Tretakoff Musings
Friday, January 16, 2009
Portable Bike Lane
Interesting concept for a laser projected instant bike lane for cyclists and, conceivably, motorists. However, upon closer inspection, this appears to be a false promise of safety, as it really can't be seen by motorists until it's too late.
As one commenter says,
Interesting concept for a laser projected instant bike lane for cyclists and, conceivably, motorists. However, upon closer inspection, this appears to be a false promise of safety, as it really can't be seen by motorists until it's too late.As one commenter says,
"Performance sells a 9 led light for under $20. Cateye sells a 11 led light for under $30. Planet Bike sells one with a single high intensity (1 watt) flashing light. All are visible for over a half mile. That gives you 30 seconds to react to the presence of something in the road ahead of you that has a red or amber flashing light. Count out 30 seconds. If you can’t react to something in that time, then you would have already killed yourself driving into the side of a building or a truck."Still, just so damned cool.
Saturday, January 10, 2009
What do Palm and Doug Flutie Have In Common?
I've always been a huge fan of Doug Flutie. I grew up right down the street from the very stadium he played his college ball (and made his legend). I followed him through both the CFL and the NFL. In fact, I even flew hundreds of miles, just for the chance to see him play. No matter how successful as a pro he was, everyone always remembers Doug Flutie for the play that put him on the national stage: the Hail Mary pass that won the Bowl.
I've always been a huge fan of Doug Flutie. I grew up right down the street from the very stadium he played his college ball (and made his legend). I followed him through both the CFL and the NFL. In fact, I even flew hundreds of miles, just for the chance to see him play. No matter how successful as a pro he was, everyone always remembers Doug Flutie for the play that put him on the national stage: the Hail Mary pass that won the Bowl.Years later, while he was setting record after record in Canada, his team even brought the recipient of that pass, Gerard Phelan, to the team. Was Phelan that great? Not at all. Did Flutie need a great receiver? Absolutely not. But the team wanted the public to recapture their sense of awe and wonder at this display that changed the world by evoking the connection of that Hail Mary.
This week, another former champion, known for taking the world by storm, took the stage again for one last Hail Mary pass: Palm. Similarly, it was a desperate situation: Palm had practically owned the smartphone game with the Treo, but in recent years, the brand, company, and products faltered, and desperation set in. With all of the gravitas of that last second chance, Palm staged their Hail Mary this week at the Consumer Electronics Show. The lights came down, the stage lit up, and the pass was launched high over the heads of the curious, anxious spectators...and, like Flutie, it delivered the score when it needed to.
This is the last, desperate hope of a company that introduced the world to the smartphone, a concept we take for granted now. At this year's CES, the CEO of Palm, Ed Colligan, pointed out some of the innovations Palm was once known for. For instance, when the Palm Pilot was first introduced, the competition was not a laptop or other smartphone; it was pen and paper. The near-legendary story goes that, when designing the perfect interface and form factor for the Palm Pilot, Ed and the other team members carried around a block of wood, pretending it was the perfect device. From that, the UI became intuitive, and the PDA was born. Similarly, when getting into the smartphone space, others tried to shrink the laptop; Palm tried to instead expand the range of the PDA, and it worked.
With all of that, Palm's Hail Mary is the Palm Pre: a completely new smartphone. The market has changed, so Palm's approach with the Pre has changed. Today, we have the iPhone, Blackberry, and Windows Mobile phones, as well as Google's Android platform just launching. Palm hired Jon Rubenstein away from Apple and focused on building an innovative product to take back the space that Apple had claimed, and the Pre does just that. It innovates in several excellent ways, and builds on both Palm's expertise and experience, in a way that is unique.
If you think of it, today's smartphone market is actually a selection of Frankensteins: each of the popular phones was an evolution of a solution to a specific problem. The iPhone is the mobile communication expression of the iPod: a device who's roots are in music, media, and smooth interaction with the Apple application universe. The Blackberry is the ultimate expression of an e-mail-only device, with media and web functions bolted on. Windows Mobile tries to be the familiar desktop operating system, on a smaller screen, for those who need that level of comfort. Android is..well, very raw and powerful, much like all of Google's great apps. But all of these are evolutions from a specific set of roots; the Pre is not. Here's some examples:
- In almost every popular mobile smartphone platform, the interface is modal: whatever you are doing completely takes over the screen at all times. Part of this is a result of programming for small screens, but mostly it's familiar. The Pre is not: alerts, emails, alarms, SMS...they all flow neatly into the edge of the screen, allowing you to expand their focus when you want, but not distracting you from finishing that e-mail or watching that video. In a mobile platform, that is incredibly powerful, and much more useful; only Google's Android even comes close to this.
- Apple innovated the touchscreen incredibly well with the iPhone. The Pre does better, simultaneously introducing intuitive gesture based navigation, while hearkening back to Palm's touchscreen/input area roots. No Save buttons; the Pre assumes everything is saved, always, and gives you access to all of your data or apps with a single finger flick.
- In every other platform, Search is an option. In the Pre, it's the default. Start typing, anywhere, and it immediately gives you the things that match. Application names, contacts, emails, songs, or web searches...no separate searches or even a search application; it just looks, and gives you the options. I have over 3000 contacts alone; being able to simply type whatever I am thinking, whether it be to settle a bet or make a phone call, and have the Pre do the work of finding it, is far, far better than having to bring up a phone app, scroll through the list, find the right number...
- Palm knows sync; in fact, they brought the concept to the world. As they point out in the keynote, the world's sync problems are different now. When the Palm Pilot came around, it was about digitizing your rolodex and syncing with your PC. Now, it's about keeping your social web in sync with your address book. The Pre assumes your data is "in the cloud;" it focuses on seamlessly, intuitively syncing your address book with Facebook, or Gmail, with little to no effort from you. To me, this is the most powerful feature: it's like Plaxo and Xobni in the UI of a phone. It makes the phone the central hub, not an add on, which reflects more and more the truth of smartphone users.
- The Pre does a lot of what they are calling "synergy." This means, for instance, if I get an SMS, the Pre shows me, but it also shows me if the person is on IM or e-mail. I can choose to carry on the same conversation, platform to platform, regardless; it focuses on the conversation, not the medium. This means if I get an IM, but the person signs off, I can continue the same conversation, in the same screen, over SMS or e-mail.
- The hardware is very well thought out. 3.1" screen (about .4" smaller than the iPhone) gives plenty of real estate. Slide out keyboard is a real winner and an iPhone killer, especially for those business users for e-mail. Form factor focuses on compact but not crowded: very elegant use of space, and very slim. Standards abound, from the headphone jack to Micro USB expansion slots. A removable battery, allowing the user to never be without. And, to my mind, best of all, wireless induction charging, allowing you to simply rest the phone on a small paperweight and it charges: no cables to plug in, no contacts to line up.
This device needed to be all that it is, and Palm delivered. It takes a radically different approach to the smartphone, and pays off in a revolutionary way, one that will yield dividends. As we felt when we saw the iPhone, this device changes everything. Ironically, it came the same week as the most lackluster Apple keynote since Steve returned to Apple, and the similarities of this keynote were startling. It was like the reality distortion field dissipated in Cupertino and reformed in Las Vegas: Ed Colligan did a great Steve Jobs, and Jon Rubenstein was a fantastic Jonathan Ives.
So, the $1,000,000 question: having been a true iPhone fanatic since the launch, and having completely come over to the Apple world, would I be willing to chuck the iPhone for a Palm Pre? The answer is a very surprising, but highly conditional, yes. Yep, I like what I see, and I can see this device answering a slew of problems I have. So why conditional?
- No one knows how much this device will cost. Rumors range from $99 to $399. Given that they are going after the iPhone and Android, it should cost about $199-$249. However, Palm has a shaky history on pricing: the new model Treos have routinely been at the $499 range, before they have lowered the price to something normal. To hit it out of the park, I'd say $199 is the magic number.
- Sprint is the only carrier, to start with. To be fair, I have little recent info on them, but Amy's Kindle uses Sprint's data network for it's connection, and that's been pretty poor where we live. I'm sure it's far better in the city, and, like my iPhone, I mostly use WiFi at home and the office. However, switching carriers is a big question mark for me, and I'd have to be seriously convinced of the reliability. Gotta say, I love the idea of having access to the NFL's exclusive mobile content to Sprint, though.
- In all of the cool demos, there was not a single shot I could find of the device's ability to play video. Honestly, this is one of the killer apps of the iPhone: watching movies or video podcasts is a no-brainer, and they look great. I find the lack of video demo suspicious, and makes me concerned about using the Pre as a media player.
- Likewise, the music player looks good, but the iPhone/iTunes sync is really what sets it apart. All I can think of, based on their insistence that this device is meant to be it's own stand alone, and the presence of a big internal memory, as well as expandability to other storage, means that there is no "music sync;" you just put it on the device, and manage your music there. Given their stress on "all Pre applications will have internet connectivity," I can only hope a native podcast client will also be part of it. With those, I could see freeing myself from iTunes.
- When does this thing come out? First half of 2009; um...huh? This is one area Apple excels at: they announce the device, and set the date. Between now and "then," we could have a whole new firmware revision to the iPhone (vastly increasing its capabilities); a slew of new Android phones (with a wealth of new applications), and more. This should have been ready to buy Feb. 1.
There are still lots more questions. How well will it support Exchange? I saw Chapura prominently listed as a partner up there; that makes me concerned that Exchange support will not be native. How powerful will the apps be? The iPhone has some serious hardware to take on even gaming consoles, but the Pre looks to be more lightweight, but easier to develop for. Given it's power to be the hub, how effectively does it back up? I lose or break my iPhone, and I can just plug in a new one, and it restores it perfectly. What will the PC/Mac interaction be? Or will there really need to be, given that you can mount it as a USB drive? Like I said, still lots more...
The Palm Pre looks to be a touchdown pass. It's focus on truly intuitive use, full seamless anticipatory integration of multiple social and personal sources of data, it's purported ease of development, and it's hardware all make it look like the Hail Mary we hoped for. But the lack of details I've outlined here will determine where Gerard Phelan lands with that ball cradled in his arms: the endzone, or out of bounds. I'm hoping, desperately, that this returns Palm to the forefront and adds to the legend.
For those of you that would like to see the actual CES hour long unveiling and full demo of the Pre, here you go, courtesy of Engadget. It's as enjoyable as any Apple keynote, and fascinating to see the real deal.
With all of that, Palm's Hail Mary is the Palm Pre: a completely new smartphone. The market has changed, so Palm's approach with the Pre has changed. Today, we have the iPhone, Blackberry, and Windows Mobile phones, as well as Google's Android platform just launching. Palm hired Jon Rubenstein away from Apple and focused on building an innovative product to take back the space that Apple had claimed, and the Pre does just that. It innovates in several excellent ways, and builds on both Palm's expertise and experience, in a way that is unique.If you think of it, today's smartphone market is actually a selection of Frankensteins: each of the popular phones was an evolution of a solution to a specific problem. The iPhone is the mobile communication expression of the iPod: a device who's roots are in music, media, and smooth interaction with the Apple application universe. The Blackberry is the ultimate expression of an e-mail-only device, with media and web functions bolted on. Windows Mobile tries to be the familiar desktop operating system, on a smaller screen, for those who need that level of comfort. Android is..well, very raw and powerful, much like all of Google's great apps. But all of these are evolutions from a specific set of roots; the Pre is not. Here's some examples:
- In almost every popular mobile smartphone platform, the interface is modal: whatever you are doing completely takes over the screen at all times. Part of this is a result of programming for small screens, but mostly it's familiar. The Pre is not: alerts, emails, alarms, SMS...they all flow neatly into the edge of the screen, allowing you to expand their focus when you want, but not distracting you from finishing that e-mail or watching that video. In a mobile platform, that is incredibly powerful, and much more useful; only Google's Android even comes close to this.
