PalmOS versus Windows Mobile

For about the last eight months, I have been using a Windows Mobile phone with my Cingular service.  It's an older phone, a Windows 2003 phone from Audiovox, called the SMT5600, or Scoblephone, as it was the model made "infamous" by Robert Scoble when it first came out.

Anyway, I've always looked at the Palm Treo as a interesting phone.  I've never had the chance to try it out until recently.

Two days ago, I got the opportunity to use a Palm Treo 650 for a few days to see if I liked it.  I got it, put my SIM in, installed the software on my computer to sync it with Outlook for contacts and calendar, and away I went.

First thing I notice - The interface is TOTALLY different, and difficult for a non-Palm user, in my opinion, to get used to navigating. Strike one.

Second thing I notice - Bluetooth voice dialing doesn't work unless you have a 'Palm Sanctioned Bluetooth Headset'.  I have a Motorola HS850, which I absolutely love.  Not gonna give it up just to get voice dialing.  Strike two.

Third thing  I noticed after a day of use - it's big and bulky, compared to my phone.  Granted, I use my phone as a phone and a calendar device.  I don't use it for text messaging, I don't use it to surf the web, I don't do a lot of things that other people might use their phone for, just mainly as a PIM that makes phone calls.   Strike three.

Needless to say, the Palm experiment, for me at least, is over.  Back to Windows Mobile 2003 and my beloved SMT5600.....

 

Technorati tags: Scoblephone, Scoble, Palm, Treo, Windows Mobile

Desk hole USB/IPod hub

According to Engadget, Belkin is coming out with a series of hubs that fit into those unsightly holes in the desk that are both USB hubs and IPod docking stations that sync and charge.

I hope to build a custom desk this summer for my basement office.  I personally don't like the holes in the desk, but....with this development, provided they are reasonably priced, it might be a good reason to put a hole in my desktop.

My office desk doesn't have a hole. Maybe I could put a hole there too. :)

 

Technorati tags: IPod Hub, USB Hub, Belkin, Engadget

The internet is just like the real world....

Full of crazy people, sick people, demented people, and sane people.

What Kathy Sierra has been going through (and continues to go through) is nothing short of horrific. 

Sadly, it is all too common in the real world to have threats such as what has happened to her occur. 

The blogosphere is small.  It's tight knit.  Rallying around Kathy Sierra is the right thing to do.

Finding the perpetrator(s)and bringing them to justice seems the next best course of action.

This incident illustrates one of the main reasons that my kids do not use the internet. 

My job revolves around the internet.  But I know all too well that lying around the next corner is someone who could do harm.

May God protect Kathy and her family and help her through this terrible ordeal.

 

Technorati tags: Kathy Sierra, Threats, eTech

DAM Solution Wanted (for Windows)

I'm looking for a DAM solution, and have tried Digital Pro, and IView-Media and I just tried PicaJet.

I've got the following:

- Four external drives fillled with images
- Local hard drive filled with images
- Laptop where the local hard drive is located

My current filing structure is as follows:

\Photos directory is the main directory

Underneath Photos, I have a folder for each event, say

2007-Mar-13-Softball

Underneath each individual event folder, I have two folders
HighRes - This has my CRW/HTM and CR2 files
Converted - This has my JPG files

What I'd like to be able to do is to search the PHOTOS subdirectory structure and catalog every CRW or CR2. I don't want the JPG files files cataloged.

Each of my external HDs is set up with the same directory structure.

I additionally have an HTML directory under the Converted folders for web presentations I create from the converted images.

I shoot 100% RAW, and 100% Canon.

Anyone have a solution they are using that would work?

Something that would be really nice is the ability to have preview images available of the images, even if it is a cataloged file from one of the external HDs that isn't currently available.

 

Technorati tags: Digital Asset Management, Photo Management, Photography, DAM, Peter Krogh, Krogh

 

OrigamiCar, is it a dead project?

A while back, I read a post somewhere about a new project that was taking place called OrigamiCar.  It was an attempt to create an application for a UMPC device, like a Tablet Kiosk EO that would play your music.

Sort of a portable music jukebox, much like an iPod, but more informative, with touch screen interface and everything.

I bookmarked the URL for the project and promptly forgot about it.

I use an iPod in my car, connected via a Delkin adaptor that transmits the music wirelessly through the stereo.  It works well, not perfectly, but well enough for what it cost.

