Romek's Technology World

iPod Touch 16GB version

2007-11-26T22:00:00.001+00:00

Last Thursday I got the iPod Touch 16GB to use over the weekend. I quickly uploaded Video, Podcasts, Music and Photos and maxed out memory... that's just how I am. I always knew that 16GB isn't enough. I figure for my needs I would need an absolute minimum of 32GB though if you start adding video I would have to say 64GB is much more realistic.

So let me talk a bit about the device itself... the pros and the cons.

Pros:

Design... wow, this thing is amazing to look at. VERY thin and just beautiful. Everything is very high quality... amazing product.

Screen... WOW, this is the best part by far. The screen is amazingly bright and VERY high res. Everything looks just great on this screen.

Speed... this thing is fast. It seems to load all the apps very quickly, including pictures, music and video.

Web Surfing... was actually pretty good. I enjoyed the WiFi speeds and the great screen, pages looked great and overall it was very fun to surf on this thing.

Cons:

Battery Life... I used it for the day... watched an episode of Ugly Betty and Heroes. Had the music on for a few hours total, and I even turned off the WiFi to see if the battery would last longer. By the end of the day it was dead. Not good.

No bluetooth... perhaps the most important feature which is missing on the Touch is Bluetooth. The reason why this is so important to have is A. You should be able to sync with your computer/laptop via bluetooth B. You should be able to use an external Bluetooth keyboard to make typing easier.(that includes a mouse too). C. This is the most important, Bluetooth gateway to your Bluetooth mobile phone. Since this unit does not take GSM cards (as it is not an iPhone) the only way to get online is via WiFi). I use my Bluetooth phone connection when I need to connect my laptop to the internet on the go, it works very well and is fast. The Touch desperately needs this... DESPERATELY.

Another thing I noticed is the fact that 99% of the functions are via the touch screen, it is not possible to use the unit while it is in your pocket. This is an issue, and shows me that the ideal device would in fact have a couple of buttons so that you may (feel) your way through your clothing to say... skip to the next track. Maybe if I had a remote on the cable to my headphones that would help.

16GB is NOT enough... it's bad enough that most people have more than 16GB of music on their PC but now you pictures and video and suddenly 16GB seems... small. I ran out memory the first day I had it and had to start "managing" my music/video content. Not good.

The next complaint I have with the unit is one that is very much just an opinion. You see I never liked (and probably never will like) iTunes. Using iTunes with the Touch did not change my mind. The software is bloated (the PC version). It has hung up on me (the software) on several occasions usually when I disconnect the Touch from the computer.

The Touch itself did manage to hang up on me a couple of times, usually Safari was what caused the hang up. Safari does not yet support all types of plug-ins (like YouTube's regular site). And some sites like Pownce did like to "hickup" as they loaded.

The final thing I found very annoying about the Touch was... how locked down it is. I deliberately did not Jail Brake it to see what I could do... well, the answer is NOT MUCH. In fact I'll go as far as to say that the "official" Apple applications that are now available via the Apple site are a hoax.. they are not REAL applications, they are only web sites. This is Steve Jobs idea of running apps on the Touch??? Creating Web sites??? That's just so so poor... especially since the device can do SOOOO much more. It doesn't even include a way to check and write email on it. They took that application out of the Touch (it is in the iPhone) and to get it on the Touch you are, well you guessed it, forced to Jail Brake it so that REAL apps can be installed.

So overall I miss the unit. It's very slick, very nice, works well. But why sell a Ferrari and allow it to get out of 2nd gear??? Such a complete waste of a great device (perhaps one of the best devices ever made).

3/5 when locked down, 4/5 when unlocked, 5/5 if Apple would add bluetooth and allow computers to see this thing as regular HD.

Symbian Smartphone Show 2007

2007-11-01T08:26:00.001+00:00

Well, on Tuesday and Wednesday I attended the Symbian Smartphone Show which, while not being the largest show I've seen, did have quite a few very impressive partners show they latest offerings.

Of course you had the big boys there, such Goliath's as Nokia, Sony Ericsson, Motorola and Samsung, but also the S60 Forum was there, UIQ.