- Apple innovated the touchscreen incredibly well with the iPhone. The Pre does better, simultaneously introducing intuitive gesture based navigation, while hearkening back to Palm's touchscreen/input area roots. No Save buttons; the Pre assumes everything is saved, always, and gives you access to all of your data or apps with a single finger flick.
- In every other platform, Search is an option. In the Pre, it's the default. Start typing, anywhere, and it immediately gives you the things that match. Application names, contacts, emails, songs, or web searches...no separate searches or even a search application; it just looks, and gives you the options. I have over 3000 contacts alone; being able to simply type whatever I am thinking, whether it be to settle a bet or make a phone call, and have the Pre do the work of finding it, is far, far better than having to bring up a phone app, scroll through the list, find the right number...
- Palm knows sync; in fact, they brought the concept to the world. As they point out in the keynote, the world's sync problems are different now. When the Palm Pilot came around, it was about digitizing your rolodex and syncing with your PC. Now, it's about keeping your social web in sync with your address book. The Pre assumes your data is "in the cloud;" it focuses on seamlessly, intuitively syncing your address book with Facebook, or Gmail, with little to no effort from you. To me, this is the most powerful feature: it's like Plaxo and Xobni in the UI of a phone. It makes the phone the central hub, not an add on, which reflects more and more the truth of smartphone users.
- The Pre does a lot of what they are calling "synergy." This means, for instance, if I get an SMS, the Pre shows me, but it also shows me if the person is on IM or e-mail. I can choose to carry on the same conversation, platform to platform, regardless; it focuses on the conversation, not the medium. This means if I get an IM, but the person signs off, I can continue the same conversation, in the same screen, over SMS or e-mail.
- The hardware is very well thought out. 3.1" screen (about .4" smaller than the iPhone) gives plenty of real estate. Slide out keyboard is a real winner and an iPhone killer, especially for those business users for e-mail. Form factor focuses on compact but not crowded: very elegant use of space, and very slim. Standards abound, from the headphone jack to Micro USB expansion slots. A removable battery, allowing the user to never be without. And, to my mind, best of all, wireless induction charging, allowing you to simply rest the phone on a small paperweight and it charges: no cables to plug in, no contacts to line up.
This device needed to be all that it is, and Palm delivered. It takes a radically different approach to the smartphone, and pays off in a revolutionary way, one that will yield dividends. As we felt when we saw the iPhone, this device changes everything. Ironically, it came the same week as the most lackluster Apple keynote since Steve returned to Apple, and the similarities of this keynote were startling. It was like the reality distortion field dissipated in Cupertino and reformed in Las Vegas: Ed Colligan did a great Steve Jobs, and Jon Rubenstein was a fantastic Jonathan Ives.So, the $1,000,000 question: having been a true iPhone fanatic since the launch, and having completely come over to the Apple world, would I be willing to chuck the iPhone for a Palm Pre? The answer is a very surprising, but highly conditional, yes. Yep, I like what I see, and I can see this device answering a slew of problems I have. So why conditional?
- No one knows how much this device will cost. Rumors range from $99 to $399. Given that they are going after the iPhone and Android, it should cost about $199-$249. However, Palm has a shaky history on pricing: the new model Treos have routinely been at the $499 range, before they have lowered the price to something normal. To hit it out of the park, I'd say $199 is the magic number.
- Sprint is the only carrier, to start with. To be fair, I have little recent info on them, but Amy's Kindle uses Sprint's data network for it's connection, and that's been pretty poor where we live. I'm sure it's far better in the city, and, like my iPhone, I mostly use WiFi at home and the office. However, switching carriers is a big question mark for me, and I'd have to be seriously convinced of the reliability. Gotta say, I love the idea of having access to the NFL's exclusive mobile content to Sprint, though.
- In all of the cool demos, there was not a single shot I could find of the device's ability to play video. Honestly, this is one of the killer apps of the iPhone: watching movies or video podcasts is a no-brainer, and they look great. I find the lack of video demo suspicious, and makes me concerned about using the Pre as a media player.
- Likewise, the music player looks good, but the iPhone/iTunes sync is really what sets it apart. All I can think of, based on their insistence that this device is meant to be it's own stand alone, and the presence of a big internal memory, as well as expandability to other storage, means that there is no "music sync;" you just put it on the device, and manage your music there. Given their stress on "all Pre applications will have internet connectivity," I can only hope a native podcast client will also be part of it. With those, I could see freeing myself from iTunes.
- When does this thing come out? First half of 2009; um...huh? This is one area Apple excels at: they announce the device, and set the date. Between now and "then," we could have a whole new firmware revision to the iPhone (vastly increasing its capabilities); a slew of new Android phones (with a wealth of new applications), and more. This should have been ready to buy Feb. 1.
There are still lots more questions. How well will it support Exchange? I saw Chapura prominently listed as a partner up there; that makes me concerned that Exchange support will not be native. How powerful will the apps be? The iPhone has some serious hardware to take on even gaming consoles, but the Pre looks to be more lightweight, but easier to develop for. Given it's power to be the hub, how effectively does it back up? I lose or break my iPhone, and I can just plug in a new one, and it restores it perfectly. What will the PC/Mac interaction be? Or will there really need to be, given that you can mount it as a USB drive? Like I said, still lots more...
The Palm Pre looks to be a touchdown pass. It's focus on truly intuitive use, full seamless anticipatory integration of multiple social and personal sources of data, it's purported ease of development, and it's hardware all make it look like the Hail Mary we hoped for. But the lack of details I've outlined here will determine where Gerard Phelan lands with that ball cradled in his arms: the endzone, or out of bounds. I'm hoping, desperately, that this returns Palm to the forefront and adds to the legend.
For those of you that would like to see the actual CES hour long unveiling and full demo of the Pre, here you go, courtesy of Engadget. It's as enjoyable as any Apple keynote, and fascinating to see the real deal.
Labels: cell phones, Facebook, gadgets, GPS, hardware, iPhone, Palm, social networks, Treo
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
The Ultimate Connected Device...through Sneakernet?
Let me start by saying that I love my Dash GPS. Billed as the world's first 2-way connected GPS, it offers me all I hoped for and more: real-time traffic, including crowdsourced data from other Dash users; the ability to send an address to the GPS from the web, so it's waiting for me...list goes on.
Got an e-mail update from them yesterday. Hidden in it was this tidbit:
I'm sure they'll say that the update would be too dense for over the air, but you live by the sword; you die by it. C'mon, Dash: put some damage control in place ASAP by sending a note that the update will primarily be available over the air, but the DVD will be sent as a backup, "just in case."
Let me start by saying that I love my Dash GPS. Billed as the world's first 2-way connected GPS, it offers me all I hoped for and more: real-time traffic, including crowdsourced data from other Dash users; the ability to send an address to the GPS from the web, so it's waiting for me...list goes on.Got an e-mail update from them yesterday. Hidden in it was this tidbit:
Um, let me make sure I understand. You make a GPS who's primary selling point is that it's always connected online, via WiFi or GPRS. It's called the "connected GPS." And the method you are using to send the Winter update...is the U.S. Mail??? Worse, on a DVD, so I have to connect the Dash to the computer, rather than just over the air?GET READY: New maps & software coming soon
We're putting the finishing touches on our Winter08 software release featuring updated maps of the United States and Canada plus a number of enhancements. Since this one is chock full of data, it will be sent to you on DVD. To request your free upgrade DVD, please enter your shipping address in the MyAccount area at MyDash.
I'm sure they'll say that the update would be too dense for over the air, but you live by the sword; you die by it. C'mon, Dash: put some damage control in place ASAP by sending a note that the update will primarily be available over the air, but the DVD will be sent as a backup, "just in case."
Friday, April 25, 2008
Charge Your iPhone, Wirelessly
I've been waiting for this one for a while: WildCharge has finally released their pad-based charging system for small electronics: simply lay your device on the pad, and, courtesy of a special case, it immediately starts charging. No wires, no cords: Nada. and, of course, the next device it will work with? Yep, you guessed it: the iPhone.
The $100 or so it costs ($60 for the pad; $35 for the case) is a bit steep, but I have to think it will come down. And, of course...how cool is this?!??!? For more, check out WildCharge.
I've been waiting for this one for a while: WildCharge has finally released their pad-based charging system for small electronics: simply lay your device on the pad, and, courtesy of a special case, it immediately starts charging. No wires, no cords: Nada. and, of course, the next device it will work with? Yep, you guessed it: the iPhone.The $100 or so it costs ($60 for the pad; $35 for the case) is a bit steep, but I have to think it will come down. And, of course...how cool is this?!??!? For more, check out WildCharge.
Thursday, March 27, 2008
My Next GPS
On a recent trip, I managed to misplace the GPS unit that connects to my former (and now Amy's current) Treo. The easy thing to do is to simply buy a new GPS receiver for about $100, and voila. However, I decided to have a look at what the standalone GPS world has evolved to, and, much to my delight, I found the Dash GPS.
Dash is, for want of a better expression, GPS evolved. Let's face it, among GPS units, the differences are negligible: all tune into the same satellites, all have the voice prompts, all have the cool maps...etc. Dash takes it a step further: it offers 2-way connectivity, with WiFi, GPRS. Why is this interesting?
- It allows the sharing of data from other Dash users. For instance, if several Dash users are stuck in traffic, implied by their speed, the network updates all Dash users, and allows the rerouting for anyone coming in to that vicinity.
- It allows you to send destinations from your computer to your GPS as "favorites." No more looking up addresses at 65mph.
- Looking for gas? Any GPS can show you stations in the vicinity, but Dash tells you how much they charge, before you get there.
- It can automatically update. New features, new maps...no more GPS obsolescence.
Pretty spiffy, no? Price is a little steep ($400), plus not thrilled with a monthly $10 fee, but for all that, it just might be worth it.
Of course, I could just wait for the iGPS...
Dash is, for want of a better expression, GPS evolved. Let's face it, among GPS units, the differences are negligible: all tune into the same satellites, all have the voice prompts, all have the cool maps...etc. Dash takes it a step further: it offers 2-way connectivity, with WiFi, GPRS. Why is this interesting?- It allows the sharing of data from other Dash users. For instance, if several Dash users are stuck in traffic, implied by their speed, the network updates all Dash users, and allows the rerouting for anyone coming in to that vicinity.
- It allows you to send destinations from your computer to your GPS as "favorites." No more looking up addresses at 65mph.
- Looking for gas? Any GPS can show you stations in the vicinity, but Dash tells you how much they charge, before you get there.
- It can automatically update. New features, new maps...no more GPS obsolescence.
Pretty spiffy, no? Price is a little steep ($400), plus not thrilled with a monthly $10 fee, but for all that, it just might be worth it.
Of course, I could just wait for the iGPS...
Tuesday, January 01, 2008
Back on the air
Been a little more quite than I anticipated. First, the holidays, mixed with an office move, then followed by a trip to Tucson to visit the family. Pix are on Flickr; they should be Picnik'ed mostly later today. Bonus: my mother unearthed some classic child photos of me,and I'll be posting them to Flickr, as well.
Some random comments:
- For those who have been following my Twitters, I'm sure you've had enough of my complaints about US Air, but for those who missed them, I advise avoiding them at all costs. Even though I had significant frequent flier miles with them, I will avoid flying them, ever again, if possible. Atrocious service,substandard aircraft, and their Phoenix hub is like a third world country. We ran a bit late, got to the counter 44 minutes before the flight, and were denied boarding becuase we had luggage to check. Result? An unplanned overnight stay inthe stunning airport La Quinta,at our cost.
- Dude, I got my Dell. A sweet Inspiron desktop from the Dell Outlet. Dual core processor, huge hard drive, extra 128MB video card and more, for less than $350. Man, is this thing QUIET, and stylish. One surprise: why the complaints about Vista? After all the hype about how bad it is, I expected horror, but I have been very pleased. The Aero interface is great, and it recognized all of my peripherals upon just plugging them in, or linked me directly to the driver site for those I needed to download.