I'd love to find a way to eliminate the head unit in my car completely and just have an iPod dock that I could plug into directly.

The OrigamiCar seemed like a great idea.  The developer had lots of ideas, and seemed to be on the right path.  Way out of my league to buy a UMPC just to dedicate to music playing in my car, but neat nonetheless.

I've checked back occasionally over the past six months or so, but the URL seems to be dead....tis unfortunate....

Anyone know if this project is still alive and kicking and maybe the URL is just a dead link?

 

 

Technorati tags: OrigamiCar, IPod, iPod Integration, MP3, Jukebox, CarAudio

200mpg car in the works from Aptera

Interesting looking car, mentioned on the Engadget site here , very futuristic looking.

Claims to get 200mpg, and the article says that it is a electric/gas hybrid, but the inventor mentions that he wants to be completely free of the use of gas for his transportation, so maybe he can hook up with the folks who are making the Wrightspeed X1 and see if he can fit one of their powerplants into this little machine.  It would probably blow up, given the fragile looking nature of this car.  But I bet it would/could be fast. :)

They, like so many other of these 'fringe electric vehicle producers' are looking for investment.  Maybe Mark Cuban or Jason Calacanis has a few dollars they can send their way.   I think Jason is driving a Prius these days, so he sees the potential of a hybrid. 

 

 

Technorati tags: Aptera, Wrightspeed, Mark Cuban, Jason Calacanis

Eric Cheng discovers GrandCentral, and likes it.

World renowned photographer and world traveler Eric Cheng has discovered the joys of Grand Central .  He's utilizing it the way that they designed the service, as a 'follow me, find me' service while he globe trots around the world shooting undersea adventures.

Check out Eric's blog here, and Eric's impressions of Grand Central here

 

Technorati tags: Eric Cheng, GrandCentral, Photography, Cheng, Grand Central

Every City needs an electrical outlet station

The city of Edmonds, Washington is considering spending $200 to put in an electrical outlet that will be used to charge electrical vehicles.

I think this is a great step forward.  For $200, it's a very worthwhile investment in technology that people who buy electric vehicles such at the Tesla Roadster or Wrightspeed X1 or the NMG (formerly Corbin Sparrow) could use to charge their cars while they are at work. 

A great idea, and kudos to the city of Edmonds, Washington for considering this idea.  The person noted in the article drives a Corbin Sparrow and I've seen him tooling around town in it and have seen it parked in downtown Edmonds as well.

Good job Edmonds....

Check out the article

 

Technorati tags: Electric Vehicles, Corbin Sparrow, NMG, Tesla Motors, Wrightspeed X1, eBox

Another great commuting car

Nice commuting car.  Might be too fun a car to have to actually use to commute, as you might never want to get out of it to actually go into your office.

Check out the Carver One .  It's not electric, but it is a very small two seater from Europe.  Probably not licensable in the US, and definitely way out of the pricerange of the average consumer at 50,000 Euro (about 100k US), but it looks like a really fun little car/cycle to drive.

If I ever get the chance to go to Europe, I might try to find one of these to drive while I'm there....

 

Technorati tags: Carver, Sports Cars, Exotics

Business Cards - Blank back or magnetic?

As we are getting closer to startup mode for our side business, we are looking into business cards.

Do people find business cards with blank backs better than business cards with magnetic backing?

Our company will be a service based business, with products and services geared toward individuals and familes, not toward other businesses or large businesses.

So what do you think?  Magnetic back or blank back for business cards?

 

Technorati tags: Business Cards, entrepreneurship, entrepreneur, startup

R2D2 Mailboxes coming to your neighborhood?

I saw this on Engadget this evening, where the USPS, celebrating the 30th Anniversary of Star Wars, will be replacing some mailboxes that look like R2D2.

I wonder how long it will take for someone to rip them out of the ground?  What an interesting souvenir for the Star Wars Fanatic....

 

Read about it on Engadget

Neat idea.  I wonder if they will last?

 

Technorati tags: Star Wars, USPS, Engadget, R2D2

Go Sigma Go!

I shoot a lot of softball games this time of year, through about August (depending upon how long the tournaments and my kids go in said tournaments).

I normally am shooting with a 70-300 f4.5/5.6 lens.  Works pretty well.  Certainly not the fastest lens in the world, but it works for my needs.  A faster lens would be great (200 2.8 is on my wishlist, 300 2.8 is on my lottery wishlist).

