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Thoughts and things I care to sharejkOnTheRun: Has a UMPC influenced your smartphone usage?
Kevin C. Tofel has posted a fantastic article over at jkOnTheRun that got me thinking. The article talks about mobility And how the features of his UMPC have augmented his smartphone.
In answering a reader’s question about what smartphone software he recommends, Kevin talks about how most of the functionality he used on his smartphone simply works better on his UMPC. I also have noticed a big change in how I use my mobile devices. Ever since I started using standby and sleep molds, my laptop usage has changed dramatically.
I have found that using standby allows me to get to my desktop faster and with minimal hassle. Since about February of this year, my laptop has become more useful and I have become more productive. Unfortunately, this also means that I have been using my smartphone much less than I have in the past.
On my pocket PC I have many software packages installed, but find myself using them less and less often. For example, I have a blogging client on my pocket PC but rarely use it because it is much harder than using the client on my laptop. I also have a Bluetooth keyboard and mouse for my device but again find it cumbersome to use.
While I do not have a UMPC device, I have noticed a significant difference in how well use mobile computers. So how has a UMPC or other mobile computer change the way you use your smartphone?
Via: jkOnTheRun – Has a UMPC influenced your smartphone usage?
New Headset – Logitech® Premium USB Headset 350
I finally pulled the trigger on getting a decent headset for online vid-conf work. The Logitech® Premium USB Headset 350.
With better sound quality than I can probably detect (I’ve not the best hearing), it sounds better than any of my previous headsets. I usually buy cheap ones and end up being disappointed in them, not that this unit is really expensive, I made sure it was of good quality and read lots of gaming headset reviews, it was $40 at my local Wal-Mart and I’m glad I got it.
Just a few points on it. It’s very comfortable, has a USB connection (drivers ship with Windows/OS X), and automatically sets itself as the default playback/record device when plugged into the computer. Reverts back to previous defaults when not installed.
Windows Live Writer 2.0 beta
A new version of Windows Live Writer is available for download. Have just installed it, I’ll be reporting issues as I find them – my one wish that wasn’t included in this release is support for XHTML so WLW is just as messy with HTML as all Microsoft products. Yuck on that front, but I’m hoping that it’ll be included in future releases.
I’ll post more once I’ve worked with it, and yes this is my first post with WLW2.
Personal Broadcasting – now there are two
It didn’t take long for the concept of Justin.tv to be leveraged into a full service. USTREAM.tv came along a few months ago and has quite a following with rich content, and people like me who just broadcast while they’re working, just a live feed with little going on.
blogTV just entered public beta a few days ago and has some very interesting features that USTREAM currently doesn’t have. One of them is the “co-host” feature that allows you to select a co-host and have them broadcast live audio & video alongside yours in a type of multipoint broadcast, pretty neat. blogTV also allows has a fantastic “broadcast control panel” that allows you to see the video you are sending out along with the chat window and what other current live broadcasts are going on in your “channel”.
Personally I really like the polish that blogTV has put into their product, but currently use UStream.tv for my “live” show. One of the nifty benefits that UStream.tv has over blogTV is the embedable code that allows you to embed the video feed into any web page you want.
For the time being, I’ll be using both services and evaluating the features as they mature to see what actually works best. I’ve got some ideas for a number of “shows” and I may try to set them up to see how well it works. I do recommend that anyone interested in creating a show try both services to see what works best for you.
Have you used either service (or others)? Please let me know what you think of them or the idea of personal broadcasting in general.
Memorial Day 2007
Today is Memorial Day here in the U.S., a day in which we honor the lives and service of our men & women who have, and continue to, protect this great country.
In the last year or two, I’ve made an effort to thank every veteran that I get to meet. Today I want to take this post and thank everyone who has served in the U.S. military at any level, protecting our country and bringing freedom and opportunity to the oppressed around the world.
Simply all I can say is…
Thank you.
