1. Generator size

There are two differing perspectives on this question.

The first strategy is to use a very large generator (someone recommended a 20Kw to me). The benefit of this approach is that the large unit would power everything in the house and so you could run all your appliances including air conditioners, electric dryer and even electric stove without a problem. However, there is a trade-off. The larger generator typically means higher cost, more noise and increased fuel consumption.

The alternative approach is to choose a smaller generator (~10Kw). These units will not power the entire house, but rather are used to power critical systems such as heat, lighting, refrigerator and selected outlets. These smaller units will not power electrical intensive devices like electric dryers, stoves or ovens. However, they are less expensive to purchase, often are smaller in size and use less fuel. The installation process can also take a bit more work since someone has to identify which circuits to include and exclude. If you are considering this approach, you should review your circuit breakers to understand which you will power with the generator and which you won’t. These circuit choices will impact the generator size you need.

2. Manual or Automatic

Power outages can happen suddenly and so a generator needs to be prepared to come online rapidly. A big question is how the generator is started. Common options include automatic start, manual electric start (push a button or turn a key) or manual pull start. In general, the first option requires the least intervention (actually none), while the second two require the owner to start the generator manually. Obviously, the automatic option is extremely convenient and beneficial because it will start regardless of the hour and whether anyone is available. However, you will typically pay a premium for this feature and you rarely find it on anything but dedicated home generators. The price difference between the first option and the second two can be orders of magnitude different and so this really comes down to a question of budget versus convenience.

On a side note, with whatever generator your get, you will need an electric transfer switch. This device will enable your generator to power the house and will also disconnect your house from the electrical grid. This is critical because without it, your generator could push power back into the grid which could hurt power workers trying to fix the lines. There are a variety of switch options available some of which are manual and others that are automated. As you can imagine, the automatic start generators typically come with automatic transfer switches while manual generators often require you to purchase a separate manual or automatic transfer switch. Clearly, if you have a manual generator you are probably better served with a manual transfer switch since this is significantly less expensive than an automatic one and manual intervention is required to start the generator anyway.

3. Fuel

The next question is which fuel to use to power the generator. The choice of fuel can vary widely with the most common options including natural gas, propane and gasoline.

Natural gas is a good option for the homeowner who is already using this fuel. It is relative easy to plumb the generator into the existing natural gas line. Gas is also helpful because it does not require manual fuel deliveries or pickups and can effectively run the generator in perpetuity. Obviously, you would need a competent plumber to connect the generator and the cost can be significant. Note that most dedicated home generators support natural gas.

The next option is liquid propane (LP). Propane is an equally powerful source of fuel as natural gas although it requires external tanks. Thus, when installing a generator using LP, you also need to think about installing propane tanks and tank sizes. Bigger LP tanks extend run times, but are larger and can be more difficult to place and hide. Conversely, smaller ones are easier to conceal but will provide shorter run times. Additionally, LP tanks need to be refilled and so if a significant outage occurs, you may need a propane supplier to visit your house. This could be an issue if the roads are blocked or otherwise inaccessible. (This should factor into the tank size since larger tanks will allow for longer run times and thus fewer fill-ups.) Note that most home generators offer the ability to support either LP or natural gas and represent a good option if you are unsure if you will change fuel in the future.

The final option is gasoline. Obviously this is an extremely common fuel and can easily be retrieved at any gas station. The challenge is that gasoline-based generators have smaller fuel tanks thus requiring more frequent fill-ups. Thus, a gas generator owner would either need to have a significant store of gasoline at their house or make fairly frequent trips to the gas station. This can also be problematic if the gas station is inaccessible or worse, is sold out of gas. For example, I have a friend who has a gas generator that works well, but it only delivers about 10 hours of run time and so he needed to refill it at least twice a day. He was okay with this requirement, but not all users may agree. The benefit of this fuel is that it is ubiquitous since there are gas stations everywhere. Similarly, gas generators tend to be much less expensive than their natural gas and LP counterparts.

The choice of fuel is significant and there is no right choice for everyone. Clearly, natural gas provides the least human intervention with automated fuel availability; however, it requires that the house already have the fuel. LP provides shorter run times than natural gas and an external tank, but the larger tank sizes (than gasoline) can provide power for extended periods. Additionally, refueling from a propane company simplifies the process of refueling, but still introduces risk. Finally, gas provides the most ubiquitous and inexpensive fuel source; however, it requires significant owner intervention to ensure that the generator is fully fueled and running.

