Geek Dad Lab

I'm Waiting For The Next iPod Touch, Not The iPhone

2011-08-03T22:57:00.000-07:00

I hate the mobile phone carriers. I think they are bleeding us dry with their exorbinate data and voice rates especially when AT&T said they would throttle unlimited users for too much data, that just sounds dumb. Why would a business offer a service only to punish their most loyal customers? I think the moment someone finds a way to distribute data at high speeds wirelessly for a reasonable price will be the day everyone will celebrate.

This leads me to the upcoming iPhone release which is expected in the next month or two. I hope Apple has something big up it's sleeve, I mean something more than a faster processor and better camera. I hope they will open up their device to more carriers and introduce more competition. I'm also holding my breath for a 3G iPod Touch. I know there are so many reasons why Apple would never do this, but I can think of one big reason why they would - To stick it to the carriers.

Apple (Namely Steve Jobs) loves to have control, and lots of it. Depending on the carriers must eat on him every day, especially when AT&T plan to make his famed device unusable via throttling. I know he would love to give AT&T less power and divide it among other companies that could share more of Apple's vision.

Whatever Apple's next move is I'm planning for it to be a game changer. The time is right for someone to make a big splash in a way no other company would dare to, I have my money on Apple.

Google + Is A Keeper

2011-07-20T23:15:00.000-07:00

Last week I Tweeted a request for a Google + invite and was granted one by a nice man named Sumit. Once inside I started exploring Circles. This feature is a cross between the Facebook news feed and Twitter lists, you get a graphical.

Right now I'm having a hard time personalizing my Google + experience since I only have two friends on the service and neither one of them are visiting it very often. Right now Google + looks like a glorified Twitter with feeds coming from tech people I'm following.

One thing I see that needs to change about Google + is the ability to sond someone a direct message. I don't know if it's hidden or just not available, but I know people are going want to send personal messages to each other without having to broadcast their message to everyone else in a circle.

I'm also not sure who is able to see what I post. I'm not sure how to control what my followers see versus what my two friends see. I think Google will need to create a series of Youtube tutorials that will help users understand how to use Google + more effectively.

So what does Google have to do to make this shiny new toy as successful as Facebook, they must make it very simple and transparent. This is what made Youtube so successful, to make contributing and consuming as simplistic as possible. They also need to put Facebook on their heels by giving users the ability to download their data and set privacy setting in a more intuitive way.

What about you? Have you had a chance to check out Google +? I'd love to know what you think. I'd love to create a Geek Dad circle and have us all talk Geek stuff.

Will I Buy An iPad2?

2011-03-07T21:57:00.000-08:00

Image via CrunchBase

There is no doubt the iPad is the world's greatest gadget, it's almost incoceivable that any other tablet manufacturer will get even close to Apple's market share for several years. Given the familiar ecosystem of IOS and the calculated tweaks Apple makes to it's products, I can only expect more great things from this company for a long time.

The big question is how many more iPads will be sold this year over last. I think with improvements over processor and GPU speed I think the second generation will be an even bigger hit than the first. Other enhancements to Garage Band and iMovie look to be even more impressive than ever before. I'm curious enough to walk into the local Apple store just to check out those two apps alone.

I am totally put off with the $40 cover. How could this cover possible be worth this much money. Anyone who would buy this expensive cover is a fool, wait a couple of weeks until other manufacturers build their own magic cover models for a fraction of the price.

There is no doubt I would like to have one of these tablet wonders, but am I willing to part with at least $500 to have one? I'll have to weigh the positives and negatives:

Positives - Video editing. I love the fact that Apple put some horsepower behind the iPad2. Hopefully it is enough to edit video from my Canon 7D. I don't see myself using the cheesy built-in camera, I would likely import my footage from outside sources.

Surfing the Web. I think it would be great to share the web with the family, to be able to pass it along as we see cool photos, videos, and articles.

Photos - Just like the web I love the idea of sharing a photo by handing it to someone. The iPad makes sharing albums easy and intuitive.

Lots of Apps - Everyone knows about them, no need to go on about it.

Now the negatives- No Flash. This is still a sticky point and makes me look at Honeycomb based tablets. I use lots of Flash on websites I maintain as well as several other websites I visit throughout the day.

Not enough disk space. The biggest hard drive available is 64 gigabytes, that will not be enough space if I'm going to import video from my Canon 7D. I'll have to import video, edit, export, then delete the raw footage. That would get annoying quickly.

Apps, not applications. I said earlier that apps were one of the positives, but it is also a negative. I wish the iPad would run mac applications as well as apps

Well there is the short list of the iPad's good and bad points according to me. Will I buy it? Maybe after tax season and I find myself with a spare $500 and I find out it will edit my Canon 7D footage. If it won't edit the footage then I'll be happy with a first generation iPad for around $250 (I heard Gazelle.com is snatching them up like crazy).