T-Mobile Wing – To Upgrade…or not
T-Mobile has finally released an upgrade to their popular MDA called the ‘Wing’. I’ve been a happy T-Mobile MDA owner for well over a year and am trying to decide whether to upgrade to the Wing or wait for the next version.
The Wing is a nice upgrade, revamped keyboard with larger keys, Bluetooth 2.0, 2 Megapixel camera, and Windows Mobile 6. What isn’t updated is the RAM/ROM, which really isn’t a problem, and the processor which runs at 200MHz. The MDA has the same speed processor in it an can at times be really slow. The other item that many, including myself, are missing is the 3G portion. Yes, Tmo only has EDGE right now, and will use a different 3G frequency when they do roll UMTS and HSDPA later this year.
links for 2007-05-23
- While there may some question with the longevity aspect of Flash Drives for any kind of use in data center applications, the performance compared to legacy HDD is a compelling argument to pursue the possibilities.
- So Google is talking publicly about security, no surprise there, but Jay Neely over at Social Strategist Blog thinks its a deeper indication of a move by Google into the security software market. Will there be a Google Security Client package soon?
- Looks like Microsoft’s Windows Mobile has helped grow the mobile device market by 40% in the 1st quarter of this year. Good news!
Business Life
What I find amazing after leaving corporate life is that there are actually other people out there in business. While that is a ‘super doh!’ statement, I hadn’t really taken the time to notice other people and what they do for a living. How many people actually work out of coffee shops, cafes and other public locations. The construction workers, office workers, waiters, public safety, librarians, mechanics… of course the list is endless, but how much we all interact and depend on each other’s services and abilities.
The shear number of people who offer services, sell products, etc… just doesn’t seem to sink in when you’re in a 6’x8′ cube worrying about some other entities (i.e. big companies) problems. While, I’ve been working on growing Avatar Consultants, I’ve been able to take a few deep breaths and look at what other people do. It’s opened my eyes to the real world again, something that I’d been missing in corporate and I revel in my newfound freedoms.
Windows Home Server Blog : More Hockey Puck photo love
Even though Microsoft won’t be offering their own line of home server hardware, they did commission this beautiful design for the proof of concept.
Though I will probably build my home server from the ground up, the consumer crowd will love designs like this.
Via: Windows Home Server Blog – More Hockey Puck photo love
Busy Week
While I’m trying to get things moving on the consulting front, Amy and I have been talking about a lot of recreational opportunities. We’ve got a busy week preparing for this coming weekend as we have a lot planed. But also, we’re getting outfitted for the rest of the summer and into the next several years.
Didn’t think we would do as much as we have, but we’re now outfitted for canoeing and backpacking. This is something that we’ve been trying to do more of for the last several years. It has finally happened, and we can’t wait for every weekend, every available day that we’ll use to get out and do more outside. Getting out of the corporate world has been a reawakening for me – I really am getting my life back, the important things are becoming clearer again.
Any way, we’ve got a lot of prep work to finish up today and tomorrow before we head out. Packing, meal prep, and many others. It really is one of the busiest weeks I’ve had in a long time – and I love it.
@MAC_Arms Pay taxes when you make your money, pay taxes when you spend your money, pay taxes when you successfully invest your money, pay taxes when you save enough taxed money to afford a house, pay taxes to live in your house, pay taxes when you sell the house that you paid taxes on to
Yup, taxes are criminal and we need serious reforms. I've always said that if you want to see a tax revolt, make withholdings illegal and have Americans write a tax check every payday. They'll revolt for sure. You don't miss what you never had.
I think it’s safe to say that @GovEvers should stop blocking audits in Wisconsin and open the books…
“Only AMERICAN citizens should vote.”
Sen. @berniemoreno says voter ID and proof of citizenship are simply common sense.
“We’re talking about a very low threshold — identify who you are and prove you’re a U.S. citizen when you register to vote. I think we’re getting closer to
Wrong. Democrats are solely responsible for hours-long airport lines.
They voted to defund TSA three times and won’t even entertain a conversation about reopening it. Why?
They’re using it as leverage to stop enforcing immigration laws.