- With the Dell installed, the technology train moved down: Amy got my old P4 2.4 GHZ machine. We moved the ultrasmall HP Windows Media Center to the kitchen, turning the LCD TV into a ginormous monitor for watching movies, tv shows, playing music, etc. The networked DVD player headed to the living room, allowing us to watch the movies on the PC's on the big screen, as well as stream music to the stereo. All in all, a totally networked house.
- Some great holiday gifts, including the aformentioned USB Doomsday Hub. Red Steel for the Wii, as well as two Wiimote chargers (pictured), to keep us from investing in endless AA batteries. And some great clothes and an REI shopping spree, to boot!
Next up: a trip to Hawaii (our first) for a mix of work and pleasure.
Some random comments:
- For those who have been following my Twitters, I'm sure you've had enough of my complaints about US Air, but for those who missed them, I advise avoiding them at all costs. Even though I had significant frequent flier miles with them, I will avoid flying them, ever again, if possible. Atrocious service,substandard aircraft, and their Phoenix hub is like a third world country. We ran a bit late, got to the counter 44 minutes before the flight, and were denied boarding becuase we had luggage to check. Result? An unplanned overnight stay inthe stunning airport La Quinta,at our cost.
- Dude, I got my Dell. A sweet Inspiron desktop from the Dell Outlet. Dual core processor, huge hard drive, extra 128MB video card and more, for less than $350. Man, is this thing QUIET, and stylish. One surprise: why the complaints about Vista? After all the hype about how bad it is, I expected horror, but I have been very pleased. The Aero interface is great, and it recognized all of my peripherals upon just plugging them in, or linked me directly to the driver site for those I needed to download.
- With the Dell installed, the technology train moved down: Amy got my old P4 2.4 GHZ machine. We moved the ultrasmall HP Windows Media Center to the kitchen, turning the LCD TV into a ginormous monitor for watching movies, tv shows, playing music, etc. The networked DVD player headed to the living room, allowing us to watch the movies on the PC's on the big screen, as well as stream music to the stereo. All in all, a totally networked house.
- Some great holiday gifts, including the aformentioned USB Doomsday Hub. Red Steel for the Wii, as well as two Wiimote chargers (pictured), to keep us from investing in endless AA batteries. And some great clothes and an REI shopping spree, to boot!Next up: a trip to Hawaii (our first) for a mix of work and pleasure.
Wednesday, December 26, 2007
When You Wish Upon A List...
This holiday, I was struck by an attendee at our house for the annual holiday feast, who watched the frenzied opening of gifts. See, most of the folks who were opening gifts were delighted to see items that they had asked for on their Wishlists, mostly from Amazon, so they were not just excited to have the gifts, but which of their wishlist items they were. My friend watched the excitement, and hear the constant cries of, "oh, good, you got me THAT one!" She asked, "Wait a minute: you all bought each other things off of lists you all made?" When we laughed and said yes, she shook her head and admitted it was a pretty good idea.
Wishlists: only took us 5000 years to tell each other what we want. As fate had it, my wishlist item arived:my very own Doomsday USB Hub. Now, I can end a meeting in style. Thanks!
Wishlists: only took us 5000 years to tell each other what we want. As fate had it, my wishlist item arived:my very own Doomsday USB Hub. Now, I can end a meeting in style. Thanks!
Friday, December 07, 2007
RT: the re-emergence continues
The media spin on the re-emergence of Richard Thalheimer continues. First, a cover story in San Francisco Weekly. Now, the LA Times spins the tale of the fascinating mercurial man and his rise, fall, and (he hopes) rise again.
As I have said before here: don't count RT out. These articles aren't random, after all: it's clear he's positioning for a classic comeback story. And with the way The Sharper Image is heading these days...who knows how the story might end?
The media spin on the re-emergence of Richard Thalheimer continues. First, a cover story in San Francisco Weekly. Now, the LA Times spins the tale of the fascinating mercurial man and his rise, fall, and (he hopes) rise again.As I have said before here: don't count RT out. These articles aren't random, after all: it's clear he's positioning for a classic comeback story. And with the way The Sharper Image is heading these days...who knows how the story might end?
Labels: 80's, business, gadgets, news, San Francisco
Wednesday, November 07, 2007
The blogs of war: Engadget vs. Gizmodo
I've been a fan of both, but Fortune gives us a behind the scenes look at The blogs of war: Engadget vs. Gizmodo in a remarkably fascinating piece. I always wondered who had the lead...
I've been a fan of both, but Fortune gives us a behind the scenes look at The blogs of war: Engadget vs. Gizmodo in a remarkably fascinating piece. I always wondered who had the lead...
Thursday, September 20, 2007
Make a Traffic Light Think Your Bike Is A Car
Ever wonder what makes a traffic light turn green? Some people think it's timing; others are sure there are weight sensors in the road. Still others claim it's some sort of camera system. But actually, it's magnetic field detectors: coils in the road detect large metallic masses over a plate by the stop line, and the traffic light begins its cycle. No cross traffic, no need for a light change. Slick, eh?
Except if you ride a bike.
See, those carbon and aluminum frames are great for speed and lightweight...but not for telling magnetic sensors you are there. Result? Every morning, I face the ethical dilemma of either waiting for a car to pull up to a certain light so I can turn left...or run the light. Guess what wins most days?
However, my lawbreaking may be at an end. The Green Light Trigger pumps out a strong enough field to fool those sensors into believing my Fuji Robauix is a Ford F-150. No, it doesn't override lights like emergency vehicles, but mounted to the base of the frame, it promises to let me keep up with the other four wheeled traffic on the road, with my two wheels. For $25 and two extra grams of weight, worth a shot, no? The folks at Lifehacker seem doubtful, but the comments there give me hope.
Thoughts?
Except if you ride a bike.
See, those carbon and aluminum frames are great for speed and lightweight...but not for telling magnetic sensors you are there. Result? Every morning, I face the ethical dilemma of either waiting for a car to pull up to a certain light so I can turn left...or run the light. Guess what wins most days?
However, my lawbreaking may be at an end. The Green Light Trigger pumps out a strong enough field to fool those sensors into believing my Fuji Robauix is a Ford F-150. No, it doesn't override lights like emergency vehicles, but mounted to the base of the frame, it promises to let me keep up with the other four wheeled traffic on the road, with my two wheels. For $25 and two extra grams of weight, worth a shot, no? The folks at Lifehacker seem doubtful, but the comments there give me hope.Thoughts?
Wednesday, September 05, 2007
A Tale Of Two Companies And Loyalty
Publishing this in both of my blogs.
Two very interesting things this week happened that illustrated how two consumer electronics companies view being loyal to their customers...with surprising differences.
The first is Palm. Now, I'll preface this by saying I have been a very loyal Palm user for many years. I was entranced by the Palm III, years ago, and I have stuck with it: A Palm V, a Palm Vx, Handspring Visor, Handspring Visor Prism, VisorPhone, Tungsten T, Palm TX, and now my Treo 680. Through them all, I have always marveled at Palm's singleminded focus on usability and features: I have looked at alternatives every time, and settled on Palm's offering. Yet there's no denying that Palm has clearly lost any shred of a leadership position: the Danger devices, the ever improving (but still painful) Windows Mobile, and now the iPhone have all eclipsed Palm's innovation. Heck, even the new Blackberrys are getting in on the act.
Palm's answer? The Foleo, which was a device in search of a need. Basically a stripped down laptop with some interesting sync capabilities, was recently announced with near universal derision. This was Palm's big attempt to become relevant again? Releasing an overpriced, underpowered laptop that gave you all of the overhead you hoped to leave behind with your Treo, and none of the benefits (no movies on the Foleo; GREAT for those cross-country flights)? This was a major disappointment.
Now, take for a second the contrast with Apple, the second company in my discussion here. Everyone knows the story: after being beaten down to inches of their life, and having to take a bailout from Microsoft just to survive, visionary Steve Jobs proceeded to start to take bold risks with devices that filled needs for the customer base. It started with the iMac: an all-in-one computer that showed style, class, and affordability. But the really big hit came with the iPod; sure, there had been MP3 players on the market for years, but nothing like this. Easy to use, powerful, and paired with a real application to manage your media, the iPod became ubiquitous. In a short amount of time, every other company combined could not compete with Apple's iPod sales.
They continued to listen to their customers, and innovate with devices they wanted. Watch movies on the iPod? Got it, and, oh, by the way, a whole digital movie and TV store to go with it. Want smaller? Welcome to the Nano and Shuffle. And yes, unless you have been living under a rock for the last 3 months, the iPhone arrived to great fanfare and awe inspiration, outselling all other smartphones in the US in just its first month of existence, at almost twice the price of others. In short, the iPhone represented the crowning moment of Apple's recovery: they completed one of the greatest corporate comebacks of all times, with fanatically passionate customers and incredible innovation.
Now, what if I told you that this last week:
A. One company listened to its customers, focused on its amazing tradition of innovation, ruthlessly pursuing its focus, and was willing to take a financially risky move to try to ensure its continued success.
B. The other company continued to alienate its core customers, pushing away from true innovation, and selling itself out to a technology that had already been panned by many critics and leaves core users with a sense of unease about the future and if the company can be trusted.
Your answer to A. would be, instinctively, Apple, and B., Palm, right?
Wrong. Exactly the opposite.
Let's look at A. Palm heard the early reviews of its core customers to the Foleo, and decided to kill it before it ever reached the market. Period. The CEO announced the decision in his blog, as well as the estimated $10 million it cost to develop. He knew that he could not afford a flop, and could not afford to alienate the loyalty of his core customers. Instead, he not only killed the Foleo, but announced a refocusing of efforts around the Palm platform, reducing their involvement with the ever diluted Windows Mobile space. Palm knows that, without loyal customers who feel the company is responsive to their needs, and focused on the great devices, it will die. In truth, it may die even so, but releasing the Foleo would be the albatross that would pull down any hopes of a recovery. It took guts, determination, and was a direct reflection of the responses of loyal customers, and it was cautiously applauded by all.
As to B., well, you might have heard by now. Apple introduced the iPhone 2 months ago at $600 and, by all accounts, it continues to sell faster than any other smartphone. With no truly groundbreaking follow up, Steve Jobs decided to cannibalize his loyal customer base by announcing an unprecedented price cut: a full third of the price lopped off the phone, 60 days after it was released to, arguably, the greatest hype ever. Yes, there were some other variations on the iPod theme too, but the real story has been the absolute smack in the face Apple delivered to the thousands of customers who camped out to get their hands on a $600 phone that is, well, beautiful, but not meeting the expectations of the target audience it was priced for.
After days of uproar, his Steveness issued the most backhanded apology, mollifying as best he can those that saw $200 wasted with a promise for a $100 credit on iTunes media. Now, is this the way you apologize to your most loyal customers?:
Worse, language like the above was paired with a a promise that the details of the $100 credit would be worked out soon ("Stay tuned."). How did a company that built itself back from death's door not realizing by throwing their best customers under the bus that they better have a medical team standing by to assist? They are "working it out?" This should have been anticipated and announced at the same time as the $200 price cut.
We've seen two companies who rely on loyalty from customers take very different approaches this week, and we have seen the results. Taking your loyal customers for granted is extremely dangerous, and both these companies should know: both had over 80% of their respective markets at one time, and both fell to disastrously smaller levels. One rebounded, but has not seemed to learn from the mistakes; the other is just beginning. There is only one sure thing here: both made very grave errors with their loyal customers, and the responses usually dictate the future.
Two very interesting things this week happened that illustrated how two consumer electronics companies view being loyal to their customers...with surprising differences.
The first is Palm. Now, I'll preface this by saying I have been a very loyal Palm user for many years. I was entranced by the Palm III, years ago, and I have stuck with it: A Palm V, a Palm Vx, Handspring Visor, Handspring Visor Prism, VisorPhone, Tungsten T, Palm TX, and now my Treo 680. Through them all, I have always marveled at Palm's singleminded focus on usability and features: I have looked at alternatives every time, and settled on Palm's offering. Yet there's no denying that Palm has clearly lost any shred of a leadership position: the Danger devices, the ever improving (but still painful) Windows Mobile, and now the iPhone have all eclipsed Palm's innovation. Heck, even the new Blackberrys are getting in on the act.
