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Thoughts and things I care to sharelinks for 2007-01-15
- Warner Crocker details how well his mobile kit performed during extended traveling from just after the holidays through CES.
Mobile Blogging with Pocket SharpMT
So, I’ve found the Pocket SharpMT mobile blogging client for Pocket PC. I’ve been on the hunt for an offline blogging client that I could use from my PPC for some time.
I’m not sure how I’ll incorporate this into my blogging schedule, as I like to see how everything looks on a PC’s screen before publishing a post. Probably I’ll write drafts as I’m on the go, and then publish them after polishing them up a bit later on.
Of course, the ability to have a quick method for creating and posting is a great improvement over needing to write posts in Pocket IE on my WordPress admin site – it never goes well, and always skews what it looks like until I get back to a PC. It also takes way too long in PIE, mostly because PIE is a piece of … you know what.
Cingular users: Welcome to AT&T
Starting today, Cingular will start to publicly become AT&T in print, radio and television ads. Though not all existing adds will be changed immediately, you may start seeing the transformation. Also watch for signage changes at the Cingular stores, and on the billing and communications from Cingular.
So if you were a former AT&T Wireless customer, welcome back to the fold! Hehehe, once thing is for certain – the absolutely shitty service that the old AT&T Wireless service had prior to being bought by Cingular Wireless is, thankfully, only a painful memory.
So, what goes around, comes around – ‘ma bell’ is still around and is now you’re cell provider.
Via: PC World – AT&T to Replace Cingular Brand Monday
links for 2007-01-14
- More great news on the SSD front. I agree with Kevin at jkOnTheRun, this is the third vendor to offer SSD products, and the competition will help drive prices down. Also, 60+GB is the size that most people are going to start at, so it could also replace
jkOnTheRun: Impressed with Google Reader
Congratulations to James Kendrick who has moved over to Google Reader from Onfolio. GR is really one of the best-done online feed readers (the best IMHO), with simple easy to remember/use keyboard shortcuts, lightweight AJAX interface that is quick to render, and the ability to mark items for future reference.
Another feature that I’ve been using for a few months is the Shared Items feature that allows you to mark posts/articles that should be shared for someone reading your Shared Items to view. Nifty little thing that you can link to from your blog so people can read the same sources that you do!
After reading how well GR works on a Tablet or UMPC, I really need to check one out. Definitely on my “short list” of to do’s!
Via: jkOnTheRun – Using Google Reader and impressed
The Inevitable Death of DRM
On this topic, TechCrunch is right on the money. The music industry is not looking far enough down the road to see the big picture about DRM and its impact on their reduced sales.
Artists as well are too wrapped up in the ability of their work to be easily copied. I understand this concern, and share it as well. After all, who want’s their hard work and creativity stolen?
But that belies the deeper desires of the consumer of both the artist and the recording industry. Their customer is not their enemy, the customer does not want to steal the work, or see either entity getting shortchanged for their work. What the customer wants is to be able to enjoy the music – its that simple.
In addition, giving the consumer the ability to move the music from device to device or onto CD offering DRM-free music removes the criticism, the negativity that is created by DRM. Wouldn’t a given artist rather have their fans (customers) raving about their latest release than complaining that they can’t get it onto their Rio, Zune, iPod, or other device simply because it is offered on a different format, or that the DRM mechanism failed, or worse, that the support departments of whatever online service can’t solve the DRM issue?
DRM was a great idea – but there are too many variables that need to be accommodated for it to work. Instead, companies should sell the music tracks DRM-free. Offer cheap versions for cell-phones that are encoded at lower bitrates, so the user can store more in less space. Sell the lossless versions as a “Premium” where the user can burn to CD, or re-encode for any device they own at their preference. Moreover, offer the music in a non-proprietary format that every player in the world can work with (MP3), that way, the music is available to everyone who wants it, and the players can compete on features & usability rather than what labels or online stores it works with.
Via: TechCrunch – The Inevitable Death of DRM
The iPhone: A Serious Business Device?
Michael Arrington of TechCrunch fame asks: Will the iPhone be a Serious Business Device. In this question, I have to answer simply: No.
It sure will be a convenience to those Apple Mac users that have been longing for a mobile communications device that will seamlessly sync with all the Apple Mac resources for information management, and entertainment. However, the idea that the iPhone will have better penetration to the enterprise market than the Mac did is a pipe dream, if only because of Apple’s inability to understand what the business user needs. Of course, part of this is because of the limitations imposed by the enterprise IT departments – since the Mac is not accommodated like Windows, Unix and Linux are.
Sure, the iPhone is a spectacular demonstration of where our communications devices should be heading – I would expect nothing less from Apple than a stunning device. But suggesting that a non-shipping phone that can’t have it’s memory expanded, has no input method other than your finger, without 3G data services, and does not support any of the popular push-mail services will be taken seriously by businesses is delusional.
Thanks for the chuckle Michael, I needed one this weekend.
Via: TechCrunch – Will the iPhone be a Serious Business Device?
Windows Vista Upgrade – A Recommendation
I’m just going to give out my recommendation as a blanket statement to everyone. When you start seriously thinking of upgrading to Microsoft’s Windows Vista, simply plan on buying a new computer.
In the long run, you will be much, much happier with the result. Unless you just bought a new computer and have the “coupon” for the Vista upgrade, upgrading aging hardware, migrating your data and dealing with some hard to find drivers will be a painful experience.
So, I strongly recommend just going and buying a new PC when the time is right. Instead of spending additional money on upgrading RAM, disk, video, etc… just put that cash aside for a new computer.
With that said, my second recommendation to go with Vista is to forget desktops. Look at purchasing a laptop instead. Yeah, yeah, yeah this doesn’t accommodate all the gamers out there, but you guys know what you need anyway. I’m talking about the average computer user who is served quite well in the sub $1,000 market for laptops. Trust me, there are literally dozens of options among the 1st and 2nd tier vendors. Laptops are starting to head below $500 now for the low-end, but you’ll find the machine to fill your needs somewhere between $600-$1,000 at this time.
Another option to consider is the latest in mobility, a UMPCs that will provide the utmost in mobile computing convenience.
Just remember that Vista is a new experience, and the slow or troublesome computer you’ve been putting up with will be a great backup web browser, but not a good candidate for a Vista upgrade.
Disagree? Well, let me know in the comments!
Gliffy: Web Based Visio Alternative
Hey, been looking for a web-based replacement for Visio? Well look no further, there is one and it’s called Gliffy. Its a nice tool for diagramming and creating flow charts or floor plans, or network drawings. Neat stuff to add to your web-office arsenal, and highly recommended by yours truly – I’ve been using it for a few weeks and it fills my needs completely.
You can learn more about Gliffy here.
links for 2007-01-11
- Skype’s point in this is that many mobile operators in the world do not have “all you can eat” data plans. Since VoIP is all data transmissions, this would be a huge expense to mobile phone users. Users here in the US have the luxury of several unlimite
@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.