Anyway, the Photo Marketing Association Tradeshow is going on in Las Vegas this week where a lot of manufacturers announce new cameras and new photo gear.

Sigma announced a 200-500 f/2.8 zoom lens.  It looks to be a monster and probably wouldn't be as portable as the 70-300 I have now is, but oh my goodness.....that is a fast lens.  The 2.8 aperature is good throughout the whole focal range.  I hesitate to even look at how pricey this one is going to be....

Go Sigma Go!  Maybe the guys at RentGlass will get one that they'll rent out.  Yeah, right. :)

 

Technorati tags: Sigma, Softball, PMA, Canon

Bluetooth Headset envy

Envy is bad.  Envy in Bluetooth headsets is *really* bad, and usually expensive.

I use Bluetooth with my phone, exclusively.  I joke with people that the only time my phone comes out of my pocket is to either check the time or to charge the phone.

I use a Motorola HS850 headset.  It's the BEST headset I've ever used. I've tried quite a few, and returned them because frankly, they were garbage.

The HS850 attachs itself when it flips open, and it turns itself off (and uncouples) from my phone when I close it.

But I have found a new Bluetooth headset.  It causes me great envy, and the reviews I've read make it sound like it is better than the HS850 that I currently use.

It's called a Jawbone and it is currently only available through Cingular stores.  It's WAY TOO PRICEY for my blood.  $119. 

It does look like a very good headset though, especially for those folks who use their phone in noisy environments (construction sites, bowling alleys, etc).

Check it out.  Cingular, if you are reading this and want to send me a Jawbone to review, email me or leave me a comment and I'll send you my contact information. :-)

 

Technorati tags: Cingular, Jawbone, Bluetooth Headset, Bluetooth, HS850

Weirdest VPN issue ever

I have a VPN to my office.  It's on my laptop, which normally is hard wired through a 100 foot CAT5 cable into my basement plugged into the router.

I also can connect to the net wirelessly, but don't usually because it is slower.  I know.  Perceived slower, not really slower.

Anyway, last week, I started having problems connecting to the servers in my office over the VPN.  I was on my wired connection on my laptop.

The networks are on different subnets, no issues there.

I thought it was weird.  I could PING the internal IPs, but I couldn't connect using Remote Desktop.

So I unplugged the CAT5 cable and connected wirelessly.  I then connected to the VPN (a Netscreen box, I highly recommend).  I was able to ping the internal servers no problem.  So I tried remote desktop.  It worked!

Now I'm totally perplexed.  I get an IP on the same subnet whether I'm using wired or wireless.  I can't see where it would make any difference whether I was wired or wireless.

Thoughts from anyone?  Any Netscreen gurus out there?

My laptop is running XP Pro sp2.  SoftRemote 10.3.3 (Build 4)

If you have any ideas, please leave me a comment.  Thanks!

 

Technorati tags: VPN, Netscreen, Wireless, Wired, CAT5, 802.11g

An Electric Car for families?

I've talked previously about the Wrightspeed X1 and the Tesla Roadster which are (and will be) fantastic steps forward for the performance car market, especially when it comes to electric cars.

But I'm a family guy.  I need a family size car, so I can take my kids to school, and softball games, and wherever.  A Tesla isn't going to do that.

I found an electric car that would do it.  It's called an eBox and it is made by the company making the electric motor for the Wrightspeed X1 .

It takes a Scion xB, rips out the gas motor and puts in the components to make it an electric car.  With a range of 120 to 150 miles, recharges in 2-5 hours.

Would be a GREAT car for daily driving. Sadly, it is priced such that mere mortals can't afford it at this point.  But, it is a good step forward, in my opinion, of bringing "real world electric cars" to a mainstream market.  I do not believe that the Tesla or the Wrightspeed cars are "real world" cars, they are meant for a specific high end consumer.  But, this eBox could easily fit in a regular family.

I could see using it during the week for commuting to work, errands around town, keeping a gasoline vehicle for trips of more than 120-150 miiles one way....

Wouldn't it be great if you never had to go to a gas station during the week again?  Check it out.  I think you'll agree. 

 

Technorati tags: Wrightspeed, Tesla Motors, eBox, Hybrid, Electric Vehicles