Zero Point Energy

2011-02-06T19:39:00.000-08:00

Image via Wikipedia

I couldn't help myself, I had to know if the claims were true about Zero Point Energy. Supposedly you can build a electric generator that is powered by mangnets, an idea developed by Nikola Tesla about 100 years ago. The claims show all you need is $100 in parts and a little patience to build the generator, apparently anyone can do this! My curiosity got the best of me this morning and I purchased a DIY ebook for $49 (Magniwork). There was a money back guarantee so I wasn't too concerned if I was in over my head.

After spending 30 minutes reading this book my head was spinning. It turns out I'm going to have to spend an additional $200 to buy the tools necessary to finish this project, not to mention a month to build the moulds, jig, and stator (whatever that is). To it's credit the ebook is comprehensive with lots of drawings and some photos to help you along. The only problem is every idea is new to me, I'm going to have to carefully read each page and explanation to make sure I'm doing everything right.

I wish there was a video series to accompany the ebook, I searched all over Youbube for such a video but all I found were bogus videos that had nothing to do with the generator I'm trying to build. I suppose if I make a run at making this thing I should also document the effort with a short video for the geeks after me who find themselves with the same curiosity about Nikola Tesla's fabulous invention.

Who Benefits Most From The Verizon iPhone?

2011-01-13T21:23:00.000-08:00

Image via CrunchBase

February 10 marks the fist day the iPhone will be available for Verizon subscribers. As the months go by and Apple nearly doubles its sales of the popular smart phone, I wonder who will be happiest from this long anticipated carrier addition:

1) Verizon - I read somewhere that Verizon will lose hundreds of millions of dollars in the first year for subsidizing the iPhone. I understand it's all about the long vision, but I know Verizon is holding their breath about their stock numbers and whether or not it was a good idea to include the iPhone in their lineup.

2) Apple - No doubt they will double their sales of the popular device and break into the Android market share, but I think they too are holding their breath a little. The iPhone may be the most popular smartphone on the planet, but it is not without it's flaws. The most popular problem is the antenna and the dropped calls. AT&T blamed Apple for the unreliable signal quality while Apple sat back and pointed the finger back. If the iPhone continues to drop calls on Verizon then Apple has a big problem on its hands.

3) Google - Android is a Google product, the biggest opponent to Apples iOS that runs the iPhone. I know Android phones are building market share at a surprising rate, but no doubt having the iPhone on Verizon will slow that increase. I liken this mobile race to that of Microsoft and Apple for the last 20 years. Apple focused on quality and design while Microsoft dominated most of the world with affordable products that everyone had access to in all shapes and sizes. I wonder if Google even cares about this Verizon/Apple partnership, further I wonder if Apple learned from it's mistakes with the Microsoft fight.

4) AT&T - These guys are probably giving a sigh of relief with the scores of people that plan to make the switch to Verizon, especially all those bitter people with terrible service in San Francisco. Still those people who are left over might see a bump in service with all the heavy users off the network. I heard AT&T has been working for years to build up their network from all the iPhone users, now they're poised to offer the best service in the U.S..

In the end the real winner will be the consumer. The battle for cheaper devices will bring the prices down along with the competition for cheaper and faster mobile Internet service. Consumers will read the online reviews and wait until summer when the next iPhone will debut. If it's a winner the eyes will be on the carriers, if it's a dog, Android will have the biggest smile.

Tablets At CES - Will They Bring Down the iPad?

2011-01-09T21:23:00.000-08:00

The popularity of the iPad brought a slew of tablets hoping to get a piece of market share from Apple. Engaget has a great article including a comparison of the tablets featured at the Computer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas. Regardless of the manufacturer or features, one thing is fore certain, personal computing is about to make a big change.

Years ago personal computers were large and disconnected. Before the Internet sharing information was limited to a few kilobytes on floppy discs that had to be physically brought to the other person, the process was as slow as snail mail.

A few years later in the 1990's the Internet was born and file sharing became so much easier. We could email messages in moments and share images created by our new digital cameras. The problem was most people still found computers to be confusing and difficult to use.

Apple computers tried to make the process easier by creating the iMac computer, a more user-friendly device that wasn't prone to viral attacks or constant crashing. That computer ultimately came in the form of the iPad, a computer that is not about creating or managing content and more about consuming all that the Internet can offer in the form of text, video, and photos.

Now companies like Sony and Dell are working to become the #2 tablet maker with a host of features that might trump that of the iPad, but still has to match the incredible user interface that Apple developed.