Palm's answer? The Foleo, which was a device in search of a need. Basically a stripped down laptop with some interesting sync capabilities, was recently announced with near universal derision. This was Palm's big attempt to become relevant again? Releasing an overpriced, underpowered laptop that gave you all of the overhead you hoped to leave behind with your Treo, and none of the benefits (no movies on the Foleo; GREAT for those cross-country flights)? This was a major disappointment.Now, take for a second the contrast with Apple, the second company in my discussion here. Everyone knows the story: after being beaten down to inches of their life, and having to take a bailout from Microsoft just to survive, visionary Steve Jobs proceeded to start to take bold risks with devices that filled needs for the customer base. It started with the iMac: an all-in-one computer that showed style, class, and affordability. But the really big hit came with the iPod; sure, there had been MP3 players on the market for years, but nothing like this. Easy to use, powerful, and paired with a real application to manage your media, the iPod became ubiquitous. In a short amount of time, every other company combined could not compete with Apple's iPod sales.
They continued to listen to their customers, and innovate with devices they wanted. Watch movies on the iPod? Got it, and, oh, by the way, a whole digital movie and TV store to go with it. Want smaller? Welcome to the Nano and Shuffle. And yes, unless you have been living under a rock for the last 3 months, the iPhone arrived to great fanfare and awe inspiration, outselling all other smartphones in the US in just its first month of existence, at almost twice the price of others. In short, the iPhone represented the crowning moment of Apple's recovery: they completed one of the greatest corporate comebacks of all times, with fanatically passionate customers and incredible innovation.Now, what if I told you that this last week:
A. One company listened to its customers, focused on its amazing tradition of innovation, ruthlessly pursuing its focus, and was willing to take a financially risky move to try to ensure its continued success.
B. The other company continued to alienate its core customers, pushing away from true innovation, and selling itself out to a technology that had already been panned by many critics and leaves core users with a sense of unease about the future and if the company can be trusted.
Your answer to A. would be, instinctively, Apple, and B., Palm, right?
Wrong. Exactly the opposite.
Let's look at A. Palm heard the early reviews of its core customers to the Foleo, and decided to kill it before it ever reached the market. Period. The CEO announced the decision in his blog, as well as the estimated $10 million it cost to develop. He knew that he could not afford a flop, and could not afford to alienate the loyalty of his core customers. Instead, he not only killed the Foleo, but announced a refocusing of efforts around the Palm platform, reducing their involvement with the ever diluted Windows Mobile space. Palm knows that, without loyal customers who feel the company is responsive to their needs, and focused on the great devices, it will die. In truth, it may die even so, but releasing the Foleo would be the albatross that would pull down any hopes of a recovery. It took guts, determination, and was a direct reflection of the responses of loyal customers, and it was cautiously applauded by all.As to B., well, you might have heard by now. Apple introduced the iPhone 2 months ago at $600 and, by all accounts, it continues to sell faster than any other smartphone. With no truly groundbreaking follow up, Steve Jobs decided to cannibalize his loyal customer base by announcing an unprecedented price cut: a full third of the price lopped off the phone, 60 days after it was released to, arguably, the greatest hype ever. Yes, there were some other variations on the iPod theme too, but the real story has been the absolute smack in the face Apple delivered to the thousands of customers who camped out to get their hands on a $600 phone that is, well, beautiful, but not meeting the expectations of the target audience it was priced for. After days of uproar, his Steveness issued the most backhanded apology, mollifying as best he can those that saw $200 wasted with a promise for a $100 credit on iTunes media. Now, is this the way you apologize to your most loyal customers?:
"There is always change and improvement, and there is always someone who bought a product before a particular cutoff date and misses the new price or the new operating system or the new whatever. This is life in the technology lane. If you always wait for the next price cut or to buy the new improved model, you'll never buy any technology product because there is always something better and less expensive on the horizon. The good news is that if you buy products from companies that support them well, like Apple tries to do, you will receive years of useful and satisfying service from them even as newer models are introduced."
Worse, language like the above was paired with a a promise that the details of the $100 credit would be worked out soon ("Stay tuned."). How did a company that built itself back from death's door not realizing by throwing their best customers under the bus that they better have a medical team standing by to assist? They are "working it out?" This should have been anticipated and announced at the same time as the $200 price cut.
We've seen two companies who rely on loyalty from customers take very different approaches this week, and we have seen the results. Taking your loyal customers for granted is extremely dangerous, and both these companies should know: both had over 80% of their respective markets at one time, and both fell to disastrously smaller levels. One rebounded, but has not seemed to learn from the mistakes; the other is just beginning. There is only one sure thing here: both made very grave errors with their loyal customers, and the responses usually dictate the future.
Labels: Apple, business, gadgets, iPhone, Loyalty Lab, news, Palm, Treo
Thursday, August 16, 2007
A Sharper Guillotine Blade
As Richard Solo waxes, it appears my old mates at The Sharper Image are headed for an ignominious end. With rumors of bankruptcy in the Ionic Breeze-laden air, investors are dumping stock, and the lawsuits are looming large. Personally, having invested a decade of my life in the company's success, I'd hate to see it end this way, but it sure seems headed that way.
What's needed now is an investment group to buy the company, liquidate/reduce the footprint of the stores, and focus on relaunching the brand as an online destination. For instance, a line of products from Engadget and Gizmodo: focus on taking preorders for the Optimus Keyboard, and the like. A clearing house for new, cool and hip products: Japanese phones, concept products, mixed with old reliables like USB-powered devices at low prices. And finally, they would need to mix the business model: RSS feeds of the cool blogs with pay per click ad revenue, mixed with revenue from product sales and affiliate commissions for indirect complimentary services, like music downloads etc.
In fact, I wonder if there's a point man the investors could look to. A proven innovator and enterpreneur. Could this be...the return of....RT?
As Richard Solo waxes, it appears my old mates at The Sharper Image are headed for an ignominious end. With rumors of bankruptcy in the Ionic Breeze-laden air, investors are dumping stock, and the lawsuits are looming large. Personally, having invested a decade of my life in the company's success, I'd hate to see it end this way, but it sure seems headed that way.What's needed now is an investment group to buy the company, liquidate/reduce the footprint of the stores, and focus on relaunching the brand as an online destination. For instance, a line of products from Engadget and Gizmodo: focus on taking preorders for the Optimus Keyboard, and the like. A clearing house for new, cool and hip products: Japanese phones, concept products, mixed with old reliables like USB-powered devices at low prices. And finally, they would need to mix the business model: RSS feeds of the cool blogs with pay per click ad revenue, mixed with revenue from product sales and affiliate commissions for indirect complimentary services, like music downloads etc.
In fact, I wonder if there's a point man the investors could look to. A proven innovator and enterpreneur. Could this be...the return of....RT?
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
Christmas in July
Few brands inspire warm and fuzzy feelings in me. Of the ones that do, it's because they have the capacity to surprise and delight me with delicious unexpected gifts at the most opportune times. And I'm happy to say, one just has.
Tivo, whose service I have awaited with endless frustration to come onto my behemoth of a clunker Comcast DVR, has just released TivoHD. Yes, there had been a Tivo HD DVR before....for the ungodly price of $1,000 (fell to $700). Instead, I was driven into the arms of that cheap tramp from Comcast, who promised me a "good (HD) time" for less than $20 a month. Well, as you might expect, I walked away with an empty feeling, pining for the luxury that was my Tivo, but knowing I was not willing to fork over the asking price.
Today, the sensuality of my lovely Tivo in glorious two tuner HD, with Amazon Unbox service and web-based programming, can be had for three precious Jacksons, 70% less than before. Caveat: you have to argue with Comcast to wangle two CableCARD's, an interface they are notoriously resistant to providing (they have to do so under law, but that doesn't mean it needs to be easy!), so you might want to contact your cable provider first.
If you just can't wait, order it today. I just might!
UPDATE: A GREAT review from CNet discloses the upsdies and downsides. Upside: all the fantastic Tivo online goodies, works with digital cable. Downsides: On Demand not supported, no TivoToGo, etc.
Other great reviews here.
Tivo, whose service I have awaited with endless frustration to come onto my behemoth of a clunker Comcast DVR, has just released TivoHD. Yes, there had been a Tivo HD DVR before....for the ungodly price of $1,000 (fell to $700). Instead, I was driven into the arms of that cheap tramp from Comcast, who promised me a "good (HD) time" for less than $20 a month. Well, as you might expect, I walked away with an empty feeling, pining for the luxury that was my Tivo, but knowing I was not willing to fork over the asking price.Today, the sensuality of my lovely Tivo in glorious two tuner HD, with Amazon Unbox service and web-based programming, can be had for three precious Jacksons, 70% less than before. Caveat: you have to argue with Comcast to wangle two CableCARD's, an interface they are notoriously resistant to providing (they have to do so under law, but that doesn't mean it needs to be easy!), so you might want to contact your cable provider first.
If you just can't wait, order it today. I just might!
UPDATE: A GREAT review from CNet discloses the upsdies and downsides. Upside: all the fantastic Tivo online goodies, works with digital cable. Downsides: On Demand not supported, no TivoToGo, etc.
Other great reviews here.
Sunday, June 24, 2007
Chumby: Almost Here
A year ago, Widgets and the Real World were announced to finally be married: Chumby was coming to the market. A perfect device, Chumby was billed as the ultimate bedside companion/office clock, with built in WiFi, "squeeze sensors," and, most importantly, complete support for almost all the widgets you could imagine. Picture a device that sits by your bed, and downloads your favorite RSS feeds, wakes you up with any song form your music library, shows you the weather, and more. The Web was abuzz with excitement.
A year later, and we are still Chumbyless. But help is on the way! TechCrunch reports that Chumby is due out in just a couple of months, and will sell for $180. While I'm thrilled to see Chumby coming to market (probably about the time the next round of iPhone shipments will finally arrive, that $180 price point is pretty hard to take for what is essentially an uberclock. I was hoping for the magical $99 price point, but alas, I am out of luck.
If you're still jonesing for Chumby, here's what you get for those 9 Jacksons:
Features: 3.5" LCD color touchscreen • two external USB 2.0 full-speed ports • 350 MHz ARM controller • 64 MB SDRAM • 64 MB NAND flash ROM • stereo 2W speakers • headphone output • squeeze sensor • accelerometer (motion sensor) • wi-fi connectivity • integrated microphone
Ok, Chumby...bring it to market, then let's see what happens.
A year ago, Widgets and the Real World were announced to finally be married: Chumby was coming to the market. A perfect device, Chumby was billed as the ultimate bedside companion/office clock, with built in WiFi, "squeeze sensors," and, most importantly, complete support for almost all the widgets you could imagine. Picture a device that sits by your bed, and downloads your favorite RSS feeds, wakes you up with any song form your music library, shows you the weather, and more. The Web was abuzz with excitement. A year later, and we are still Chumbyless. But help is on the way! TechCrunch reports that Chumby is due out in just a couple of months, and will sell for $180. While I'm thrilled to see Chumby coming to market (probably about the time the next round of iPhone shipments will finally arrive, that $180 price point is pretty hard to take for what is essentially an uberclock. I was hoping for the magical $99 price point, but alas, I am out of luck.
If you're still jonesing for Chumby, here's what you get for those 9 Jacksons:
Features: 3.5" LCD color touchscreen • two external USB 2.0 full-speed ports • 350 MHz ARM controller • 64 MB SDRAM • 64 MB NAND flash ROM • stereo 2W speakers • headphone output • squeeze sensor • accelerometer (motion sensor) • wi-fi connectivity • integrated microphone
Ok, Chumby...bring it to market, then let's see what happens.
Monday, June 11, 2007
Richard is BACK!
The man who invented the gadget craze of the 80's and 90's is back. After being ousted at The Sharper Image, get ready for RichardSolo.com, a bare-bones gadget e-commerce site that looks like TSI-lite for product and 1996 for design.
