nightly, to an SD card, but secure offsite storage for free? Count me in.
For the moment, I will instead pass along one of the many surprises I've had since becoming a Treo owner. and it's about my least sexy topic, backups. Palm has released a beta application for backing up most of the essentials for your Treo, automatically, every night, over the air. Yup, like Mozy, the app comes up, contacts a Palm server, and backs up your contacts, Favorites, and more. You do need a significant data plan from your carrier, and you have only vague controls on the timing, but it just works. And, of course, it's free...for now.Damn, this is smart. I already use RescoBackup to backup my Palm, nightly, to an SD card, but secure offsite storage for free? Count me in.
Sunday, April 15, 2007
TurboTax: SaaS done Perfectly
As many of you know, Uncle Sam and I have a rather strained relationship. I take a rather Libertarian view of most government services, and nothing exemplifies that more to me than the annual ritual of paying income tax. Of course, I used to treat them as a minor annoyance, but the Dot Bomb implosion and the wonderful world of Alternative Minimum Tax (see Lani's recent post on this) turned my tolerance to outright antagonism. Hundreds of thousands of dollars later, as well as a surprisingly cooperative IRS, I am no longer paying for income I never saw, but I still grind my teeth at the approach of April 15th (or this year, April 17).
However, last year I found hope. TurboTax, Intuit's answer to the horrific nightmare that is income tax, always promised the "easy, fast and painless" that all software does. However, despite being a Quicken addict for years, I never put much faith in it. Last year, with the deadline approaching, I surfed over to the site, to see if I could try again. Much to my delight, they offered TurboTax as a web based application now: software as a service (SaaS). Determined to reward such forward thinking, I dived headlong into it. 2 hours later, I had filed my Federal and State taxes, and even had my refunds coming via direct deposit. Even better, they offered Audit Defense for $30: if there was anything wrong, they, not I, would deal with the IRS: "You will never speak with the IRS. Period." I was floored.
This year, I was sure my past experience would be a fluke. Imagine my surprise when, for a total of $130, I was able to not only duplicate last year's ease, but also add Audit Defense to my State returns, but even use a Deduction Maximizer that netted me far more than my measly calculations ever would have. I can't believe that I am saying this about taxes, but it was a joy. Their service is remarkable: lots of interactive questions, with tons of help along the way, even hints to tell you "Most people don't need to fill this part out." It intelligently saves to the server on every step, and allows you to come back at any time to resume. Best of all, a fantastic real-time calculator on every page that updates to show you just how much you can expect to pay or receive as a refund with every answer. Sure, I'm certain I'd feel a little less elated if I was not seeing a refund this year, but even still, I'm so amazingly encouraged by this.
Taxes are a perfect example of a massive, complicated process that can be quantified, and therefore leveraged by software to make easier. Imagine the same with legal situations (lawsuits, wills), or other important financial considerations (insurance, mortgages). Heck, they even allow an electronic signature. As a founder of a SaaS company, I truly take my hat off to these folks: they do it right, without the necessary evil of imposing their own convoluted vocabulary (see salesforce.com's "Opportunities" as a good example) or force you to take online courses to figure out how to use the tool you have. They start from the perspective of a problem, and work backwards, always keeping the end user in mind.
Not only was it a good experience, not only was it productive, but it gives peace of mind, ease of use, and delivers results. Now that's a less taxing filing. If you are like me, and want to wait until the last possible moment for a catch-up session with the big Uncle, do yourself a favor and let TurboTax help out. You've got two more days...spend them wisely. :-)
As many of you know, Uncle Sam and I have a rather strained relationship. I take a rather Libertarian view of most government services, and nothing exemplifies that more to me than the annual ritual of paying income tax. Of course, I used to treat them as a minor annoyance, but the Dot Bomb implosion and the wonderful world of Alternative Minimum Tax (see Lani's recent post on this) turned my tolerance to outright antagonism. Hundreds of thousands of dollars later, as well as a surprisingly cooperative IRS, I am no longer paying for income I never saw, but I still grind my teeth at the approach of April 15th (or this year, April 17).However, last year I found hope. TurboTax, Intuit's answer to the horrific nightmare that is income tax, always promised the "easy, fast and painless" that all software does. However, despite being a Quicken addict for years, I never put much faith in it. Last year, with the deadline approaching, I surfed over to the site, to see if I could try again. Much to my delight, they offered TurboTax as a web based application now: software as a service (SaaS). Determined to reward such forward thinking, I dived headlong into it. 2 hours later, I had filed my Federal and State taxes, and even had my refunds coming via direct deposit. Even better, they offered Audit Defense for $30: if there was anything wrong, they, not I, would deal with the IRS: "You will never speak with the IRS. Period." I was floored.