4. Budget

The final issue is budget. Regardless of the route you take, a transfer switch is required and so you will need to pay an electrician for installation. However, the scope and complexity of the job can vary widely. Often the biggest cost is the generator and there is a huge price range. You can purchase an inexpensive portable gas generator for as little as $500 while a fully automated 20Kw home generator can run $5,000 or more. Clearly, the more you spend, the bigger and more automated the solution becomes, but the largest options may be beyond the reach of many. You also need to keep in mind other installation costs which can include plumbing the natural gas line or purchasing, installing and filling LP tanks and pipes. Finally, there may also be a cost to prepare a location for the generator and/or fuel tank including leveling ground and preparing a pad.

Summary

In conclusion, there are many different elements to consider when purchasing a home generator. The options range from a quick and inexpensive approach with lots of manual activity to a fully automated whole house unit that will essentially run forever. The choice of option really comes to budget and desired functionality.

I was recently traveling in Bogota, Colombia and received a curious email from American Express which stated that there were some questionable activities on my card. Obviously, I assumed that this was due to charges on my corporate card, and called AmEx to confirm the transactions. However, the American Express representative stated that the charges were placed on my personal card which was troubling since I had never used it in Colombia. I have no idea how someone got my card information but was thankful that AmEx flagged the charges instantly. Naturally, I reviewed the situation with the operator and she suggested that we cancel the card and overnight a new one to my house to arrive on Friday. (This was Thursday) This worked well since I was leaving Friday night for the weekend. I hung up from the call feeling very positive about American Express and their customer service. Unfortunately, the experience rapidly went downhill.

Friday was a busy travel day and so I did not have a chance to check on the delivery status until late in the day. Unfortunately, there was no sign of the card and so I promptly called American Express. The representative indicated that a replacement had not been ordered on Thursday as promised, but instead was requested on Friday for a Saturday delivery. This statement conflicted with the previous conversation. When I raised the issue on the phone, the response was, “I have no idea what they promised you, but this is what the computer says.” Gee, thank you for the insightful and helpful reply! My frustration was rapidly growing, but I maintained my patience. However, the situation would get worse.

As previously stated, a Saturday delivery would not work due to my travel plans for the weekend. When I mentioned this to the AmEx representative, she was perplexed and indicated that we needed to engage a card replacement specialist. Once the specialist joined the line, I explained the situation and she suggested canceling the card that was to be delivered Saturday and issuing a new one to arrive on Tuesday. I wanted to put the situation behind me and so immediately agreed. Well, guess what? Today is Tuesday and still no card. The AmEx representative I spoke with this evening said that their computer had no record of a conversation on Friday and that none of the promised actions had taken place. She was offered more apologies and to overnight yet another card for Thursday arrival. I cannot believe that AmEx has messed up two simple card deliver requests. How hard can this be? As a customer, I am extremely frustrated with the situation.

American Express did a fantastic job identifying potential card fraud using automated software and their instant notification was impressive. Unfortunately, the performance by their human support team paled in comparison. American Express’s continued inability to deliver on a simple card replacement request is shocking. I am fortunate that this was not an urgent situation; what would have happened if my wallet had been stolen and I needed an emergency replacement? AmEx’s human customer service team has neither been pro-active nor supportive and instead seem to prefer hollow excuses and weak apologies. I am extremely dissatisfied with this situation and am beginning to question AmEx’s entire organization. Is this the level of customer service that the company deems appropriate? At this point, I have no idea and am seriously considering closing my account.

Update: I tweeted about this blog post late in the evening and included @AmericanExpress and @AskAmex.  @AmericanExpress provided a canned and decidedly unuseful response.  @AskAmex replied in the morning and was much more helpful and pro-active.  Rachel from AskAmex took control of the situation and addressed my concerns.  She is currently researching why these issues arose in the first place and is getting me a new card in the timeframe I require.  In short, she has done a great job!

However, the situation does leave you wondering why it took a blog post and multiple tweets to get this attention.  How would a non-techie get treated in a similar situation?