My prediction? The race for tablets will be similar to the fight for smartphones. Apple creates a better product and makes calculated upgrades (with the exception of the latest iPhone 4). Other manufacturers work hard to compete but they end up competing with themselves. In the end Apple's market share in the tablet market will decrease, but their sales will double what it was last year.

My Top Prediction For 2011 - Death of the Internet

2010-12-31T22:09:00.000-08:00

Image via Wikipedia

Happy New Year! As with most blogs and podcasts, it is time for some new year predictions:

1) Net Neutrality will be the biggest story of 2011. With sites like Netflix and Youtube gaining popularity, more people will be ready to cut their cable services and stick with their broadband Internet connection to deliver their entertainment content. The problem is broadband services are controlled by the same people who give us regular cable, and that service is far too profitable for the cable companies to give up.

The problem of Net Neutrality is a far larger one than anyone could imagine. This problem alone could wipe out the Internet as we know it. Basically the problem has to do with the cost of distribution, according the the economics of the Internet it costs more to deliver content to more people. This is not the old days where a station would broadcast a signal and all the antennas within range would watch the show. Now to watch a show on the Internet bits need to move along a pipe which is metered on mobile devices, but not on home connections. This would all change according to new Net Neutrality guidelines developed by the cable companies.

Imagine having to pay per page you view. Pay $.05 for that Youtube video, or $.02 for the sports article. At the end of the month your paying for every page view which could amount to much more than the normal monthly subscription cost. Within a month or two people will notice the change in their bill and wonder what is going on and begin to make changes to their Internet usage immediately sites like Facebook will suffer massive user declines and Youtube will become a ghost town.

At first people will get upset and try to do something about this outrage. Companies like Google will continue with their effort to provide broadband to the masses, and new opportunities will be there for companies that can give the people what they want. 2011 will be a pivotal year for Net Neutrality as profits remain stagnate and economic recovery is still far off on the horizon. In the end it will be the cable companies that will win to keep their share of the pie leaving the rest of us wondering if we will ever have our cake and eat it too.

Don't get me wrong, I believe an open Internet is what our world needs most for communication and innovation, but at this point I don't see any way out of this mess.

A Wii Christmas, A Notebook Computer And A Camera

2010-12-27T21:39:00.000-08:00

Santa arrived Christmas morning with a Wii for my son. Based on reviews I wasn't sure if this console would be a good fit for him, but he took to it quickly. We were playing tennis and had a great time, my 3-year old daughter even got into the mix. I think the negative reviews I read about the Wii came from serious gamers frustrated with the Wii's graphics.

The other big gift for my son was an Acer Notebook computer. Sites like Starfall make the Internet an educational tool for my 6-year old son to learn to read. So far I'm impressed with the battery life, my son is able to use the computer for 6 hours before needing to be recharged. There are simply no complaints as long as the user realized this computer is good for surfing the Internet and working on some Word documents. The small screen size makes it frustrating to work with images and excel files.

The third geek gift for my son was a Crayola digital camera. It's durable and simple to use, all he has to do is turn it on and start shooting. He is getting a kick out of taking photos of the family, maybe he'll turn into a photo bug like his Geek Dad.

I'm not expecting much int the terms of image quality or composition, but I am excited to see what images come out of the little camera.

The World's Coolest 450 Slide Document

2010-12-20T16:27:00.000-08:00

Here it is. All I have to say is WOW! I found this video on Mashable. I'm a fan of Google Docs, but I had no idea you could do something like this. Apparently the entire animation was created by the free Doc service in about 3 days.

Mark Z - Person of the Year

2010-12-18T16:21:00.000-08:00

This week Mark Zuckerberg was named Person of the Year by Time Magazine. I am both excited and disappointed by this choice. On one level I am happy to see the mainstream media embrace the tech world, I think it help validates the industry and helps lift it from fun website to a global brand.

On the other side I wish Time would choose a better ambassador instead of Mark. I find his company to be unscrupulous with the way they sell user data to third parties, praying the the users who think they are contributing their content to a walled garden. If you are among the foolish that think what you write on Facebook is protected, then you need to visit Your Open Book.org. Just type something generic like, "I hate my boss" and you'll have a long list of people who write nasty things about their boss on Facebook.

Here is a short list of influencial tech people I would choose over Mark Z:

1) Steve Jobs - The iPad was one of the top products of the year. As CEO of Apple Steve's legacy is more secure than ever.

2) Eric Schmidt - Google's CEO is controversial, but their stand-off with China and other significant tech creations are changing the world in a positive way.

3) Jeff Bezos - I'm a huge Amazon fan and I think they're just getting better. The Kindle is a big hit that looks to change book publishing forever.