Overall I expected to be impressed with Nokia, Sony Ericsson was strong as well... the surprises were both Samsung and Motorola who both showed their new handsets based on Symbian OS (with Motorola using UIQ who they just acquired a majority stake in). It's good to see these companies agree on a standard OS allowing developers to create some truly wonderful applications expanding the mobile market. I have nothing against Palm, Windows Mobile or even Blackberry for that matter, but this was the Symbian Smartphone Show and I do believe that from what I have seen so far, the Symbian platform does offer the most flexibility, powerful functions and open developer base of all these systems.

I went around, talked to people and made new friends. I can see that the mobile market is well, and expending... things are now really starting to get interesting.

The obvious major thing I noticed at the show was the move by two very large mobile phone companies (Samsung and Motorola) to the Symbian OS (finally). This makes me think that LG might be the next company to make the move, but for now... I'm just happy that these companies are finally realizing the advantages of using the same OS both from a cost point of view as well as support (and I mean development from outside none-employee developers).

There were also many companies showing various solution that run Symbian based phones. Obviously that number will grow as more and more companies put the OS into their mobile phones. I really feel this is going to be great for the mobile phone market and finally allow it to grow in a way we've been waiting for.

Now I can't wait for next years show, which I suspect will be MUCH bigger. I see Symbian reaching a major turning point now that so many players are onboard and becoming the major mobile OS moving forward. Question is, how will future versions of Symbian handle the multimedia needs of new devices... or new input methods (such as the new push for touch screen) will remain to be seen. But I have faith that Symbian will work very closely with the large vendors to make sure their OS is properly implemented and supported. The mobile revolution is upon us! :-)

My new Apple Keyboard... running on Windows XP.

2007-10-07T22:10:00.001+01:00

So on Friday I decided to go to the Apple store on Regent Street in London. I finally wanted to try the new keyboard Apple released a couple of months ago (when the new iMac came out). My goal was to see if it felt as good as it looked. Now before I go on... I just want to say that keyboards are like mice... almost impossible to decide if it's any good unless you try it for yourself. I've read quite a few reviews on the Internet about the new keyboard and quite frankly it just made me want to try it for myself more. This keyboard is NOT for everyone... but you know, no keyboard is for everyone. Different people have different tastes, this is true for cars, fashion, and keyboards.

So I went to the Mac store and after standing in line to try one of the new iMacs (which had the keyboard connected to it) I finally got a chance to experience it (both the 24" iMac as well as the keyboard).

So my first impression for me was.... this was a very well made keyboard. It is aluminum with buttons that stick out very much like the iBook laptops Apple sells. The next thing you'll notice is how incredibly thin it is... I mean it is REALLY thin. Yet, it is very sturdy and balanced. This is a USB2 keyboard (not because the keyboard itself needs USB2 but because it has 2 USB2 ports built-in on the sides so you can easily connect MP3 players, cameras, phones, etc).

After typing on it for a bit (the people behind me were not very happy to wait but owe well) I must say.... well... here is what it looks like at home. :-)

It works very well with Windows XP though a couple keys are mislabeled but really only 2 I think so not a big deal. It really looks nice and I am enjoying how the keys work (I've always loved laptop keys). I can only say good things about it, though I STRONGLY suggest you go into your local Mac store to try one out before you buy. But I would give that advice to anyone who was interested in getting a new keyboard or mouse.

My next test will to try my favourite FPS (first person shooters) such as Unreal Tournament 2004, Half-Life, and Bio Hazard.

Mobile Camp London 2007 Day 2 - great people make for a great event

2007-10-03T18:55:00.001+01:00

The show was a huge success, so many different products and services were shown. The only complaint I had was that I wanted to be in 2 or even 3 places at once. The show was very well organized and even though a lot of the presentations were last-minute it never seemed that way. There were always refreshments on hand (including breakfast and lunch) and even beers at the end of the day.