There are a myriad of Social Media tools and networks and as a potential user you need to rationalize the innumerable options.  I have found it simplest to categorize my primary social networking tools into buckets which define when to use what.  Here is my categorization:

Twitter

A great real time interaction tool that has a massive audience and is based on relatively mature technology.  I really enjoy Twitter and the many conversations on a variety of topics.  The service is very eclectic which is a good thing.  The content varies from personal to business with the only commonality being the near real-time interactions.  This is the network that I frequent and you can find Tweetdeck (or the equivalent) on all my personal computers and smartphones.  You can view my Twitter stream here: @jlivens.

LinkedIn

This service is business-centric with an emphasis on work experience and broad content expertise.  I find it extremely useful to keep track of past colleagues and friends and their current work endeavors.  It was particularly invaluable when I was job hunting a year ago because it provided a method to leverage my network of friends and past co-workers.  LinkedIn also maintains consistent contact information so you can reach past colleagues whose email or phone numbers may have changed.

Facebook

This is where I connect with past classmates, family members and friends.  The content is personal and is not geared towards business or career.  I like the idea of Facebook, but I am not entirely convinced of its value and often ask myself whether I would really miss connecting with some of these people.  Of course, I cannot mention Facebook without highlighting the security issues that many have complained about.  My opinion is that Facebook is a nice-to-have and not a must-have.  However, I know plenty of people who swear by it.

What about Google+?

I have clearly defined mental models for each of the above services which allows me to cleanly separate the streams, and I am struggling with Google +.  Is it a real time communication medium like Twitter, a professional medium like LinkedIn, a medium to talk about your dog like Facebook or something complete different?  Truthfully, I have not decided and this limits the service’s usefulness to me.  If I had to categorize G+ now, I would suggest that it replaces Facebook in my mental model, but the newness of the product and limited subscriber base makes it a poor substitute.

In summary, I am in a quandary about Google +.  I really want to like the service, but am not certain how to use it.  This situation reminds me of Google Wave.  Wave was a shiny new toy that was fun to use but users rapidly lost interest since it provided limited value.  I think that G+ has a far better chance of succeeding, but that it must find a personality that resonates with its users for it to maintain relevance.  Which brings the final question: is G+ a significant contender to the other other networks or is it a Wave-like attempt to usurp the competition?  Time will tell…

What do you think?

1. Cost – These repeaters are expensive luxuries and the longer internal range units are sold at a 57% premium.  This is a significant additional cost.  I called Wilson Electronics and asked if the higher end units provide any superior external amplification, and their answer was “No, it just provides a more powerful internal signal.”
2. Installation difficulty – I wanted a repeater that was highly portable and easy to install.  One of the challenges of these systems relates to spacing of the internal and external antennas.  The 801247 has a relatively small spacing requirement (~10 feet) while the longer range unit requires around 50 feet spacing.  This spacing requirements creates significant installation challenges and lends itself more to permanent installation than the portable approach I am looking for.
3. Specific area coverage – My most critical need is providing signal to my desk.  Any additional coverage is a welcome improvement.  The nice thing about the 801247 is that I can put the internal antenna on my desk and know that I will get the signal exactly where I need it.  The 841262 will require a more complex installation and antenna placement can be a much more significant challenge.  Additionally, given the amount of signal broadcasted internally, I am not sure if I want it on my desk!  The result is that I think that the 801247 is better if you want to cover a specific and relatively small area.

In summary, both the 801247 and the 841262 provide significant benefits.  The question of which is a better fit for a given environment will vary depending on specific requirements and situations.  At times, I waver on my choice, but always remember the above points which reinforce my decision.

Note: I just realized that the Wilson Electronics website no longer lists the above products and is selling a new version.  They have added some kind of gain control and I wonder if this new functionality makes a significant difference.

Before delving into installed apps, it is important to understand my application strategy.  My experience with previous phones (non-Android) suggests that an excessive number of applications can impact phone performance.  Thus, I am quite selective when choosing applications and will often remove ones that I either don’t use or use infrequently.  With that said here is a list of the ones that I find most valuable.  Any feedback or suggestions on alternative applications is welcome!