Flying High With A Canon 7D

2010-12-09T18:00:00.000-08:00

As an amateur photographer I'm always looking for a new angle, and no angle is more unique than an arial photograph. I recently became interested in aerial photography when I saw a Youtube video showing a Canon 7D strapped to a model helicopter. The footage shot on the camera was video which made it even more impressive.

I started to research the cost of such a toy...uh, tool for taking aerial shots. It turns out these helicopters can cost thousands of dollars! They also take some practice to become proficient, especially if you're going to trust is with your $1,600 camera + $1,000 lens. I guess I'll have to stay on the ground for now. If you have any experience with this type of photography please write me an email and share, I think this stuff is really cool.

Groupon, Hotpot, and Google - A Killer Trilogy

2010-11-30T23:12:00.000-08:00

Image by Getty Images via @daylife

Google and Groupon are getting a lot of press about the upcoming purchase. Some reports highlight the $5.3 billion price tag Google is about to pay, others are talking about what Google plans to do with the aquisition.

Here is a short description about Groupon

I like th idea of a Groupon: get enough people (Group) before the coupon becomes active. This way businesses only pay for results and potential customers spread the word about Groupon and the local business using Twitter, Facebook, and email in order to meet the quota needed to activate the coupon.

I am personally excited about this acquisition. I'll be interested to see how Google is able to integrate Groupon with Google Hotpot, another attempt to review and share local businesses. I hope Google is able to pioneer a new method of online commerce and marketing that small business owners can understand and make use of.

So Happy About Angry Birds

2010-11-29T18:33:00.000-08:00

Angry Birds was the first iPhone game I could play for more than 5 minutes without getting bored. Soon I found myself cursing when one tiny pig was left over, or getting lost for several minutes as I plotted how I was going to launch another bird into the air. It's no doubt Angry Birds is a global hit, the question is what's next?

Last month Rovio released a sequel called "Angry Brids Halloween", now the company is back with "Angry Birds Christmas". Gameplay is the same as the other versions only now it has an updated Christmas theme. I've only seen screenshots, but it looks like fun. I read this version will be a free upgrade from the Halloween game.

The only frustrating part of the game for me was understanding how to earn 3 stars on a level. I tried to look it up, but was unable to find a credible resource. If you know how the game determines the amount of stars to award please let me know.

Angry Birds Everywhere

This great game is not just for the iPhone anymore. I read the game will be on the XBOX, PS3, and the Android marketplace. In fact the Android version is free and ad supported. I'd be curious to know which model brings them more money, the paid app or the free one. I'm sure numbers will be reported next quarter.

Now it's the Pigs' turn

I heard Rovio is working on another sequel taken from the Pigs' point of view. Here is a funny video about the upcoming game. Please be advised the birds use strong language.

Mozy - The Sexy Backup

2010-11-28T20:49:00.000-08:00

Image via CrunchBase

That's right, I called Mozy sexy. Well maybe not sexy, but it is pretty cool. I subscribe to this service because I'm afraid of losing my important data (douments, photos, and videos of the kids). Mozy is a cloud based service that allows you to upload your data to their servers, then saving it in case your computer crashes and loses the data. If this ever happened I would simply acces Mozy online from my repaired computer (or hopefully a new one) and download all my data from the compromised hard drive.

I checked into a few cloud based backup services and decided on Mozy for a few reasons:

1) All you do is install a small program and Mozy automatically manages your backing up for you. You no longer have to thik about backing up your files again, Mozy takes care of it for you according to your settings. I have it set to the default of backing up every 3 days.

2) $5 per month, that's cheap.

3) You can choose a local back up drive in addition to the cloud service. I purchased an external hard drive a few weeks ago and click a button for Mozy to add a copy of all the back up files to the new drive. Restoring from a local back up drive will take a couple of hours while the online restore will take several days. It's nico have both options in case of a fire or theft I can rely on the online files. This is one reason I chose Mozy over Carbonite.

4) Untimited data, even if you have an external hard drive. I back up my computers hard drive including an external drive I use for photos and videos. Mozy copies the files from all my drives. This is the scond reason I chose Mozy over Carbonite.

So far I couldn't be happier with Mozy. The ultimate test will be if I ever have to restore some files. I hope I never have to get to that point, but it's nice to know I'm preparing for the worst.

Sony Bloggie - Sounds Perfect For A Blogger

2010-11-27T20:00:00.000-08:00

Now that it's officially the holiday season I am ready to search for the perfect Christmas gadget to add to my collection. I already have last year's Flip HD camcorder, but since I returned my iPod Touch I've always been on the hunt for a replacement that will not online shoot HD video, but will also edit within the device.