The Marin IJ has some even handed coverage of it, but this little snippet from the web said it best:
Ouch. Well, don't count him out, yet. This is a man who's business was supposed to have been killed several times over: Circuity City Express in the early '90's, the Internet later, and so on, but he kept on coming. And there's nowhere to go but up for RichardSolo.com!
The man who invented the gadget craze of the 80's and 90's is back. After being ousted at The Sharper Image, get ready for RichardSolo.com, a bare-bones gadget e-commerce site that looks like TSI-lite for product and 1996 for design.The Marin IJ has some even handed coverage of it, but this little snippet from the web said it best:
"Sometimes successful company founders should know when to fold them. Case in point is Richard Thalheimer who founded Sharper Image and has now founded an eCommerce site called Richard Solo that painfully displays that Thalheimer doesn't understand modern eCommerce....Richard Solo is an ugly site that has now competitive advantages. You can find better prices on Amazon, eBay or Froogle and you can discover cooler gadgets via Gizmodo or Engadget. We almost feel sorry for the guy, trying to stick it to his old company but making an inept attempt at it."
Ouch. Well, don't count him out, yet. This is a man who's business was supposed to have been killed several times over: Circuity City Express in the early '90's, the Internet later, and so on, but he kept on coming. And there's nowhere to go but up for RichardSolo.com!
Friday, June 01, 2007
Make your Smartphone Smarter
This week, Palm attempted to prove they are still relevant in the mobile computing space with a newly announced device. Foleo is, in essence, a halfway device: it's not a laptop, nor is it a smartphone. Instead, its a slim, sleek instant-on device that is designed to pair seamlessly with your smartphone to provide laptop-like functionality. The idea is that there are times you need a full keyboard and a larger screen to use, but rather than invest in a separate laptop (with Windows bloatware and laptop weight), this device relies on your nearby smartphone to provide it with connectivity.
Positives:
Negatives:
See for yourself:
It's an interesting play. Foleo does fill a niche: the trend towards convergence is clear, but there are times you simply need the full keyboard and larger screen. It's not a groundbreaker, but it is intriguing. My prediction is a failure (see the Palm LifeDrive, for instance), but it will gain a surprising audience of hackers who figure out how to use the hardware to run Ubuntu and turn this into a full fledged ultralight network laptop.
The truly interesting part of the announcement is how it focuses on the cyclical nature of the computer business. See that photo to the left? It's the Apple PowerBook Duo 280c. It was my mainstay, a decade ago. Designed to bridge the gap between a desktop and a laptop, it offered an ultralight body with decent power and expandability. It's true value, however, was in the office: slide it into the dock, and seamlessly small motors pulled it in, making all of the necessary connections, and you had a full desktop machine, complete with additional hard drive space and power. To this day, while laptops proliferate, there is nothing like it: you still have endless cables and connections. Even the docks they sell are simply brute stands, that you have to fumble with connectors and wires to make work. Apple, as always, was ahead of its time.
The Foleo is taking a cue from the same philosophy, but going a different way. while I applaud the sentiment, I can see myself picking one of these up...after the price cut has happened and the happy hackers have started to make this the device it's meant to be.
This week, Palm attempted to prove they are still relevant in the mobile computing space with a newly announced device. Foleo is, in essence, a halfway device: it's not a laptop, nor is it a smartphone. Instead, its a slim, sleek instant-on device that is designed to pair seamlessly with your smartphone to provide laptop-like functionality. The idea is that there are times you need a full keyboard and a larger screen to use, but rather than invest in a separate laptop (with Windows bloatware and laptop weight), this device relies on your nearby smartphone to provide it with connectivity.Positives:
- The "instant on" is immediately appealing. Hell, most of the time, my laptop at work stays on the desk, as waiting for it to come out of sleep mode in a meeting seems to make Windows behave like a bear roused early from hibernation.
- It is definitely a minimalist device: good for travelers, for instance, who just want to watch a movie, catch up on email, or take notes in meetings.
- The Linux-based UI seems to be a hybrid of Palm's legendary ease of use and the familiar Windows interface.
- WiFi is built in, so you have the option of using your smartphone's connection or a handy hotspot.
- In a clearly desperate, though savvy, bid to remain relevant, the Foleo is designed to talk to lots of smartphones, not just Palm ones. That means Blackberrys, Windows Mobile devices, and...yeah, you guessed it...iPhones.
Negatives:
- 5 hours of battery life? C'mon, while that's good, it's not great, especially for cross-country flights.
- The price is ridiculous. At $500, you can get a cheap laptop with tons more power and flexibility. This needed to be $299.
- 2.5 lbs of weight? Remember, we're not talking about a full laptop here. High end notebooks are around that weight. Needed to be under 2 lbs, minimum.
See for yourself:
It's an interesting play. Foleo does fill a niche: the trend towards convergence is clear, but there are times you simply need the full keyboard and larger screen. It's not a groundbreaker, but it is intriguing. My prediction is a failure (see the Palm LifeDrive, for instance), but it will gain a surprising audience of hackers who figure out how to use the hardware to run Ubuntu and turn this into a full fledged ultralight network laptop.
The truly interesting part of the announcement is how it focuses on the cyclical nature of the computer business. See that photo to the left? It's the Apple PowerBook Duo 280c. It was my mainstay, a decade ago. Designed to bridge the gap between a desktop and a laptop, it offered an ultralight body with decent power and expandability. It's true value, however, was in the office: slide it into the dock, and seamlessly small motors pulled it in, making all of the necessary connections, and you had a full desktop machine, complete with additional hard drive space and power. To this day, while laptops proliferate, there is nothing like it: you still have endless cables and connections. Even the docks they sell are simply brute stands, that you have to fumble with connectors and wires to make work. Apple, as always, was ahead of its time.The Foleo is taking a cue from the same philosophy, but going a different way. while I applaud the sentiment, I can see myself picking one of these up...after the price cut has happened and the happy hackers have started to make this the device it's meant to be.
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
Coffee is the new Data
Ok, so what the heck is with this trend to deliver data via alternative indicators? For example, Ambient Devices makes the Orb, which changes shade of color to determine weather, stock trends, etc. We've all heard the little chirp of the IM client as a message comes in (like you couldn't see the window spawn). But this one takes the cake...er, cup.
News Brews brings the world of RSS feeds, dynamic data monitoring and on demand computing together with...a cup of coffee. Yep, the system monitors RSS feeds for the mention of certain countries and dynamically, once a minute, changes the brew of coffee it makes, in response. As TechDigest says,
Has to be seen (tasted?) to be believed. Check the website for a nice video pitch.
News Brews brings the world of RSS feeds, dynamic data monitoring and on demand computing together with...a cup of coffee. Yep, the system monitors RSS feeds for the mention of certain countries and dynamically, once a minute, changes the brew of coffee it makes, in response. As TechDigest says,"The concept behind News Brews is, why read the news when you can just drink it? The steampunk-style machine contains a wide geographical assortment of coffee beans, and generates a custom blend every minute depending on what coffee-origin-country is in the RSS fees. If Ethiopia scans at 33%, Kenya at 50% and Costa Rica at 17%, you'll get coffee that's half Kenya, with an Ethiopian buttress and a Costa Rican topper. Your tongue will, theoretically, know the difference."
Has to be seen (tasted?) to be believed. Check the website for a nice video pitch.
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
Saturday, March 17, 2007
Jawbone is on the way...
I could no longer resist. My Jawbone Bluetooth headset is on the way, courtesy of eBay. I'll post a review as soon as I can.
I could no longer resist. My Jawbone Bluetooth headset is on the way, courtesy of eBay. I'll post a review as soon as I can.Labels: cell phones, gadgets
Monday, March 12, 2007
Hot Water, by Color
I've seen concepts of this on various tech blogs before, but never something real...and cheap! You want to know when the water gets hot, to wash your hands...why make your digits suffer hypothermia while you wait? Instead, let this LED faucet head give you a visual clue: cold water, blue; water above 89 degrees? Red. Simple, and even useful for those middle of the night sink runs! Plus the cool/geek factor cannot be beat.
Oh, the price for this cutting edge gadget? Hang on to that Jackson: $19.99. Now we're talking!
I've seen concepts of this on various tech blogs before, but never something real...and cheap! You want to know when the water gets hot, to wash your hands...why make your digits suffer hypothermia while you wait? Instead, let this LED faucet head give you a visual clue: cold water, blue; water above 89 degrees? Red. Simple, and even useful for those middle of the night sink runs! Plus the cool/geek factor cannot be beat.Oh, the price for this cutting edge gadget? Hang on to that Jackson: $19.99. Now we're talking!
Friday, March 09, 2007
Google Desktop 3.0: Ready Yet?
I'm a big fan of the Goog: fast, powerful, and accessible applications, all at the right price (FREE). When Google Desktop hit the scene, I was delighted: email search, and replace that crappy Microsoft search with a real power tool, PLUS Gadgets (widgets)? call me crazy, I thought we had a winner.
Unfortunately, version 1 was VERY resource intensive, and slowed my computer to a crawl. Version 2 took the Gadgets up a notch, but the search was still too limiting: it could only search up to 100K emails (I have easily over 1 million), and had a few security risks. Now version 3 has hit the street, and it adds a whole lotta eye candy. Now, the ubiquitous Sidebar samples your desktop picture, and blends the Gadgets to match. It adds a dramatic touch with gradients and light text on dark backgrounds to the News and RSS modules. The Weather is very cool; the Notepad is cute. And, of course, it uses all of the Gadgets out there.
So what's the verdict? Well, the self learning news and RSS modules were always my favorite, and the stylization that comes with Version 3 makes it truly cool. The Sidebar is definitely now ready for prime time. I'm still hoping they expand the number of emails to index, but I'll survive. In short, I think we finally have a winner.
I'm a big fan of the Goog: fast, powerful, and accessible applications, all at the right price (FREE). When Google Desktop hit the scene, I was delighted: email search, and replace that crappy Microsoft search with a real power tool, PLUS Gadgets (widgets)? call me crazy, I thought we had a winner.Unfortunately, version 1 was VERY resource intensive, and slowed my computer to a crawl. Version 2 took the Gadgets up a notch, but the search was still too limiting: it could only search up to 100K emails (I have easily over 1 million), and had a few security risks. Now version 3 has hit the street, and it adds a whole lotta eye candy. Now, the ubiquitous Sidebar samples your desktop picture, and blends the Gadgets to match. It adds a dramatic touch with gradients and light text on dark backgrounds to the News and RSS modules. The Weather is very cool; the Notepad is cute. And, of course, it uses all of the Gadgets out there.
So what's the verdict? Well, the self learning news and RSS modules were always my favorite, and the stylization that comes with Version 3 makes it truly cool. The Sidebar is definitely now ready for prime time. I'm still hoping they expand the number of emails to index, but I'll survive. In short, I think we finally have a winner.
Thursday, March 01, 2007
Set your Remote on Stun
In case you hadn't known, I'm kind of a Trek fan. I got hooked on rerun of The Original Series (TOS), then, after being skeptical, got completely pulled into The Next Generation (TNG); TNG is still exceptional, and I could watch an episode any day or time. Deep Space Nine (DS9) kind of lost me, but Leslie turned me on to just how great the last season was. Voyager (VOY) was a bit aimless, but rediscovered that TNG vibe towards the end. Enterprise? Oooh boy. They should have stuck with the movies.
However, who has not wanted to point their remote at the TV and watch the bolt of energy fly out from it? Well, combine your TOS Star Trek Phaser and your boob tube control habits to get this killer remote. I actually have a TNG one from my old Sharper Image days, complete with sound effects, but this looks to be a bit more comprehensive.
And be on the lookout for the new J.J. Abrams TOS movie prequel next year. Lost meets Star Trek? Count me in!