Productivity Apps:

1. KeePassDroid – Great open source password tool – Must have
2. Open Signal Maps – Used for configuring my wireless repeater.  Candidate for removal
3. gReader – A great RSS reader that integrates with Google Reader – Must have
4. ESPN ScoreCenter
5. Google Shopper – This one seems cool, but I never use it.  Possible deletion candidate
6. Dropbox – Works great especially with KeePassDroid – Must have
7. Movies (aka Flixster) – Great when looking for movies
8. DoggCatcher – A great podcast player
9. FlightTrack – Fantastic for flight information including real time updates – Must have for frequent travelers
10. HotelsByMe – Used infrequently and so I might delete it
11. Photo Tools Pro – Great tools for advanced photography
12. Seesmic
13. K-9 Mail – An alternative to the GMail client used to send large files
14. TripIt
15. Google Music
16. TweetDeck
17. MyAT&T
18. YouTube

Third party tools:

1. XFinity – Painfully slow and kludgy, but the channel guides are beneficial
2. Bank account application – (Prefer to keep the bank info private)

Keyboards – Still testing out options:

1. Swiftkey X
2. Perfect Keyboard
3. Smart Keyboard Pro – Currently my favorite – A must have
4. Gingerbread Keyboard

Utilities:

1. Setting Profiles Lite – An indispensible ringer profile tool – A must have
2. Digital Clock Widget – Did not like the native clock widget
3. Battery Monitor Widget – Love the granular battery life information – A must have
4. OI File Manager – Required by some application (Drop Box?)
5. Juice Defender Beta – Not currently using this; it is a candidate for removal
6. WordPress – A great tool to review and edit WordPress blog content and comments
7. AndroBlip – Application to manage and view postings on Blipfoto
8. Vlingo – Powerful voice recognition.  Works great! – A must have
9. Google Maps
10. Speedtest.net Mobile Speed test
11. Any Cut

Games – Still looking for really good ones

1. Air Control – Fun!  I like this one – My current favorite game
2. Airport Mania – Fun! But buggy because I cannot save a game.  It is on the list for removal
3. Mouse Trap – A fun maze game
4. Shaky Tower – Trying this one out and deciding whether to keep it
5. Tank Hero – Still in trial like Shaky Tower

The keyboard that came with my Motorola Atrix (running Android v2.2) was adequate; however, I had some significant challenges. The biggest problem was the positioning of the period key. For whatever reason, it is located next to the space bar and I inevitably hit it mistakenly when typing fast and trying to add a space.  This creates all kinds of weird spacing and capitalization issues, and is supremely annoying.  Additionally, the relatively small keys on the keyboard often caused typing error which were not always auto-corrected. My goal was to find a keyboard that could address these challenges and I was fortunate that Android has many options to choose from. Here is a review of the ones I tried out:

Swype

My Motorola Atrix came with Swype embedded and it was the first one I tried. My initial experience was uncertain because the keys were relatively small and difficult to type. It was only after further research that I realized that Swype incorporates a completely different typing paradigm. The idea is that you trace the word by dragging your finger over the various letters. Many people swear by this approach, but I never became comfortable with it. Perhaps I would have liked if I dedicated more time, but my goal was to find a keyboard that would better fit with my typing style rather than changing my typing style to meet the needs of the keyboard. Thus, Swype was disqualified.

SwiftKey

After doing substantial research, this option seemed to be top rated and indeed, I liked it. The size and spacing of the keys is better than the stock keyboard and so in general typing was improved. However, it still has the annoying period problem. I particularly liked the ability to delete a word by swiping across the keyboard. In general, this keyboard was much improved over the stock unit. However, I still found another option that I liked better.

Gingerbread Keyboard

Gingerbread is the next major release of Android and includes a new keyboard. An intrepid developer ported that keyboard to earlier versions of Android and provided additional customization options. My immediate impression of this keyboard was mixed until I reviewed the customization features which truly differentiated it. This keyboard offers unique customizations including the ability to remove the period and microphone buttons which results in a larger space bar and is exactly what I wanted. Furthermore, it also offered the ability to change key size and spacing to further optimize the keyboard. My custom configuration included the removal of the voice and period key and increased key size. These seemingly minor enhancements made a massive difference and this keyboard is currently my favorite and is highly recommended.

SwiftKey X Beta

After the initial test of SwiftKey, the company released an all new beta version of the keyboard. This one is dramatically different from the previously reviewed model. I like the new layout and increased key size. However, it still lacks the customization options of the Gingerbread keyboard and so while it  looks promising, I still favor the Gingerbread keyboard. On the bright side, the beta software is free and so I recommend experimenting with it.  I Tweeted about my desire for further customization and the developers indicated that they were working on adding this feature.  (Kudos to the SwiftKey team for responding via Twitter!)