My wish almost came true with Sony's new Bloggie camera. I like the large capacitive touch screen and the variable frame rates available and the availability to tag videos for sharing later when connected to a computer for uploading. I also like having the choice of portrait or landscape orientations for shooting.

Here are two great reviews I found about the Bloggie. The first one you're going to have to skip ahead a little since the girl is a little wordy.

Personally I think I'm going to hold onto my Flip HD and wait around for the next generation HD camcorder that will also allow me to edit within the device. Otherwise it's hard to compete with the convenience I already have.

Shopping For That Perfect Cell Phone

2010-11-21T10:40:00.000-08:00

Image via Wikipedia

After returning my iPod touch I learned my main issue was lack of connectivity. Since Wifi was my only connection option was limited to my house whereas I might as well be on my computer to surf and publish content.

I know I could have upgraded to an iPhone to gain 3G connectivity and maintain the same platform (however unlocking the iPod touch every few minutes was very annoying), I realize I'm way too cheap to pay for a $30 data plan plus voice. I know I don't have to spend that much on data, but if I'm going to buy such a phone I better make sure I have the capacity to use it's features.

Now I'm taking a close look at what I want to use a mobile phone for, what specific use cases do I want the phone to accomplish? Here is a short list:

1) Checking email - I know this is a common use, but I am annoyed the way my current phone handles this task. I have to dig through three different menus and ok the sending of personal data before I can refresh the email screen. I want a shortcut button that takes one or two seconds to access the email.

2) Landscape QUERTY keyboard. My current phone has a portrait QUERTY keyboard which is too small for my thumbs and annoying to type on, the only way I'm going to get any typing done is on a wider landscape keyboard.

3) Works with Google Sync - I use lots of Google products including Gmail. Google sync allows me to synchronize my online contacts and calendar with my phone. The problem is not all phones allow this functionality with Google, that means I have to dig through the online manuals for each phone to find out if it will synchronize.

4) Twitter, Youtube, and Facebook - I want to be able to post photos and videos to Twitter, Facebook and Youtube with one or two clicks. Currently I have to dive through menus to accomplish this, I know the smart phones have quick apps for this, but again I don't want to pay those high data plan rates.

5) A $15 dollar unlimited phone plan - This is the big limiting factor. This means I am searching for a feature phone, the trick is to find the right feature phone that meets these requests.

Am I dreaming? Do I want too much? I don't think so. My current phone will already do most of these things, but I need it to be much more streamlined in order for me to make use of it. Later today I plan to walking into the local AT&T store to test out some phones, I'll be sure to report back with my findings.

Why I Returned My iPod Touch

2010-11-16T21:08:00.000-08:00

Image by Mr Noded via Flickr

First of all I was annoyed by having to constantly unlock the screen. Most of the time I wanted to pause the audio or play back the last few seconds of a podcast that I missed. I realize I could have changed the default settings to increase the time before the screen would automatically lock, but then I would be compromising too much battery life.

The second problem was the lack of 3G connectivity. I knew going in the device only had Wifi, but I didn't realized it was going to be as big of a problem as it was. The only place I could use it was at home, which I'd rather be using a regular computer with a faster Internet connection instead of an iPod touch.

Third was the low quality camera. I know Apple says it can record HD video, but the quality was terrible. I don't know very much about video recording and playback, but I do know bit rate is important. The video I saw was pixelated and grainy. The only good thing about working with video was the iMovie app. I found it simple and effective. Unfortunately that one app was not enough for me to keep the iPod.

Since returning the iPod I'm happy to be back to using my iPod classic. I thought the new version would be bigger and better, but in the end all I care about is listening to music and podcasts. Now I'm thinking maybe I want something like an iPhone, but there is no way I'm ever going to pay the outrageous fees for mobile Internet service or hundreds of dollars for the premium Apple product.

My other idea is to get a feature phone that only requires at $15/month data plan. I currently have an LG phone from AT&T, but I have no option to attach photos to Tweets or Facebook status updates. The interface is also clunky and I have no way of syncing my Google contacts with my phone. So now I'm on the hunt for the phone that will all do this without breaking the bank. I always love a good challenge.

TONYZERRER@facebook.com

2010-11-13T15:08:00.000-08:00

Image via CrunchBase

I read today that Facebook is working on an email service for their users. I think this is a fantastic idea and welcome the innovation. I can't say I'll participate with the service, but I know many of my friends and family will.

The Good:

1) Everyone already has a Facebook account and uses it regularly, this new email feature will help consolidate the user's time by making Facebook a one-stop shop for most of their Internet uses.

2) I'm sure Facebook will be able to integrate their email service with all the other services seamlessly. Surely the mobile app will continue to be a streamlined version of the popular desktop version, which will make reading and writing emails from Facebook even easier.