The hosts like Victor Szilagyi (pictured above) as well as Imran Ali and Christian Lindholm (pictured below) really knew what they were doing and I must give them a big thank you. (BTW on the right that is Petro Soininen, who showed me the latest Nokia handsets that are not on the market yet)

In fact even some very familiar faces were there as well... such as the very lovely Sarah Blow, founder of the London Girl Geek Dinners as well as GirlyGeekdom Blog. She even went as far as to fashion the Mobile Camp London shirts to show us just how good they can really look! :-)

The conferences were always full of interesting attendees and it was never boring.

Towards the end we even had a competition, where a group of developers showed off their latest offerings.\

Each one was unique and different dealing with many areas within Web 2.0

everyone listened closely because at the end we had to vote for our favourite solution. It wasn't an easy choice...

Once the presentations were over the developers all got into a line (looked like a police lineup) and everyone was reminded what each person (persons) presented.

Victor made sure everyone got a fair shot as the prices were really good (iPhone and Nokia n95 as the top prices) it make me wish I had tried it. (that Nokia N95 will be mine one day)

and some more....

and the winner is.....

... ahhh the kids these days... :-) he put together a very cool application that made it easy to check TV shows online (schedules and such). Now that's a good way of showing everyone what the TV guys need to figure out... their audience. He is the proud new owner of an iPhone.

Another update to Mobile Camp London 2007 Day 2

2007-10-03T12:15:00.001+01:00

Let me introduce you, to Monsieur Laurent Guyot-Sionnest, CEO of Tiki'labs based out of Paris France. I actually stumbled upon Laurent's invention by accident... and to be honest I thought it was something else entirely. He notice me poking around his stuff and quickly came over (probably a bit concerned I might break something). He comes over and starts explaining that I'm not, in fact, looking at his invention. I wasn't sure if I could take him seriously after all his heavy French accent was a bit suspicious, but I let him talk, and what he explained to me... I cannot stop thinking about. I was looking at something... that can change the world.

The first thing Laurent gets out is a piece of paper with 6 squares on it... 3x2 configuration. So he asks me to place my hand on it and starts to explain... how his new keyboard will work. 6 keys???!!! Yes, 6 keys to replace the QWERTY keyboards we use on mobile devices... Surely you mock me sir... mock me not sir... no... he was serious.

As the presentation progressed he explained how the 6 keys were split up into quadrants (or squares), and how each quadrant had 2 rows inside it. This is VERY intuitive and surprisingly easy system to learn.

The basic layout of the keyboard is this picture:

Each quadrant has carefully picked letters/symbols in it. It has been especially configured for maximum speed and ease. So imagine 6 keys lined up like the 6 squares above (for this example I'm going to use QWE and ASD). Let's say you want to write the letter "a", just hit "q" once, which then switches the program to show this...

So the program is told which quadrant you want and then that switches the same 6 keys so you are now asked which row you would like... hitting the "q" again tells the program to input the letter "a". Of course if you wanted to input the letter "b" same logic would work except you would hit "q" once and "w" for the second input.

That's it, you now know the basics. It takes minutes to learn, and a couple of days (at most) to feel comfy with it. The goal is... you can go as fast as 40+WPM once you really use this thing. The other obstacle is the keyboard itself, as you will need one that has much less travel on the keys. Your fingers don't have time to wait for the keys to go all the way down and back up, they want to press the keys much faster than that. (here is the TikiLabs official presentation)

I am very excited about this product, even saw a version of it running on Symbian OS. Larry plans on a Windows Mobile version as well as releasing a separate USB keyboard attachment (like the number key attachments you can get today).

The idea is, you will be able to type as fast or faster than today, using only one hand. And with fewer keys and more logical layout, you should make far fewer mistakes as well... and truly be able to type without looking at the keyboard (yes I know some can do that now, but most can't). I was really impressed by the simplicity of this solution, and hope to be able to help make it a reality. I mock you not sir... it's THAT good. :-)

Mobile Camp London Day 2 (continued)

2007-10-01T17:45:00.001+01:00

So as the sessions continued everyone was busy taking notes and overall staying connected...

Some even showed off the wonderful prizes that were won! How cool...

Others were getting ready for their presentations (these guys were getting ready for the app showdown)...

While others took the time to get private demos of products...