This year, I was sure my past experience would be a fluke. Imagine my surprise when, for a total of $130, I was able to not only duplicate last year's ease, but also add Audit Defense to my State returns, but even use a Deduction Maximizer that netted me far more than my measly calculations ever would have. I can't believe that I am saying this about taxes, but it was a joy. Their service is remarkable: lots of interactive questions, with tons of help along the way, even hints to tell you "Most people don't need to fill this part out." It intelligently saves to the server on every step, and allows you to come back at any time to resume. Best of all, a fantastic real-time calculator on every page that updates to show you just how much you can expect to pay or receive as a refund with every answer. Sure, I'm certain I'd feel a little less elated if I was not seeing a refund this year, but even still, I'm so amazingly encouraged by this.
Taxes are a perfect example of a massive, complicated process that can be quantified, and therefore leveraged by software to make easier. Imagine the same with legal situations (lawsuits, wills), or other important financial considerations (insurance, mortgages). Heck, they even allow an electronic signature. As a founder of a SaaS company, I truly take my hat off to these folks: they do it right, without the necessary evil of imposing their own convoluted vocabulary (see salesforce.com's "Opportunities" as a good example) or force you to take online courses to figure out how to use the tool you have. They start from the perspective of a problem, and work backwards, always keeping the end user in mind.
Not only was it a good experience, not only was it productive, but it gives peace of mind, ease of use, and delivers results. Now that's a less taxing filing. If you are like me, and want to wait until the last possible moment for a catch-up session with the big Uncle, do yourself a favor and let TurboTax help out. You've got two more days...spend them wisely. :-)
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
Wednesday, February 21, 2007
Outlook as your desktop
Another from the long line of "why the hell didn't this get thought of before?" Outlook is still the most used Calendar/Email/Contacts program (at least, until Gmail/Google Calendar gets sync down pat). However, it suffers from single window problems: you can look at your email, but you can't see your schedule without clicking into Calendar. And, if your Outlook is as bloated as mine, this can be a 5 second delay between click to display.
No more. Enter Outlook on the Desktop. As Download Squad describes it, "It allows you to pick any one of the main Outlook views (Inbox, Calendar, Tasks, etc), and display it directly on your desktop." If you use multiple monitors, like I do, you can always see your schedule open without diverting from your email.
Years ago, Berkeley Systems (venerable makers of the legendary After Dark screensaver) made a PIM program that did a similar thing: it turned your desktop into your calendar. Way before its time, it didn't make it, but not a day goes by that I don't pine for it (it was Mac only, and WAY long ago...so long, I forget the name! Expresso, and it's Star Trek brother, StarDate). Sure you can get similar functionality with Yahoo Widgets or Google Gadgets (probably Vista, too), but I find the Yahoo Widget to be extremely memory intensive, and the Google Gadget is part of Google Desktop: a massive memory hog for my office laptop. This clean, elegant and simple solution does just what I wanted.
Another from the long line of "why the hell didn't this get thought of before?" Outlook is still the most used Calendar/Email/Contacts program (at least, until Gmail/Google Calendar gets sync down pat). However, it suffers from single window problems: you can look at your email, but you can't see your schedule without clicking into Calendar. And, if your Outlook is as bloated as mine, this can be a 5 second delay between click to display.No more. Enter Outlook on the Desktop. As Download Squad describes it, "It allows you to pick any one of the main Outlook views (Inbox, Calendar, Tasks, etc), and display it directly on your desktop." If you use multiple monitors, like I do, you can always see your schedule open without diverting from your email.
Years ago, Berkeley Systems (venerable makers of the legendary After Dark screensaver) made a PIM program that did a similar thing: it turned your desktop into your calendar. Way before its time, it didn't make it, but not a day goes by that I don't pine for it (it was Mac only, and WAY long ago...