The Bad:

1) Trust is an issue for Facebook users. Many are familiar with Facebook's unscrupulous actions by selling user data to third parties, integrating email will become another avenue for advertisers to target users on a deeper level than before.

2) Alone the lines of private data becoming compromised, I could see email messages being searchable via Facebook or oven Google. Have you ever heard of myopenbook.org? Imagine if they could add email addresses and messages to their search engine.

The unfortunate part of all this are the scores of people that think Facebook is the Internet. I'm afraid that adding email services will only help complete the brainwashing. On the other side I see Facebook having a lot at stake. If they don't execute this service properly they could risk a major downfall and alienate many users prior to their big IPO. On the other hand if Facebook is able to build email as a popular service, they could possibly become the largest email provider in the world.

Greetings from my iPod Touch

2010-11-03T21:20:00.000-07:00

I'm typing this on my new iPod touch so this post will be short. I have a pretty cool story about how I purchased it from Costco, but I'll have to save that for when I'm in crnot of a real keyboard.

-Tony

Who knew searching on Google could be so cool?

2010-08-22T23:30:00.000-07:00

Image via CrunchBase

I read about Google's new search tool on Mashable this morning. Can you believe this? Google is refreshing the search results page while you type your search query. Check out this video, be sure to maximize it to full screen to get the full effect.

While I'm at it, I should show you one of my favorite Google search videos, perhaps because I'm into romantic comedies (don't laugh). I think this showed up as a Superbowl ad last year.

A screen shot of my Hugh Grant Google search.
Notice I selected "Latest" for my time frame.

I think one of my favorite features of Google search is the "Latest" feature on the search page. It's simple to use, just type your query in the search box as you normally do, then select the "Latest" option and watch the magic happen. I searched for Hugh Grant because I saw his name as a trending topic on Twitter. When I clicked "Search" a steam of links came pouring in from several sources all over the Internet, but mostly from Twitter. I generally use this feature when I want to view a trending topic from multiple perspectives. This feature will not work very well on topic that people are not currently writing about, but it's great when you want the scoop on something.

Here's a quick tip - Did you know the search bar is also a calculator? Type a math expression and Google will calculate it for you instantly. I even tried it with Google's Chrome browser that allows you to search via th address bar. At first I entered a simple problem like 3+2*8 and "19" showed up without me having to hit the enter key. In case you thought the answer was 40, go back and review the order of operations.

It turns out you can do most of the calculation that a typical scientific calculator can do, which is plenty for most of us. For more information on this cool feature, check out Google's calculator help page.

This photo is courtesy of Panoramio. It was
one of the photos that enticed me to visit
this hotel resort.

During my upcoming Hawaiian vacation I plan to take lots of photos. Most of the photos will be of my family, but I'm planning to take several shots of the beautiful surroundings. If I Geotag these photos I can include them on Google search results by uploading them to Panoramio. Panoramio is a photo sharing site that was bought by Google a couple of years ago. When you upload your photo to Panoramio you are also enabling the service to link your photo to Google maps, then when someone searches for that particular place they will see your photo along with everyone else who also submitted photos of that location. I used this service to help make a decision about which resort to choose in Hawaii. Instead of looking at the resorts photos, I thought it would be more helpful to get a visitor's perspective of the place, so I visited Google Maps and entered the name of the Hotel (The Mauna Lani on the Big Island). As I suspected there were dozens of photos submitted by visitors showing the lush landscapes and beautiful grounds of the Hotel.

If you click on the map you'll get more information
including reviews from customers.

The last topic I'll talk about in this post is Google's local business search. These days people are using the Internet to not only find product to order and have shipped, they are also using it to find local services. For instance, I just encountered back spasms for the first time. I was in extreme pain and I had no idea what to do. My wife suggested calling an acupuncturist. I never visited one so I turned to Google to find a good one. I searched for "San Clemente Acupuncture". Google first presented me with a map of the area and pins placed at acupuncture locations. If I click on the map I will have a host of detailed information including customer reviews, photos, videos, and maybe even coupons provided by the business.

The advantage for the tech-savvy business is most small business owners have no idea they can have full control of their listing for free, it's like having free advertising for people that are already looking for you. Hopefully as time goes by more businesses will take advantage of this free tool, which will make searching on Google even more effective.

Securing my digital needs for Hawaii

2010-08-22T00:15:00.000-07:00

Image by whl.travel via Flickr

I'm looking forward to a relaxing time on our Hawaiian vacation.

After booking the flight, hotel, and rental car, my next step is making sure I have my photo gear set for the trip. I want to travel light, but I also want to pack the gear that will get the shots I want. Most people will bring a short lens followed by a long telephoto. Unfortunately the auto focus on my telephoto is broken, so I'll have to stick with my new Tamron 17-50mm f/2.8 lens. Here is a quick video review of the lens.