This would be a demo of the OpenHand Neo 1973 GTA 01 I discussed earlier. The "open" iPhone device (fully touch screen while running Linux).

There was even the new HTC Touch (running Windows Mobile) probably just to compare with the OpenHand.

and even some "multimedia" devices like this "opened" Sony PlayStation Portable (PSP) allowing it to run homebrew software as well as movies in true divx format (typically Sony makes you convert to their special format if you want to watch)

"So what about that sleeping guy's incredible product?" you ask... ooohhhh, that's next... for now, let him sleep, he's about to change the world! :-)

Mobile Camp London Day 2

2007-10-01T17:25:00.001+01:00

Well today I must admit I was not there all day. I had some things to take care of in the morning and did not arrive until about 2PM. This means I missed the RFID discussion (too bad as I have RFID experience) but I'm sure you can get all the latest updates from other blogs like thatcadiangirl who was also there taking great pics and attending as many of the sessions as possible. In fact as I arrived on Sunday, she was leaving... (some of us have quite a trip home via trains and busses).

So on Day 2 I saw as many cool things as Day 1, here is a recap with pics of course!

So I attended a very cool presentation about wearable technology... no, your mobile phone is not wearable it's portable... big difference (now I know that). The company CuteCircuit was on hand to explain and show (with pictures) what they offered (or more accurately, were going to offer by the end of the year)

They discussed some history of clothing and where they thought it was going. It was very cool to see their first product the Hug Shirt...

this product is quite interesting as it allows users to send "hugs" via the bluetooth connection to their mobile phones, via the web to other Hug Shirt wearing friends. It's a interesting idea which.. sounds... well interesting...

The idea is that the shirt will actually vibrate, shake, hug... (not sure how to describe it as I did not try it) but you will know when and where a person has hugged you.

Now the fabric is only 1mm thick and the only "large" piece would be the bluetooth antenna which is on the back, in an area that was said to be rarely touched (hmmm, I guess they did a test group). The shirt stays connected to your mobile and you are able to hug yourself then send that command to your friend or loved on (and if they are also wearing a Hug Shirt) they can get this "feeling" anywhere in the world. Hmmmm... so my obvious next question was when were the trousers coming out! They just smiled, guess it's a secret. The company is also developing other things and those projects can be found on their site... but this is the one they are going to push the most for now. When asked about the price they said "It will cost as much as an iPod." I sure hope they talking about the Shuffle and not the new 16GB Touch. We'll have to wait and see, but first audience reaction was mixed, some found it a great idea, others...

...didn't. But this guy... well he has the right not to be impressed, what he had to show, blew me away (and gets my vote for the best product of the show). I just wish he presented it for everyone to see. More on that later!

The iPhone killer (not really) and the $100 laptop (not really)

2007-09-29T21:11:00.001+01:00

So I got a chance to see the Neo 1973 GTA 01 from Openhand... yes this little guy (compared it at once to the iPhone of course). It runs Linux and has a touch screen... and that's where the iPhone similarities end...

It is unfortunately nothing like the iPhone.... it is slow, it is ugly, it's menu is difficult to use, and it's touch screen... well... isn't very good. So the new version is coming out in November (the Neo 1973 GTA 02) which is promised to be MUCH better, faster, easier to use... well... we'll see. So far... not impressed and would only go as far as to call it the LG Prada killer which isn't saying much at all. (at least the GTA 01 is that it has a standard USB connector on it, hey I'm trying to look at the bright side)... oh and the cost... about £300. :-(

So let's talk about the other thing... the $100 laptop, which is now $400 but at least it exists... here it is in action.

It's kind of cool... I guess... waterproof, dirt proof, sand proof... sounds like a Panasonic Tough Book.

The screen is... well... very cheap, and those poor children, well their eyes will be ruined after using this baby. So maybe they need to include some Eye Doctor visits coupons with this laptop as well...

Those crazy antennas, and those colours... if poor kids had toys (which they might not) this baby should fit right in. And because it doesn't use IE they might avoid some of those nasty spyware problems. :-)

***Here is some breaking news!!!!***

The deal will be (and it's not yet official, but you've heard it here first) is that for the price of the laptop... you will get one for yourself and one will be donated to a poor child somewhere. So they are trying to figure out how to make this thing cheap (or even free for the poor) interesting idea, we'll see if it catches on.