Clearly a benefit of the Android is flexibility and the many keyboard options are a great example. Each of the keyboards provide a good typing experience, but in my opinion the Gingerbread keyboard is the best of the bunch. However, honorable mention goes to SwiftKey X Beta since the product is still under development and the final product may include additional customization options to meet my requirements.

Good: Speed

I will not go through the Atrix specs in detail, but one point of note is that the phone includes the new dual-core Tegra processor. Having never owned a single core Android phone, I cannot compare it directly, but can say that it is very fast. It virtually never slows down and runs everything application flawlessly. One of the areas where this is most visible is in Google Navigation. The route re-calculation functionality is instantaneous and I barely know when it happens. This is in sharp contrast to my Tom Tom navigator which takes a good 5 – 10 seconds to recalculate during which time you are driving blind. This phone is in sharp contrast to my Palm Pre Plus and previous Blackbery Bold 9000 both of which slowed down frequently.

Bad: Cut and Paste

I find the entire cut and paste process on the phone frustrating. Theoretically, you should be able to cut and paste from any document or page, but I find it difficult to do so. I believe that the problem is a combination of how Android manages the feature and the relatively small screen. To be fair, my Palm has the same problem and I imagine that the iPhone is not much different. Ironically, this is an area where the Blackberry excelled. While many people complained about the trackball in those devices, it did a much better job of fine grained text selection and the cut and paste functionality was robust.

I am hoping that there will be some enhancements in this feature in the future and am waiting patiently for the next version Gingerbread (aka 2.3) to be released for the Atrix.

Good: Flexibility

I love the flexibility of Android. The platform can be almost infinitely customized to meet the needs of every user. This is a very different design paradigm than the iPhone where Apple maintains strict control over the device. I love the idea of having multiple launcher, email and keyboard options. A recently example reminded me of the importance of flexibility. My typing on the Atrix’s on-screen keyboard has improved, but I still struggle with accuracy and speed. One of my recent goals was to find a better keyboard to improve the experience and I was thrilled to see that there were something like 10 different in the Android store. (I will publish a complete post on this search later) Any of these alternatives could be installed transparently and they offered a range of features and designs. It was great to have the choice. With Apple, you have one keyboard, the stock one, and if you don’t like it then too bad.

The only downside of the flexibility is that it can be daunting for new users. I believe that it is worth the trade-off. Ironically, I did get the Mrs an iPhone because she thought Android was too confusing and so there is a case to be made for sticking with the simplicity (and relative lack of flexibility) of the iPhone.

Bad: Battery Life

The Atrix packs a serious technological punch when you look at the large high resolution display, dual core processor, large amounts of memory and 4G radio. All these elements add-up to a great user experience, but poor battery life. You typically need to charge the phone at least nightly or else you will run out of juice on day two. It is frustrating that the battery is so short-lived and I wish that it lasted longer. Ironically, my Palm Pre Plus’s battery is not much better and so this is not a condition of the Atrix only. It is funny, when I went from the Blackberry 8700 to the Bold 9000, I was extremely frustrated with the reduction in battery life and thought that the 9000 had the worst battery life of any phone. Well, its title of poor battery life champion has been transferred and both the Palm and Atrix are worse.

Reviews suggest that many of today’s newer smartphones suffer the same battery life woes as the Atrix and Pre Plus, and so it may not be fair to single out these devices. However, I still think that battery longevity is only marginally acceptable on these devices(and by extension most similar smartphones.). There has to be a better way and I look forward to the time when we can return to the multiple day phone usage models of past Blackberries.

Good: Android Market

Clearly, Apple was the first mover in the smartphone application market and has done an admirable job with their App Store. However, I have been extremely impressed with the Android Market. The breadth of applications and flexibility of the platform make a compelling value proposition. I find that just about every app I need is available. Some of my favorite apps include:

1. FlightTrack Pro – Fantastic for tracking flights, arrivals and gates
2. gReader – Great RSS reader that syncs with Google Reader
3. Seesmic – My favorite Twitter client
4. KeePassDroid – Great for storing passwords securely

I also appreciate that many service providers I use have applications there including AT&T, Comcast and Bank of America.

Bad: Locked Boot Loader

At heart, I am a tinkerer. I love playing with the new software and applications to see if I can find something better or more efficient. As previously mentioned, the Android platform is highly flexible, but the ultimate flexibility would be to allow the installation of custom-built versions of Android. Unfortunately, Motorola, in their infinite wisdom, prevented the installation of custom ROMs by locking the boot loader. This limits my ability to tinker with the platform. Obviously, they made a business choice, but I believe that it is one that hinders the platform for techies like me. On the bright side, Motorola has announced that they may reconsider this in the future, but it is not clear if that choice applies to the Atrix or only to future models.