I learned about this lens through a great lens review site, so far the photos are looking good. Here are a few samples while I was messing around.

This photo was taken by my 5 year-old son, Braden. Thanks to the Tamron's Vibration Compensation he was able to take a sharp photo with a shutter speed of 1/40 of a sec.

The lens is also pretty sharp. Here is another photo taken by my son, notice the nice blurry background (called bokeh).

Finally, here is a photo I took of my dog. This image displays the wide angle this lens of capable of capturing.

One other feature I plan to use the the Canon 7D's ability to take photos in in both RAW and JPEG formats so I can have the RAW photos for later and the smaller JPEG files for on-the-road blogging.

In case you were wondering what camera gear I was planning to bring on my trip, here is a little video of me taking inventory of every item.

Since I'm planning to blog and use the Internet, I thought it would be a good idea to check what Internet services are offered at our hotel. It turns out the Mauna Lani Hotel and Resort offers free WIFI!

I promised my wife I would not bring too much photo gear to our trip.
I'm wondering how much is too much?

The only problem we'll run into is our mobile phone service. My wife will bring her iPhone 3G, but our plan doesn't include minutes outside of Southern California. We have a really old and cheap plan which is great for home, but roaming charges will kick us in the butt. I looking into upgrading our plan, but it doesn't make sense just to save a few bucks on our one week trip.

I know it sounds like I'm putting too much thought to this tech stuff, but I just want to land in Hawaii and start having fun. I don't want to think about anything but playing with my kids on the beach, laughing with my wife, and taking lots of great photos to remind us of our wonderful time together.

iPad, iPod, and Google Tablet Rumors

2010-08-19T22:53:00.000-07:00

Image via CrunchBase

It seems every day a new rumor surrounding Apple and Google products surfaces to mainstream media. While I find the news exciting, I'm also exhausted with trying to figure out which product to buy. So far I've held strong against the urge to buy any of these new mobile gadgets, I have to admit I'm gearing up for a purchase soon.

Before I go on I want to give a nod to Annie Leonard's "Story of Stuff". In it she explains the perils of buying into this gadget market and how if effects the people and climate of our world. Here is her flagship film that got everything started. When you're done watching the video, I suggest buying the book. The chapters outlining electronics and how they're disposed of got me to hold onto my iPod a little longer. When I'm done with it I plan to sell it or send it to Gazelle for responsible recycling.

Now back to buying new gadgets...

First I'll say I use my iPod every day. I listen to audio books and podcasts all the time. I listen to it while I'm working out, driving to and from work, and even during those honey-do chores on the weekends. For me the iPod enables me to learn while taking care of daily chores that require little thought. Using those moments allows me to read more books and gain new skills I would otherwise never get to. So when I make my next purchase, I have to consider the device's ability to deliver the same content as I've come to expect from my current iPod.

The second criteria for a new device is the ability to utilize apps. I find myself constantly using my wife's iPhone 3G when I want to surf the Internet and every computer is being used in the house. I'm also picking it up to finish a level of Angry Birds (that is such a fun game). Sometimes I'll take a photo and upload it to Flickr or Picasa, or mess around with the Map app and find the closest book store. I find the device to be incredibly useful for productive as well as entertaining uses.

At this point you might think I'm in the market for a new iPhone - well, you guesses wrong. Since my son destroyed two of my wife's iPhones by dropping them in the toilet when he was 3, we used up our upgrading options until next year, which means I would have to pay $500 for a new iPhone which is not happening.

In addition to the high cost of a new phone, I'm a little weary of committing to a new phone plan. As it is I barely use my phone at all and I can't imagine changing my habits anytime soon. I was actually thinking of getting an iPod touch instead. I'm hoping the next generation will have all the same features as the iPhone 4 minus the phone, then I would use Skype to make my calls. I realize I would have to find a Wifi hotspot, but I think I can manage. It would be like the days when we had to find a pay phone in order to make a call.

I guess now I have to mention the rumored Google tablet (Since it was in the title of the blog post) that's supposed to come out November 2010. While the specs look good, I don't see myself buying one. I don't see myself carrying around a tablet, I don't need the Internet that large at my fingertips all the time, I think I'm perfectly happy with stuffing it in my pocket. Plus the idea of having a small device would make it easier to create blog posts on the fly as cool thing happen while I'm out and about, not stuck in from of a computer. I could include videos and photos of my excursions a lot easier with a pocket device instead of a larger tablet, which might be why there is a new rumored smaller iPad in the works later this year too.

Getting ready for Hawaii

2010-08-18T17:08:00.000-07:00

Image via Wikipedia

Hopefully this is what I can expect at my Hawaiian destination.