Wednesday, January 17, 2007
Bandwidth Anchors
I'm the kinda guy who has LOTS of betas, bleeding edge programs, and other sundry things on his computer, looking for the next great thing. I'm also not necessarily one who associates reduced performance with those programs. Good example: the Tab Effect I recommended a few days ago: great idea, but really slows down Firefox's performance: I ended up jettisoning it. Not quite ready for prime time.
However, I recently found out about other such programs, sapping not performance of my computer, but bandwidth. Remember when I mentioned about my aborted efforts to move to DSL? Well, my nephew Jeremy read that post, and IM'ed me this:
Well, I took his advice. While it was more accurate, it reported I had a connection not much better than a 56K modem. For $60 a month, that sucked. I called Comcast. First, they asked me to connect the cable modem directly to the PC: no gateway, no VOIP, no router. Ok, doubled the performance, but still not anywhere near the performance: about 900KBPS. Then they asked the question:
"Sir, do you have any other programs using your internet connection on right now? If so, can you close them?"
I shut them all down, and tried again. Suddenly, I was at 16MBPS! Holy...! I spent the rest of the evening adding each program back in, one by one, to determine the vampires. What did I find? FolderShare, which I blogged so effusively about, was sucking my connection dry. I immediately removed it. After reconnecting everything else, I was at a respectable 6MPBS. Still, I had a taste for the fast lane now, and there's no going back. The culprit seemed to be my gateway and AT&T's VOIP adaptor. Amazon got me a new wireless router/gateway for $50 (also allows me to finally upgrade to 802.11g instead of B, doubling my wireless speed), and a quick call to AT&T had them sending me a brand new Linksys VOIP adaptor to replace my aging Centillium one.
Occasionally, I can recover from my own errors. :-)
EPILOGUE: I called Comcast back, and mentioned that, 12 months ago, I got a great package deal from them. Now, my combined modem & cable bill had swelled to nearly $200. I said the magic words:
"I'm thinking of reducing my services."
The operator immediately asked me to hold. I waited, curious. About 90 seconds later, she came back with an offer: they would cut the cost of the cable modem by 50% for 12 months, and knock $30 off the cable TV service for 6 months. No commitment required, no hassle, no supervisor. Just with one call, of less than 5 minutes, I saved over $500 for the year.
A cable company that offers to reduce my price without hassle, and a phone company that sends me new upgraded equipment, just for asking. As a longtime hater of telcoms, I am floored. Perhaps there still is hope yet!
I'm the kinda guy who has LOTS of betas, bleeding edge programs, and other sundry things on his computer, looking for the next great thing. I'm also not necessarily one who associates reduced performance with those programs. Good example: the Tab Effect I recommended a few days ago: great idea, but really slows down Firefox's performance: I ended up jettisoning it. Not quite ready for prime time.However, I recently found out about other such programs, sapping not performance of my computer, but bandwidth. Remember when I mentioned about my aborted efforts to move to DSL? Well, my nephew Jeremy read that post, and IM'ed me this:
Hey Josh...you know, Cnet's speed test is horribly inaccurate. Go retest with Speakeasy's. http://www.speakeasy.net/speedtest/ I get (on average) 5.7 megs a second....6.1 or so on good nights. I'd stay with Comcast, I've only had a problem maybe 4-5 times in the 3-4 years we've had it, and the reviews on Yahoo and Verizon in your area suck.
Well, I took his advice. While it was more accurate, it reported I had a connection not much better than a 56K modem. For $60 a month, that sucked. I called Comcast. First, they asked me to connect the cable modem directly to the PC: no gateway, no VOIP, no router. Ok, doubled the performance, but still not anywhere near the performance: about 900KBPS. Then they asked the question:"Sir, do you have any other programs using your internet connection on right now? If so, can you close them?"
I shut them all down, and tried again. Suddenly, I was at 16MBPS! Holy...! I spent the rest of the evening adding each program back in, one by one, to determine the vampires. What did I find? FolderShare, which I blogged so effusively about, was sucking my connection dry. I immediately removed it. After reconnecting everything else, I was at a respectable 6MPBS. Still, I had a taste for the fast lane now, and there's no going back. The culprit seemed to be my gateway and AT&T's VOIP adaptor. Amazon got me a new wireless router/gateway for $50 (also allows me to finally upgrade to 802.11g instead of B, doubling my wireless speed), and a quick call to AT&T had them sending me a brand new Linksys VOIP adaptor to replace my aging Centillium one.