However, who has not wanted to point their remote at the TV and watch the bolt of energy fly out from it? Well, combine your TOS Star Trek Phaser and your boob tube control habits to get this killer remote. I actually have a TNG one from my old Sharper Image days, complete with sound effects, but this looks to be a bit more comprehensive.And be on the lookout for the new J.J. Abrams TOS movie prequel next year. Lost meets Star Trek? Count me in!
Thursday, February 22, 2007
FutureCar: I Want One Now
Not sure if you have been catching it, but the Discovery Channel has been running a miniseries, FutureCar. I'm not all that keen on the editing, as they spend about 2 minutes on each cool car concept, then spend 10 minutes on a hydrogen powered go kart time trial. However, there was one car that looks to be on the cusp of reality that makes it all worth it: the VentureOne.
3 wheels. Cockpit style seating. Hybrid technology. All look spacey and futuristic. But here's the kicker: it leans into turns, up to 45 degrees! That makes driving this thing a combination of motorcyle, car...and plane. See, it takes the best of what I love about my all-wheel drive Outback Sport to a whole new level. The video section of the site really says it all: "This thing is so much fun to drive...it should have guns, or missles on it! I want to dogfight!"
Rumor is, the VentureOne (the evolution of the Carver One featured in FutureCar and the videos) will come in at less than $20K and comarketed with BMW, who made small fun transport a success with the reintroduction of the Mini Cooper. At a range of 350 miles per tank, max speeds in excess of 100 mph, and the feel of "flying the road," not to mention a removable top, I'm so there. Not to mention the parking benefits!
3 wheels. Cockpit style seating. Hybrid technology. All look spacey and futuristic. But here's the kicker: it leans into turns, up to 45 degrees! That makes driving this thing a combination of motorcyle, car...and plane. See, it takes the best of what I love about my all-wheel drive Outback Sport to a whole new level. The video section of the site really says it all: "This thing is so much fun to drive...it should have guns, or missles on it! I want to dogfight!"Rumor is, the VentureOne (the evolution of the Carver One featured in FutureCar and the videos) will come in at less than $20K and comarketed with BMW, who made small fun transport a success with the reintroduction of the Mini Cooper. At a range of 350 miles per tank, max speeds in excess of 100 mph, and the feel of "flying the road," not to mention a removable top, I'm so there. Not to mention the parking benefits!
Sunday, January 28, 2007
Digital Data, Analog Style
I've always been much more satisfied with analog displays than digital. They are somehow more alive, more vibrant than the cold displays of numbers on most LCDs or LEDs; give me a Nixie Tube any time over any of those. Certainly, my wishlist has always held a valued spot for the Ambient Office Dashboard, with it's delightfully analog gauges and punch card programmability, but it's a mere pretender to the throne when compared with The Device.
The Device (it's full name is The Device Patented Process Indicator) is all I have ever imagined for a desktop widget of the first order. With 2 analog dials, a glowing beaker of liquid, and a bezeled red light, you can use the software to decide what 4 things you want to watch on each. Stock prices? Temperatures? Blog page loads? take your pick and take in all the information at a glance, in magnificent style.
Courtesy of a link from Brass Goggles, The Device is almost on sale. As soon as it is, count on me as a very happy early analog adopter.
I've always been much more satisfied with analog displays than digital. They are somehow more alive, more vibrant than the cold displays of numbers on most LCDs or LEDs; give me a Nixie Tube any time over any of those. Certainly, my wishlist has always held a valued spot for the Ambient Office Dashboard, with it's delightfully analog gauges and punch card programmability, but it's a mere pretender to the throne when compared with The Device.The Device (it's full name is The Device Patented Process Indicator) is all I have ever imagined for a desktop widget of the first order. With 2 analog dials, a glowing beaker of liquid, and a bezeled red light, you can use the software to decide what 4 things you want to watch on each. Stock prices? Temperatures? Blog page loads? take your pick and take in all the information at a glance, in magnificent style.
Courtesy of a link from Brass Goggles, The Device is almost on sale. As soon as it is, count on me as a very happy early analog adopter.
Thursday, January 25, 2007
AT&T CallVantage: putting the Service in VOIP service
I've mentioned before that I ditched my landline some time ago in favor of a Voice Over IP (VOIP) line from AT&T, with their CallVantage service. $29.95 a month, with unlimited local and long distance calling, with crystal-clear sound quality. Uses your broadband Internet connection, and comes with almost every feature you can imagine: voicemail, caller ID, privacy time, and dozens more...all included.
What I have not mentioned is why I think their service is the best thing going. Yes, Vonage has a few more features I would like, and is $5 less; yes, SunRocket will give you a deal for $199 for 2 years of service. What AT&T gives me is some of the best customer service I could ask for, as well as the best phone quality you can imagine: far better than any landline I ever had.
Examples of their service: call them, and speak to a human, 24 hours a day. Try that with any other VOIP provider. Got a problem? They will patiently try to fix it, and, if all else fails, they FedEx you a new VOIP adaptor, FREE. While troubleshooting my internet connection, I spoke with them about the speed reduction in my connection. They offered to replace my adaptor, and even timed the delivery to my return from vacation.
Imagine my surprise and delight to see that they not only delivered it when they said they would, but that the adaptor they sent was a full fledged 802.11G Linksys router, with the VOIP service built in! FREE! I had just bought a $50 WiFi router, practically the same one, from Amazon, days before, which I can now return. This AT&T/Linksys box replaced my router, my VOIP adaptor, my old 802.11B WiFi access point, and my residential gateway (splits and shares the internet connection across multiple computers). It even works with my now-banned Linksys WiFi signal booster! Setup took a 10 minute call with them, and I now have 54MB per second wireless, with 3 less boxes!
The icing on this cake? My bandwidth went from an anemic 1MBPS to a full 16MBPS! I'm in the fast lane, wireless, for free, thanks to these folks. AT&T CallVantage, you've got a customer for a long, long, long time. GREAT example of how service trumps price in a competitive marketplace.
I've mentioned before that I ditched my landline some time ago in favor of a Voice Over IP (VOIP) line from AT&T, with their CallVantage service. $29.95 a month, with unlimited local and long distance calling, with crystal-clear sound quality. Uses your broadband Internet connection, and comes with almost every feature you can imagine: voicemail, caller ID, privacy time, and dozens more...all included.What I have not mentioned is why I think their service is the best thing going. Yes, Vonage has a few more features I would like, and is $5 less; yes, SunRocket will give you a deal for $199 for 2 years of service. What AT&T gives me is some of the best customer service I could ask for, as well as the best phone quality you can imagine: far better than any landline I ever had.
Examples of their service: call them, and speak to a human, 24 hours a day. Try that with any other VOIP provider. Got a problem? They will patiently try to fix it, and, if all else fails, they FedEx you a new VOIP adaptor, FREE. While troubleshooting my internet connection, I spoke with them about the speed reduction in my connection. They offered to replace my adaptor, and even timed the delivery to my return from vacation.
Imagine my surprise and delight to see that they not only delivered it when they said they would, but that the adaptor they sent was a full fledged 802.11G Linksys router, with the VOIP service built in! FREE! I had just bought a $50 WiFi router, practically the same one, from Amazon, days before, which I can now return. This AT&T/Linksys box replaced my router, my VOIP adaptor, my old 802.11B WiFi access point, and my residential gateway (splits and shares the internet connection across multiple computers). It even works with my now-banned Linksys WiFi signal booster! Setup took a 10 minute call with them, and I now have 54MB per second wireless, with 3 less boxes!The icing on this cake? My bandwidth went from an anemic 1MBPS to a full 16MBPS! I'm in the fast lane, wireless, for free, thanks to these folks. AT&T CallVantage, you've got a customer for a long, long, long time. GREAT example of how service trumps price in a competitive marketplace.
Wednesday, January 24, 2007
In Praise of the Palm GPS
Thanks to contributors to this blog, as well as my wife, I recently became the proud owner of a Palm GPS for my Palm TX. Consisting of a small (3"x2") Bluetooth GPS unit, a cradle that attaches to your windshield, and a handy cable that charges both the Palm and the GPS, this is TomTom on your Palm. Literally. It uses the TomTom software that you see in all the commercials, and your Palm. And, I'm thrilled to say, works like a charm.
You load the software on your Palm, throw the maps on your SD card, and you are in business. The GPS grabs a signal within seconds, and you are good to go. Setup is done through a simple wizard on your Palm, one time, and, as Southwest says, you are now free to move about the country. To test it, I took it on my recent trip to Arizona. I programmed in my favorites: city, street address, and a custom name. Then, when I got in my rental car, I fired it up. In moments, I had a built in navigator, complete with a wonderful British woman's voice (my choice) guiding me to my destination. No maps, no directions: just the GPS.
Great things:
- The voice is loud and clear. She always warned me ahead of time for my next turn or exit, and guided me well.
- The display is superb. Just follow the red line.
- The interface could not be more simple, even to use while driving.
- The software worked flawlessly with the rest of my Palm. Heading from Phoenix to Tucson, I was able to listen to a book with pTunes, then switch over to the GPS. It never missed a step.
- Missed a turn? No problem: it immediately recalibrates, and suggest an alternative route.
OK things:
- Maps are a little old (3-4 years). Newer housing developments are not in it, and you can't add custom destinations. At my niece's house, I wanted to tell it to remember the address, but it could not.
- It occasionally suggests double turns. I learned to mostly ignore the voice, and follow the red line on screen instead as a failsafe.
- The British voice is great, but uses British colloquialisms. Freeways are "motorways" and rotaries are "roundabouts."
- Newer freeway overpasses confuse it. You are suddenly driving through wasteland, and it takes a few moments to figure it out.
- Tunnels get it confused. Sometimes requires exiting the application, then restarting for it to catch up.
Bad things:
- The process of loading the maps to the SD card is SLOW.
- Maps are updateable...somewhat. Comes with a revised app that, according to reviews, causes poor performance. TomTom needs to address.
Overall, this is a major keeper. The cradle and charger cords are amazingly useful, and it definitely is ideal for a traveler who wants to maximize the use of a Palm. It works with my TX, as well as all Treos and LifeDrives.
Always great when a gadget works out exactly as you hoped!
Thanks to contributors to this blog, as well as my wife, I recently became the proud owner of a Palm GPS for my Palm TX. Consisting of a small (3"x2") Bluetooth GPS unit, a cradle that attaches to your windshield, and a handy cable that charges both the Palm and the GPS, this is TomTom on your Palm. Literally. It uses the TomTom software that you see in all the commercials, and your Palm. And, I'm thrilled to say, works like a charm.You load the software on your Palm, throw the maps on your SD card, and you are in business. The GPS grabs a signal within seconds, and you are good to go. Setup is done through a simple wizard on your Palm, one time, and, as Southwest says, you are now free to move about the country. To test it, I took it on my recent trip to Arizona. I programmed in my favorites: city, street address, and a custom name. Then, when I got in my rental car, I fired it up. In moments, I had a built in navigator, complete with a wonderful British woman's voice (my choice) guiding me to my destination. No maps, no directions: just the GPS.
Great things:
- The voice is loud and clear. She always warned me ahead of time for my next turn or exit, and guided me well.
- The display is superb. Just follow the red line.
- The interface could not be more simple, even to use while driving.
- The software worked flawlessly with the rest of my Palm. Heading from Phoenix to Tucson, I was able to listen to a book with pTunes, then switch over to the GPS. It never missed a step.
- Missed a turn? No problem: it immediately recalibrates, and suggest an alternative route.
OK things:
- Maps are a little old (3-4 years). Newer housing developments are not in it, and you can't add custom destinations. At my niece's house, I wanted to tell it to remember the address, but it could not.
- It occasionally suggests double turns. I learned to mostly ignore the voice, and follow the red line on screen instead as a failsafe.
- The British voice is great, but uses British colloquialisms. Freeways are "motorways" and rotaries are "roundabouts."
- Newer freeway overpasses confuse it. You are suddenly driving through wasteland, and it takes a few moments to figure it out.
- Tunnels get it confused. Sometimes requires exiting the application, then restarting for it to catch up.