I'm getting myself and photo gear for our upcoming trip to Hawaii. Before I start thinking about anything like lenses I'm going to solve the humidity problem.

Last time I ventured to a tropical island my lenses fogged and I couldn't use the camera for hours. This time I plan to come prepared with a cool little cleaning cloth that's supposed to get rid of the foggy lens and allow me to shoot right away.

The product is called "Fog Eliminator". Even though the product is distributed by Nikon, the cloth will work on glass from any manufacturer. I have no idea what makes this cloth so special, but I'm willing to give it a try. I heard about the cloth by listening to This Week in Photography and thought it was worth the $8 to see if it works. From what I've read you simply wipe the cloth on the lens and you're good for a couple of hours. I'm not sure if anything can be done if there is condensation on the inside of the lens, I think this is where the pro-grade lenses with weather sealing become more useful.

I think what I'll do is simply get a bag of rice and place my lenses in it, then let the bag sit outside for a while to acclimate to the new surroundings.. I know I'll be anxious to snap some photos when we land so I'll have to exercise some patience in the first few moments.

*I just remembered the last time I returned from Hawaii at 5am a few years ago. We were returning from Kauai and I had to place my keys in the little tray when walking through the metal detector. The problem was I forgot to pick my keys back up. When we touched down after a 5 hour flight I searched everywhere for my keys but couldn't find them. I finally called back to Kauai and was able to locate the keys back on the island. It was early morning in a dirty terminal, with a 1-year old, an angry wife, and my parents shaking their heads. I think I was fortunate enough to find a hidden spare to make it home. From there I was able to break into my house and use a spare set of keys until the other set arrived in the mail. Needless to say I will be far more careful with my keys this trip.

My 7D got some skin.

2010-08-16T22:38:00.000-07:00

Shooting the Junior Guard Video on the beach made me nervous about sand and the salty air destroying my Canon 7D. I know my friend John assured me that photographers have put similar cameras through worse conditions, I couldn't help myself to some extra protection from these harsh elements.

I came across the this Delkin model after a long time of searching for "Rubber cases for the Canon 7D". Finally I realized the product is called a "Skin". I thought a rubber skin would provide the perfect protection at the beach while allowing me full access to all the camera's functions, it had to be better than the Opteka rain gear I purchased last month.

1) Putting the skin on the camera is a little annoying. You have to take the camera strap off and back on in order to apply the skin properly. I realize it's not a major drawback, but I was still irked.

2) The LCD cover floats around too much. I think Delkin should have fixed the LCD cover on the skin instead of having it attach independently. I think I'm just going to scrap this cheap piece of plastic since it adds to the glare while checking out the footage on the back of the camera.

3) It gives the camera an entirely different feel that I don't think I like. Sometimes you're not sure the buttons are getting pressed down completely, and the Mfn button on the front is real hard to press down since it's so small.

While I realize I'm complaining a lot about this skin, I'm also glad I have it. I plan to take it off once the Junior Guard project is over, but I'll keep it in my gear bag in case I come across objectionable surroundings again.

Geeking out on my Canon 7D

2010-08-04T23:04:00.000-07:00

I've had my 7D for months now, but I haven't been able to work with the supreme video features because of the limited capabilities of my computer... until now.

Fellow lifeguard and photographer, John Hanacek and I are working on the next San Clemente State Junior Lifeguard video. John has the computing power and photography skills to help this project leap to the HD level, which sets us up to create something substantial.

I spent all last week working on several problems I'll face at the beach while filming. I bought a shotgun mic and fuzzy windscreen to overcome the wind and crashing waves competing with the voices I want to record.

A Hoodman was purchased to overcome the bright sun that washes out the LCD screen used during recording. I also purchased a bunch of rubber bands to attach the Hoodman to the camera.

I already had a flash bracket to attach the mic off to the side of the lens to keep it out of the field of view.

I purchased extra neutral density filters to take advantage of the large apertures available on my Canon 50mm 1.4 lens.

I tried a couple of DIY stabalization systems, but in the end I decided to use a monopod along with an Opteka X-Grip I bought from Amazon.

Day 1 - I downloaded some picture profiles that were supposed to create a cinematic effect with the 7D. John and I reviewed the footage at the end of the day and noticed everything looked brown and soft. We decided to go with the Standard picture profile for the rest of the shooting.

Day 2 - The new picture profile is working great, and I'm getting better at manually focusing. The shotgun mic works better than expected (Azden SMG-1X), I was able to capture audio from distances beyond what I was able to hear during recording.

Day 3 - I plan to return to shooting this Friday where the Junior Guards will be watching a rescue demonstration. That should be lots of fun.

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