Update (6/27): Android Central indicates that the bootloader is likely to be unlocked with the upcoming Gingerbread update.  The same site also indicates someone has already unlocked the bootloader.

Good: Browser

The browser on the Atrix is the most PC-like I have ever used. In general, it does an admirable job rendering pages of all types. It also includes native flash support which works well. I sometimes encounter Flash glitches, but these errors are a worthwhile trade-off versus having no flash at all. I also believe that the dual core CPU in the Atrix helps since it has more computing power than other handheld devices.

The browser is so reliable that my view of the mobile web has changed. With my BB (and to a lesser extent the Palm), I was just happy when a web page loaded and was viewable. It was a further bonus if it actually looked right and you could input data. My expectations have changed with the Atrix; I now expect every page to load properly and be viewable and in this category, the Atrix does not disappointment. Every once in a while, I do encounter a rogue page, but it happens infrequently enough that it is not bothersome.

Summary:

I have emerged from my Android experience feeling very enthusiastic about the platform. While it has its shortcomings – what platform doesn’t? – my Atrix has become a daily companion. I use it all the time for tasks that I previously would have relied on a laptop for, and to me, that is a very meaningful change. The Atrix has opened new possibilities of accessing the Internet and web-based content, and that is something that I cannot say about any other platform I have owned.

I frequently visit a summer house on a lake that has minimal cell coverage.  When walking outside, you are lucky to get one bar with AT&T while Verizon is a bit stronger, but still of questionable usability.  My goal was to find a way to deliver consistent coverage to a desk in the house.  Note that the objective was not to provide signal for the entire house, but simply to one location.  (This is an important distinction.)

I researched many solutions.  The first option was a femtocell.  Carriers provide femtocells which provide cellular coverage in houses using voice over IP and existing Internet connections.  The idea is a good one, but did not work in my case because the house did not have Internet access.  Additionally, the carriers charge around $10 a month for this service which is ridiculous.  Clearly, I needed an alternative approach.

The second choice, which I eventually went with, was a wireless repeater.  These systems include an outside antenna, inside antenna and an amplifier.  The outside antenna receives the carrier’s signal while the amplifier amplifies it and re-broadcasts it through the internal antenna inside the house.  Thus, all cell phones inside the house work normally because they connect to what is effectively the outside signal amplified.  There are a number of options to choose from including units from Wilson Electronics and Wi-Ex.  In general, the reviews of both units were positive.  Note that both companies also offer a range of accessories to improve signal quality and internal coverage area.

I chose a 801247 from Wilson Electronics due to the lower cost and positive reviews.  The Wi-Ex unit looked good too, but I thought that the 801247 would better meet my needs.  I also interacted with the Wilson Electronics support team prior to purchasing the unit and was impressed with their knowledge and responsiveness.  As part of the purchase (and based on their recommendation), I also added a directional antenna to further enhance the unit’s performance.

The entire purchase process went smoothly and I was excited when everything arrived.  My plan was to test the system in my home (which also has poor coverage) before bringing it to the lake house. However, my initial installation experience was a bit daunting.

The initial challenge

Repeaters have two antennas both of which act as receivers and transmitters.  If the two antennas are too close together then they will interfere with each other.  Both devices have technology to minimize interference, but require a minimum fixed distance between the internal and external antenna to avoid the situation.  This is a critical challenge since the distance gets greater as antenna power increases.  It is for this reason that I chose the 802147 because its internal amplification is fairly low thus minimizing the required separation.

All of the above said, I still had problems placing the internal and external antennas in the same room of my house because there was not a enough distance.  I never addressed the situation and the current plan is place the antenna in the attic at a later date.

The distance issue was less of a problem in the lake house because of the directionality of the antenna and the distance between it and the internal antenna.

The installation

The biggest challenge with installing a directional antenna is deciding where to point it; pointing it in the wrong direction will negatively impact performance. This was an area where the Android Market came to the rescue.  I installed the application Open Signal Maps on my Motorola Atrix 4G.  The application plotted the closest tower locations on Google Maps and then I used a larger map to decide where to point the antenna.