Bad things:
- The process of loading the maps to the SD card is SLOW.
- Maps are updateable...somewhat. Comes with a revised app that, according to reviews, causes poor performance. TomTom needs to address.
Overall, this is a major keeper. The cradle and charger cords are amazingly useful, and it definitely is ideal for a traveler who wants to maximize the use of a Palm. It works with my TX, as well as all Treos and LifeDrives. Always great when a gadget works out exactly as you hoped!
Wednesday, January 10, 2007
My Palm Is No Longer Top Dog
Yep, it's official: Steve Jobs has been reading my blog on the ultimate device, and went ahead and created it. This will serve as an epitaph for my Palm: ladies and gentlemen, I humbly yield my evangelism of my Palm TX as the ultimate multipurpose device, and give you the iPhone.
Why is the iPhone the perfect device? Let me count the ways:
- Apple (no longer Apple Computer; now just Apple, inc. - nice touch, Steve) understands that the killer app for a cell phone is...the phone functions. With Apple's clout, they were able to make the largest cell carrier innovate (visual voicemail: click what messages you want to listen to, rather than be forced to listen to them all), and promises more. Hell, they make making a phone call look sexy on this thing.
- Perfect form factor. Slimmer than any other smartphone, to appeal to the sexy crowd. All screen: you can't mess up the buttons on this thing. The right size to talk on, watch movies...just perfect.
- It runs Mac OS X. Read that again. Not some stripped down version of Linux, or a proprietary OS: the real Mac OS. You want a platform to innovate on or get apps to run on? This is the most robust possibility, ever.
- It syncs with all of the Apple apps, seamlessly as your iPod syncs with iTunes. Music, video, podcasts, contacts, calendar...effortless.
- It ships with 4 or 8 GB of flash memory. Not a hard drive: flash. That means FAST, and no moving parts. Sure, on a music player, that might be not news, but as a phone as well?
- Widgets. This is the ultimate platform for widget displays, all with the whole Apple Dashboard library to choose from.
- Video. I finally have a reason to buy TV shows from iTunes. No more ripping, and dithering down: this sucker will play them all. And you KNOW the integration with FrontRow is coming...can you say Apple TV DVR?
- Music. It's an iPod, the gold standard of MP3 players. And it uses the same connector, which means the accessories are amazing.
- Elegant design. An integrated accelerometer "knows" when you turn it to see it in widescreen, and changes the display to match. A sensor "knows" when you bring it to your face, and turns off the screen, so the light is not on and you can't hit any buttons by accident.
- Connectivity. WiFi built in and Bluetooth 2.0. The phone "senses" when you are near a WiFi connection and uses that; if unavailable, it falls back to the EDGE connection.
- Battery life: it was called out as a feature, not a drawback. The talk time and usage is clearly a focus.
- Price: $599 for the 8GB version. Top smartphones cost close to that, and don't begin to offer the features this does.
- Yahoo push e-mail and Google Maps, built in. Oh my goodness.
I could go on and on, but as great as this device (it's impossible to consider this just a phone) is already, it's real secret weapon is that the potential has not even begun to be explored. 3rd party apps on Mac OSX. Video games. GPS. The mind boggles.
So, are there any flaws? Yes.
1)No camera. It took me a full day to realize that omission. As I have mentioned before, this is a surprisingly popular feature. People will not be thrilled about giving this up, especially with such a capable device to send the pictures from.
UPDATE: Uh-oh, it just got even better. According to the iPhone specs page, it comes with a 2.0 Megapixel camera. Wow.
2) Battery. iPods are notorious for having "closed cases:" you cannot pop a new battery on, when the old one dies. While this may be ok for iPods, phones are critical: let's hope when June comes around (when the release is), it allows for the end user to change the battery.
3) Price. Yes, it's a hell of a deal for all of what you get, but it's still the elite of elites. Will I buy it? Of course. But the iPod took a while to get fully entrenched because of the price.
4) It's wedded to Cingular. Some people tolerate Cingular, others hate it. IMHO, all of the companies are the same, but it will turn off some folks. Your iPod is individual; this attaches you to Cingular for at least 2 years.
5) Memory. 8GB sounds like a lot, until you load all your music, photos, videos and contacts on it. No expansion I saw. This allows Apple to intro the 10GB, etc., later, but it means Flash memory needs to keep up with the demand. Plus, how happy will people by having to spend another $600 every year or two?
6) 3G connectivity. EDGE is the least acceptable cellular data rate. Cingular's HDSPA is much more DSL-like, and rolls back to EDGE. Not a big deal, until you remember: Steve Jobs hates compromise. The browser is Safari, a full web browser. Reading the NY Times on EDGE on a real web browser is like using a 14.4 modem instead of broadband. I didn't see any scaled down version there; that will be my prediction of the first app that makes it's debut, so people can read pages fast. I LOVE WiFi on this device, but HDSPA should have been the cellular standard.
6) Outlook connectivity. Look, the world still runs on Outlook. There needed to be a seamless integration, day 1. OK, no Outlook? How about GMail & Google Calendar? It's still fuzzy how the contacts and calendar apps will sync. Will it only be with the .Mac apps, or will Windows users have an option?
All this aside, this is a truly landscape changing device. Companies that will be affected:
- Nokia. Dead within 3 years, or Europe only is my prediction.
- Motorola. Their design team had been in the lead...they just lost it, and it won't be coming back.
- Blackberry (RIM). Push e-mail from Yahoo? It'll become a tool for the IT executives only.
- Microsoft. After watching Windows Mobile make huge inroads, the sexiest BlackJacks and Q's will look like Newtons compared to this.
- Sprint. 5000 layoffs, same day as this announcement. Connection? No, but expect the 3rd cell carrier to abandon the consumer market and stick to the Nextel business needs.
- Palm. The Palm OS is already a dead OS; now, their legendary ease of use and hardware is antiquated. This device is what Palm should have introduced, not Apple.
- HTC. They make most of the smartphones on the market today (Q, BlackJack, Wizard, etc.), and now they are reduced to a 2nd tier player.
Finally, I leave you with this: not only was this the greatest Apple product yet; not only was this the best keynote yet; not only is this product a world-changer. Even better, check out the dining option Steve and Phil Schiller of Apple decided on in the keynote, while demoing the SMS messaging of the app:
Yep, the best phone, from the best company...at the best Sushi in the state. As a card-carrying Sushi Ran Sushi Love member, I salute you, Steve. The 49er Roll is on me.
Why is the iPhone the perfect device? Let me count the ways:- Apple (no longer Apple Computer; now just Apple, inc. - nice touch, Steve) understands that the killer app for a cell phone is...the phone functions. With Apple's clout, they were able to make the largest cell carrier innovate (visual voicemail: click what messages you want to listen to, rather than be forced to listen to them all), and promises more. Hell, they make making a phone call look sexy on this thing.
- Perfect form factor. Slimmer than any other smartphone, to appeal to the sexy crowd. All screen: you can't mess up the buttons on this thing. The right size to talk on, watch movies...just perfect.
- It runs Mac OS X. Read that again. Not some stripped down version of Linux, or a proprietary OS: the real Mac OS. You want a platform to innovate on or get apps to run on? This is the most robust possibility, ever.
- It syncs with all of the Apple apps, seamlessly as your iPod syncs with iTunes. Music, video, podcasts, contacts, calendar...effortless.
- It ships with 4 or 8 GB of flash memory. Not a hard drive: flash. That means FAST, and no moving parts. Sure, on a music player, that might be not news, but as a phone as well?
- Widgets. This is the ultimate platform for widget displays, all with the whole Apple Dashboard library to choose from.- Video. I finally have a reason to buy TV shows from iTunes. No more ripping, and dithering down: this sucker will play them all. And you KNOW the integration with FrontRow is coming...can you say Apple TV DVR?
- Music. It's an iPod, the gold standard of MP3 players. And it uses the same connector, which means the accessories are amazing.
- Elegant design. An integrated accelerometer "knows" when you turn it to see it in widescreen, and changes the display to match. A sensor "knows" when you bring it to your face, and turns off the screen, so the light is not on and you can't hit any buttons by accident.
- Connectivity. WiFi built in and Bluetooth 2.0. The phone "senses" when you are near a WiFi connection and uses that; if unavailable, it falls back to the EDGE connection.
- Battery life: it was called out as a feature, not a drawback. The talk time and usage is clearly a focus.
- Price: $599 for the 8GB version. Top smartphones cost close to that, and don't begin to offer the features this does.
- Yahoo push e-mail and Google Maps, built in. Oh my goodness.
I could go on and on, but as great as this device (it's impossible to consider this just a phone) is already, it's real secret weapon is that the potential has not even begun to be explored. 3rd party apps on Mac OSX. Video games. GPS. The mind boggles.
So, are there any flaws? Yes.
1)
UPDATE: Uh-oh, it just got even better. According to the iPhone specs page, it comes with a 2.0 Megapixel camera. Wow.
2) Battery. iPods are notorious for having "closed cases:" you cannot pop a new battery on, when the old one dies. While this may be ok for iPods, phones are critical: let's hope when June comes around (when the release is), it allows for the end user to change the battery.
3) Price. Yes, it's a hell of a deal for all of what you get, but it's still the elite of elites. Will I buy it? Of course. But the iPod took a while to get fully entrenched because of the price.
4) It's wedded to Cingular. Some people tolerate Cingular, others hate it. IMHO, all of the companies are the same, but it will turn off some folks. Your iPod is individual; this attaches you to Cingular for at least 2 years.
5) Memory. 8GB sounds like a lot, until you load all your music, photos, videos and contacts on it. No expansion I saw. This allows Apple to intro the 10GB, etc., later, but it means Flash memory needs to keep up with the demand. Plus, how happy will people by having to spend another $600 every year or two?
6) 3G connectivity. EDGE is the least acceptable cellular data rate. Cingular's HDSPA is much more DSL-like, and rolls back to EDGE. Not a big deal, until you remember: Steve Jobs hates compromise. The browser is Safari, a full web browser. Reading the NY Times on EDGE on a real web browser is like using a 14.4 modem instead of broadband. I didn't see any scaled down version there; that will be my prediction of the first app that makes it's debut, so people can read pages fast. I LOVE WiFi on this device, but HDSPA should have been the cellular standard.6) Outlook connectivity. Look, the world still runs on Outlook. There needed to be a seamless integration, day 1. OK, no Outlook? How about GMail & Google Calendar? It's still fuzzy how the contacts and calendar apps will sync. Will it only be with the .Mac apps, or will Windows users have an option?
All this aside, this is a truly landscape changing device. Companies that will be affected:
- Nokia. Dead within 3 years, or Europe only is my prediction.
- Motorola. Their design team had been in the lead...they just lost it, and it won't be coming back.
- Blackberry (RIM). Push e-mail from Yahoo? It'll become a tool for the IT executives only.
- Microsoft. After watching Windows Mobile make huge inroads, the sexiest BlackJacks and Q's will look like Newtons compared to this.
- Sprint. 5000 layoffs, same day as this announcement. Connection? No, but expect the 3rd cell carrier to abandon the consumer market and stick to the Nextel business needs.
- Palm. The Palm OS is already a dead OS; now, their legendary ease of use and hardware is antiquated. This device is what Palm should have introduced, not Apple.
- HTC. They make most of the smartphones on the market today (Q, BlackJack, Wizard, etc.), and now they are reduced to a 2nd tier player.
Finally, I leave you with this: not only was this the greatest Apple product yet; not only was this the best keynote yet; not only is this product a world-changer. Even better, check out the dining option Steve and Phil Schiller of Apple decided on in the keynote, while demoing the SMS messaging of the app:
Yep, the best phone, from the best company...at the best Sushi in the state. As a card-carrying Sushi Ran Sushi Love member, I salute you, Steve. The 49er Roll is on me.
Labels: Apple, cell phones, favorites, gadgets, iPhone
Tuesday, January 09, 2007
Wireless Power...finally here!