Occasionally, I can recover from my own errors. :-)
EPILOGUE: I called Comcast back, and mentioned that, 12 months ago, I got a great package deal from them. Now, my combined modem & cable bill had swelled to nearly $200. I said the magic words:
"I'm thinking of reducing my services."
The operator immediately asked me to hold. I waited, curious. About 90 seconds later, she came back with an offer: they would cut the cost of the cable modem by 50% for 12 months, and knock $30 off the cable TV service for 6 months. No commitment required, no hassle, no supervisor. Just with one call, of less than 5 minutes, I saved over $500 for the year.
A cable company that offers to reduce my price without hassle, and a phone company that sends me new upgraded equipment, just for asking. As a longtime hater of telcoms, I am floored. Perhaps there still is hope yet!
Sunday, January 14, 2007
Free Headache Relief
I'm one of those "flirt with danger, laugh at hard drive loss" kinda guys. However, with the amount of photos, videos, and receipts I have been accumulating, I've got that little tingle that says I am just 1 Hard Drive crash away from saying, "if only I had backed up..."
Yeah, backups. The ultimate unsexy topic. Might as well talk about actuarial tables. Why, oh why, with this age of broadband and cheap hard drive space, is there not an easy way to automatically back up your files? I'm talking, no paying attention, all security handled, personal-slave-that-does-my-bidding backup here.
Um. There is. And, oh yes...one more thing? It's free.
Yep, say it loud, say it proud: I love Web 2.0. Presenting Mozy, the online backup service, that will back up as much as 2 GB for FREE. Need more than that? How about Mozy Unlimited? $5 bucks a month, and no more concern.
Ok, here's the scoop: you download a little program, choose the files you want to backup, and whenever your computer isn't busy, it backs them up. That's it. Automatic, as high security as you can handle, and great privacy. Freaked about choosing what files to backup? No worries: the wizard will actually scan your HD and suggest files to backup: it even groups them in types. What happens if you need to restore? Download the client, and go to it. No restrictions.
What's the catch? Well, you can't share the files, just back them up. That's fair. For the free product, you agree to be emailed; also fair.
I just installed it, and we'll see how it goes, but if it works well, I'm so plunking down my monthly Lincoln for this ultimate insurance.
Yeah, backups. The ultimate unsexy topic. Might as well talk about actuarial tables. Why, oh why, with this age of broadband and cheap hard drive space, is there not an easy way to automatically back up your files? I'm talking, no paying attention, all security handled, personal-slave-that-does-my-bidding backup here.
Um. There is. And, oh yes...one more thing? It's free.
Yep, say it loud, say it proud: I love Web 2.0. Presenting Mozy, the online backup service, that will back up as much as 2 GB for FREE. Need more than that? How about Mozy Unlimited? $5 bucks a month, and no more concern.Ok, here's the scoop: you download a little program, choose the files you want to backup, and whenever your computer isn't busy, it backs them up. That's it. Automatic, as high security as you can handle, and great privacy. Freaked about choosing what files to backup? No worries: the wizard will actually scan your HD and suggest files to backup: it even groups them in types. What happens if you need to restore? Download the client, and go to it. No restrictions.
What's the catch? Well, you can't share the files, just back them up. That's fair. For the free product, you agree to be emailed; also fair.
I just installed it, and we'll see how it goes, but if it works well, I'm so plunking down my monthly Lincoln for this ultimate insurance.
Thursday, January 11, 2007
Firefox: 3D effects on tab switching
On a lighter note, check out this amazingly cool Firefox extension. Firefox brought tabbed browsing mainstream, but this extension adds an incredibly cool 3D effect when you switch tabs.
Requires a decent video card, but man, what a Mac-like experience it brings. And FREE!
On a lighter note, check out this amazingly cool Firefox extension. Firefox brought tabbed browsing mainstream, but this extension adds an incredibly cool 3D effect when you switch tabs.Requires a decent video card, but man, what a Mac-like experience it brings. And FREE!