More updates from Mobile Camp London 2007

2007-09-29T21:00:00.001+01:00

Just finished an interesting session about Syncing all your devices and how that could work in the future... it was more of a theoretical discussion than anything else. As well as a session about privacy and network authentication (such as using your phone to do credit card transactions). I had a chance to stop with with the Last.Fm guys Jono Cole and Johan Oskarsson... talk about a cool job. Well if that wasn't enough they were so kind as to bring over their shiny new UNLOCKED iPhone... wow, this thing is cool when it's UNLOCKED.

Yes it's real, the UNLOCK works and look what that means... now the main screen can be FULL of cool apps, such as IRC, IM, Flickr, and games. Now this thing is finally showing what it can really do....

So what games can it play? How about Tetris... how about Network Pong... or how about this...

Yes that is Super Mario Brothers running on the NES emulator on the iPhone... with virtual touch controls! How cool is that?????? Ahhhh, if Apple just let developers develop for this wonderful device instead of locking it down... it's like getting the newest Ferrari and not being able to get out of 2nd gear (it has 7 gears total)... what a waste!

New N95 (8GB), N81, and E51

2007-09-29T12:37:00.001+01:00

I'm happy to say I got a chance to use the new Nokia phones which will be coming out in the near future. While these were still prototypes they gave me a very good indication what to expect from the end product.

Both the N95 and N81 come with a built in 8GB of RAM already inside the phone. What this means is that they do not have memory card extension slots (though I'm not sure if I'd really need on having 8GB to work with). They both offer the latest version of the S60 3rd series OS, with Ngage functionality, WiFi, 3G and Bluetooth 2.1. The N95 still has the 5MB Carl Zeiss camera while the N81 has the much smaller 2MB standard camera. Both look good though I wasn't very impressed with the thickness of the N81, it was nearly as thick as the N95 (which is a more powerful device). Both phones offer standard mini audio jacks (take note iPhone) and while the N95 continues to have a standard size USB port at the bottom, the N81 now uses the mini-usb port instead (the idea is that Nokia would like to see the mini-usb port become the standard in all future phones, an idea I don't particularly like).

Then there was the E51. This is the direct replacement to the E50 which was a good phone. The list of improvements though... was very impressive. The E51 now offers 3G, Bluetooth 2.1, WiFi, a much cleaner display, and much faster performance, all in a very slim package. The 2MB camera is standard and more than enough for most business users. I loved the form factor and thought it was a very impressive update. The menu response was now on par with the N95 and N81 as was the list of features. It does come with the standard MicroSD memory card slot (just like the E50 did) and now even a standard USB plug (a very welcome feature). Expect this phone to be out by the end of the year.

New S60 platform to support Widgets

2007-09-29T11:11:00.001+01:00

Nokia showed some future S60 functionality which they are currently beta testing. The core of the new features will be the ability to run Widgets on your mobile phone. The good news is that some older phone will be upgradable to the new version of S60. The new S60 3rd FP2 will allow better multi tasking by allowing easier task switching (using new tabs on top of the screen). The main screen will also be more customizable.

A demo was shown with a test installation (which looked very similar to the current style). The Widgets will be able to use Java, Ajax, and multiple APIs from web services. Here is the presentation by Nokia about the new FP2. Enjoy...

Mobile Camp London 2007 begins

2007-09-29T10:41:00.001+01:00

Well it's been in the works for a while, and today the Mobile Camp London 2007 officially kicks off with two days of... well mobile tech discussions. Looks like a good turn out and how amazing is this... the PC to MAC ratio is probably 15 -1 (though I'm having a hard time finding another PC right now). Guess it's time to get a MAC? :-) Updates coming shortly...

Here is the S60 Widget Seminar which is discussing Nokia's current and future plans with open source integration of the S60 platform with Web information, APIs and user application data.

The conference is dominated by MACs, which is interesting as most of the people here are developers. This is the future of Web 2.0 integration on a mobile platform.