A gadget lover's dream: no more cradles or wires. Just drop your phone, Palm, iPod, etc. on this special plate, and it recharges wirelessly. Finally. Y'know, my Sonicare toothbrush has had this for years: just get near the cradle, and it starts charging. I'm amazed it took so long for this to come out.
However, call me convinced: another good purchase for next holiday!
A gadget lover's dream: no more cradles or wires. Just drop your phone, Palm, iPod, etc. on this special plate, and it recharges wirelessly. Finally. Y'know, my Sonicare toothbrush has had this for years: just get near the cradle, and it starts charging. I'm amazed it took so long for this to come out.However, call me convinced: another good purchase for next holiday!
Labels: cell phones, gadgets, gifts
Monday, January 08, 2007
Gadget Time of Year
With the International Consumer Electronics Show in Vegas in full swing, followed by tomorrow's Mac World, it's a good week to be a gadget lover.
For instance, CES has already yielded some great announcements, including:
- Microsoft is bringing IPTV to the XBox. Want another good reason to invest in this gaming platform? It already can play some of the best games, is a kick-ass DVD player, and offers wireless connectivity to allow you to download movies and games right to your TV. Now, add the ability to subscribe over the Internet to your favorite TV channels, and it's goodbye cable. Add in DVR functionality, and the battle for the living room is over.
- The Tivo Comcast announcement. I shall say no more.
- The now-near legendary rumor of the iPhone from Apple gets more legs, as the Wall Street Journal leaks that Cingular is rumored to be providing a private cell network for Apple, and iChat has already been updated...stay tuned for the Reality Distortion Field at 9AM tomorrow.
- eBook readers start to go prime time. With eInk, this may finally take off. I already read books on my Palm, but this promises to be a much more forgiving technology.
And how did I miss this one? Side Show, a new small external LCD screen supported by Windows Vista, specifically for displaying the content of your favorite widget...even when the PC is off!
Man, it's good to be a gadget lover. And with my new Palm GPS just having arrived, I'll have much more to talk about soon!
With the International Consumer Electronics Show in Vegas in full swing, followed by tomorrow's Mac World, it's a good week to be a gadget lover.For instance, CES has already yielded some great announcements, including:
- Microsoft is bringing IPTV to the XBox. Want another good reason to invest in this gaming platform? It already can play some of the best games, is a kick-ass DVD player, and offers wireless connectivity to allow you to download movies and games right to your TV. Now, add the ability to subscribe over the Internet to your favorite TV channels, and it's goodbye cable. Add in DVR functionality, and the battle for the living room is over.
- The Tivo Comcast announcement. I shall say no more.
- The now-near legendary rumor of the iPhone from Apple gets more legs, as the Wall Street Journal leaks that Cingular is rumored to be providing a private cell network for Apple, and iChat has already been updated...stay tuned for the Reality Distortion Field at 9AM tomorrow.
- eBook readers start to go prime time. With eInk, this may finally take off. I already read books on my Palm, but this promises to be a much more forgiving technology.
And how did I miss this one? Side Show, a new small external LCD screen supported by Windows Vista, specifically for displaying the content of your favorite widget...even when the PC is off! Man, it's good to be a gadget lover. And with my new Palm GPS just having arrived, I'll have much more to talk about soon!
Labels: cell phones, gadgets
Tuesday, December 26, 2006
Oooh...a new toy I want!
In the 70's, just as the Walkman was coming of age, there was the coolest portable radio I ever saw: the Bone Radio. It looked like a slightly thick scarf, and it rested on your shoulders and neck; it conducted the sounds of your favorite radio station (AM only, natch) through your bones, giving you your own private sound environment that only you were privy to.
Now, a cellphone headset has used the same technology, but reversed it. The Jawbone uses (you guessed it) your jaw to conduct sound; it screens out almost any and all ambient noise. The benefit? You could be driving at, say 80 MPH with the window down, stereo playing...and your caller hears nothing but your voice. I know, hard to believe, but both this review and their website offer some pretty compelling evidence.
If all goes well, I may be trading my Plantronics for this one ASAP. eBay, here I come!
In the 70's, just as the Walkman was coming of age, there was the coolest portable radio I ever saw: the Bone Radio. It looked like a slightly thick scarf, and it rested on your shoulders and neck; it conducted the sounds of your favorite radio station (AM only, natch) through your bones, giving you your own private sound environment that only you were privy to.Now, a cellphone headset has used the same technology, but reversed it. The Jawbone uses (you guessed it) your jaw to conduct sound; it screens out almost any and all ambient noise. The benefit? You could be driving at, say 80 MPH with the window down, stereo playing...and your caller hears nothing but your voice. I know, hard to believe, but both this review and their website offer some pretty compelling evidence.
If all goes well, I may be trading my Plantronics for this one ASAP. eBay, here I come!
Labels: cell phones, gadgets
Friday, December 08, 2006
Josh is SO hard to buy for...not anymore!
Ok, I've heard it a million times: "you're so hard to buy for; what do you want for {fill in the blank}?" I tried to help; I created wishlists, hints, blog posts. Still I get the question. Clearly, it's time to harness the power of the Web to help solve this astounding problem:
What I really want is a GPS unit that works with my Palm. Luckily, there are some available. However, I'm not crass enough to suggest someone should drop a couple of Benjamins on it for me. I am crass enough, however, to suggest that friends, coworkers, and anonymous contributors pool their good intentions towards that goal, and this service from ChipIn makes it possible. You contribute the funds, the progress gets updated on the blog, and when the goal is hit, voila! Disbursement, and I'm a few clicks away from that beloved gadget.
Beyond just the appreciation, this service is really cool. I opted to let them collect the funds, rather than PayPal, but they support that service, as well. And the widget creation is SO Web 2.0.
I've modified the blog to show the widget on the right, so we can all see the progress. Now, let's get that thermometer moving! :-)
Thanks in advance for putting up with my bluntness.
What I really want is a GPS unit that works with my Palm. Luckily, there are some available. However, I'm not crass enough to suggest someone should drop a couple of Benjamins on it for me. I am crass enough, however, to suggest that friends, coworkers, and anonymous contributors pool their good intentions towards that goal, and this service from ChipIn makes it possible. You contribute the funds, the progress gets updated on the blog, and when the goal is hit, voila! Disbursement, and I'm a few clicks away from that beloved gadget.
Beyond just the appreciation, this service is really cool. I opted to let them collect the funds, rather than PayPal, but they support that service, as well. And the widget creation is SO Web 2.0.
I've modified the blog to show the widget on the right, so we can all see the progress. Now, let's get that thermometer moving! :-)
Thanks in advance for putting up with my bluntness.
The gifts I want don't exist
Such a frustrating holiday for a gadget guy like me, this year. The best gadgets aren't out, and are not quite here. The Treo 680? Close, no cigar. The Blackjack? Version 2 has WiFi and another camera...but not out yet. The Wii? Not until they get the kinks worked out.
Take this example. I HATE wires. for years. I have been advocating that, if I had enough money, I would go back to school and get a degree in electrical engineering just to create the wireless power system. For instance, my Sonicare just gets near the cradle, and charges. Why can't every gadget be like that? Well, WildCharge aims to just do that. No brainer for me, right? Sure...but not out until 2007.
Sigh. I'll keep that Froogle list stocked...
Take this example. I HATE wires. for years. I have been advocating that, if I had enough money, I would go back to school and get a degree in electrical engineering just to create the wireless power system. For instance, my Sonicare just gets near the cradle, and charges. Why can't every gadget be like that? Well, WildCharge aims to just do that. No brainer for me, right? Sure...but not out until 2007.Sigh. I'll keep that Froogle list stocked...
Labels: cell phones, gadgets
Thursday, November 30, 2006
The Ultimate Handheld...in sight?
The ultimate smartphone/entertainment device is getting closer and closer. Palm's new Treo 680 hit the streets last week: smaller, sleeker, but still not quite there. The price ($199) is very appetizing, but not the out of the park hit it would have been at $99. And those cool colors? Only if you buy the unlocked version ($400). Thanks, Cingular.
But, aside from that, it's not quite the ultimate device I'm waiting for. My Palm TX still is the closest to it. Here’s what the ultimate device needs, in my humble opinion:
- Palm OS. Pipe down, you Windows Mobile folks. Palm OS is still the easiest OS to use, and offers literally thousands of programs. Yes, it could use a refresh…and it is not getting one (ALP?), but neither Windows Mobile or Symbian are making a compelling enough case to knock it out. Why was the Treo 680 introduced with Palm OS instead of Windows Mobile, hmm?
- At least 64MB of RAM, and an SD card slot that supports up to 4GB cards. My TX does this; I was shocked to find that Pete's Treo did not recognize the card!
- Bluetooth. Ideally, A2DP, but I'll settle for 1.2 with AudioGateway.
- 3G (high speed) data from the cell carrier. Verizon's EVDO service seems the runaway winner right now; Cingular's HSDPA alphabet soup is just starting to rollout.
- WiFi. Call me crazy, but it's got to be ubiquitous. Yes, the cell carriers are upset; fine, let me pay more to unlock it. I'd pay another $50 for this.
- Here comes the unusual one: BIG screen: 320x480. What, you say? Sacrilege? Where does the keyboard go? I would have said the same, until I found Mini-Keyboard. Now, QWERTY + touchscreen = real ability to type.
- Battery life: 10 hours talk time, or 6 hours of video/audio playback time with 4 hours talk time. Let's me watch movies on a cross country flight, and still be able to call my appointments when I get to where I am landing.
- Of course, linked to all of the above, the ability to play MP3's, and movies (Palm OS lets that happen with TCMP and pTunes), as well as a touchscreen.
Anything beyond the above is gravy. How much would YOU pay for that combo?
The ultimate smartphone/entertainment device is getting closer and closer. Palm's new Treo 680 hit the streets last week: smaller, sleeker, but still not quite there. The price ($199) is very appetizing, but not the out of the park hit it would have been at $99. And those cool colors? Only if you buy the unlocked version ($400). Thanks, Cingular.But, aside from that, it's not quite the ultimate device I'm waiting for. My Palm TX still is the closest to it. Here’s what the ultimate device needs, in my humble opinion:
- Palm OS. Pipe down, you Windows Mobile folks. Palm OS is still the easiest OS to use, and offers literally thousands of programs. Yes, it could use a refresh…and it is not getting one (ALP?), but neither Windows Mobile or Symbian are making a compelling enough case to knock it out. Why was the Treo 680 introduced with Palm OS instead of Windows Mobile, hmm?
- At least 64MB of RAM, and an SD card slot that supports up to 4GB cards. My TX does this; I was shocked to find that Pete's Treo did not recognize the card!
- Bluetooth. Ideally, A2DP, but I'll settle for 1.2 with AudioGateway.
- 3G (high speed) data from the cell carrier. Verizon's EVDO service seems the runaway winner right now; Cingular's HSDPA alphabet soup is just starting to rollout.
- WiFi. Call me crazy, but it's got to be ubiquitous. Yes, the cell carriers are upset; fine, let me pay more to unlock it. I'd pay another $50 for this.
- Here comes the unusual one: BIG screen: 320x480. What, you say? Sacrilege? Where does the keyboard go? I would have said the same, until I found Mini-Keyboard. Now, QWERTY + touchscreen = real ability to type.
- Battery life: 10 hours talk time, or 6 hours of video/audio playback time with 4 hours talk time. Let's me watch movies on a cross country flight, and still be able to call my appointments when I get to where I am landing.
- Of course, linked to all of the above, the ability to play MP3's, and movies (Palm OS lets that happen with TCMP and pTunes), as well as a touchscreen.
Anything beyond the above is gravy. How much would YOU pay for that combo?
Labels: cell phones, favorites, gadgets, Palm, TX
Monday, November 13, 2006
Rube Goldberg Toys!
Who could ask for anything more than Rube Goldberg toys that work on the side of the fridge (or any metallic surface)?
Who could ask for anything more than Rube Goldberg toys that work on the side of the fridge (or any metallic surface)?