In order to allow for easy removal, I used a temporary mounting method and appreciated that the mounting hardware and cabling was included.  I also order a couple of these to simplify the process of running the cable through a window.   The resulting installation was stable, consistent and easily removable.

The results

The good

Verizon’s signal was massively improved.  I went from one bar and an unusable connection to five solid bars. Bandwidth tests showed download speeds in excess of 1 Mb/sec and uploads of about 600Kb/sec.  Note that it properly amplified the 3G signal.  Nice. 

The AT&T signal showed a significant increase as well.  It went from no bars to three and my bandwidth numbers went from zero to about 1 Mb/sec.  Interestingly, my Motorola Atrix 4G actually showed a 4G signal which was unexpected since the unit was only rated for 3G.  (Could it be that 4G uses the same signal band?)  Voice quality was good and the phone was perfectly usable.

The bad

The signal range was very short.  All of the above tests were performed with the aircard and phone six inches or closer to the 801247’s internal antenna.  As I moved the devices away, the re-broadcasted signal decreased rapidly and by 6 feet, the signal was gone.  Thus the amplification benefit only covers a tiny area.

Summary

The Wilson Electronics 801247 did an amazing job retrieving distant signals.  Its impact was substantial and the unit will allow me to work from the lake house when needed. 

The only downside of the unit (besides cost) was the relatively short range of the internal antenna.  For me, this is not a problem since I only wanted coverage at my desk, but those people looking for house-wide amplification should look to a different model. However, that more powerful model will require additional antenna spacing.

In summary, I am happy with my new amplifier and would purchase the unit again.  Its ability to pull in distant signals is compelling and it provides a viable method to deliver cellular coverage to those rural areas where it is limited or non-existent.

Amazon has announced they have inked a relationship with Overdrive, the company that provides eBook lending services to many libraries including mine.  I believe that this is a major accomplishment since it brings Amazon’s class leading eBook reader into the traditional library realm.

I have always believed that the economics of of eBooks was beneficial to Amazon and that they did not favor the consumer.  Simply put, the cost savings between electronic and physical books was not substantial and in my opinion, was not enough to overcome the limitations of the new platforms.  (The second post above highlights the position.)  However, note that the price of the readers have come down which improves eBook payback.

The addition of traditional lending to the Kindle platform has the potential to substantially change the situation.  The technology can radically alter the economics of Kindle by freeing the consumer from having to purchase pricey eBooks whenever new content is desired.  Overdrive’s technology is relatively mature and has been supported by other eBook vendors.  Amazon’s announcement is a milestone since they are the clear leader in eBooks and their adoption drives credibility in the lending model. Hopefully, Amazon’s action will also increase the number of titles offered by Overdrive.

In summary, I have been skeptical of the eBook model, and Amazon’s recent partnership with Overdrive can change that.  I look forward to the implementation of the new technology in the Kindle platform and will relook at the situation once it is available.  However, I remain cautious until I see the implementation of Overdrive and how easy it is to use as compared with the Kindle’s traditional purchase model.

My company has not certified Verizon’s new 4G LTE cards which the carrier is heavily promoting.  Instead, I received a UMW190 instead.  One unexpected benefit of the UMW190 is that it also includes a GSM radio and so will work outside of the US.  This is helpful for world travelers, but I do not believe that it supports 3G GSM.

In short, the card has been solid.  Everywhere I have tried it whether in congested airports, cities or rural areas, the card has just worked.   To be fair, performance can be inconsistent ranging from around 60 Kb/sec to 1,000o Kb/sec.  However, this is mobile data and so I had expected as much.  Interestingly, I did notice a bit of signal stability issues when I used the card at an event with 400 people, but at its worst, the card still outperformed the lackluster AT&T unit.

I do see a need for LTE.  This card is great for general email and web surfing, but is not fast enough for bandwidth intensive activities like streaming video.  Since I primarily use the card for work, it meets my requirements quite effectively.  However, if I need to download or upload large files, a WiFi or wired connection is a better choice.  (To be clear large file uploads/downloads work fine, but are slow.)  I cannot help but wonder how much faster everything would go if I had the LTE model. 

In summary, if you are considering an air card, do not bother with AT&T.  Your best bet is to go with Verizon Wireless.  Interestingly, I am potentially getting an Atrix 4G on AT&T which has wireless hotspot functionality and so I may have another opportunity to test AT&T in the future.