The Mobile Camp has representatives from Nokia, Orange UK, and Yahoo.

More updates coming throughout the day...

So what does Photobucket do when their photo policy is challenged? They stick their head in the sand of course...

2007-09-26T10:08:00.001+01:00

So a while ago I had a Photobucket account where I decided to post some "artistic" photos. Some of these photos contained nudity, some didn't, some were black and white, some were colour, but all these photos had one thing in common... they were marked "private". So what does "private" mean? Simple, it means that if anyone went to Photobucket and searched.... they could NOT see my photos. Only people that I allowed access to could see them. Ok, so let me just make this straight... these were NOT what people would consider porno pics, they did not show sexual acts, they did not show anything questionable (all subjects were adults), and they were... great shots.

So one day, I get an email from PhotoBucket telling me my account has been suspended due to a violation in their terms of use. So I respond to that email asking them for clarification as to why my account was suspended. In addition I sent them direct links to examples of PUBLIC (yes this means anyone can just do a simple search in Photobucket, as I did to prove it) showing death, murder, racial hatred, sex, nudity, and other very disturbing images. I only asked them to explain to me what I did wrong, and why wasn't I even warned that I was doing something wrong. Instead my account was locked without any explanation and that is it.

Now I understand that this is a private company and they have every right to make their own rules about anything. The only thing I would like to have is an explanation of those rules and what they consider acceptable and what not... I would hope they don't just randomly pull accounts without any sort of benchmark. Is that really too much to ask? Apparently so, as I have never gotten a response back from them. The email was very professional and courteous. There was no name calling or insulting.

It really greaves me that a company's, as popular as Photobucket, best answer would be.... nothing. It also amazes me that a law does not exist which states "You may set any rules you would like on your service, as long as you list those rules clearly."

I guess I'm just asking too much... so for now I've moved to Zooomr and have labeled the pictures "art" so far so good.

Unlocked iPhone legal? Is this the right question?

2007-09-26T09:26:00.001+01:00

There have been a lot of posts about Apple releasing a new update that will brick (permanently) any iPhone that has been unlocked. This has come to light as it is based on an official Apple announcement and just some joker on the Internet trying to stir trouble.

I just read a great article from ZDNet which asks the real question. It makes me a bit uneasy how easy Apple can turn this situation around and make it "look" like unlocking your iPhone is illegal... it's not. In fact this ZDNet article quotes the law to prove that unlocking a phone in the US (and I think almost everywhere in the world) is completely legal. Therefor the real question (as that same article asks) isn't if an unlocked iPhone is legal (as it is) but instead if Apple can "brick" your phone because you've unlocked it. This has two very serious implications to it which lead me to believe that Apple is just bluffing and are not THAT arrogant, and in fact stupid, to pull a stunt which is guaranteed to hurt them (both image wise as well as financially).

First of all, since unlocking a phone (which incredibly includes the 8th wonder of the world aka iPhone) is completely legal, a company (even Apple) cannot deem it otherwise. I mean is Apple above the law? Can they make their own laws? That is what it looks like doesn't it? Therefore the logic is if you have done nothing illegal, you cannot be punished, especially in such a permanent way. BTW, bricking the phone would mean that it is now dead, permanently and cannot be repaired, and has to be replaced.

Secondly, let's examine a very realistic outcome of Apple bricking their iPhone. IF they release this update, and a few thousand phones can only be used as in-store non-working mockups how long will it take for a class-action to be filed... I say as long as it takes someone to put down their broken iPhone and find another phone to call an attorney. So now we get into a VERY ugly situation for Apple. It will be VERY public, and worst of all... they are in the wrong and would lose any court battle. The risk is they would be forced to replace all "bricked" iPhones, as well as possible damages... AND the most important thing that would come out of this... they would have to officially start to support "hacked" phones as EVERYONE would just say their broken phone is a direct result of Apple's "update" even if it just fell on the pavement and shattered into a hundred pieces. Apple would most likely just have to replace ANY iPhone for ANY reason or risk additional public scrutiny. This would be a very very bad situation for Apple, and one they have put themselves into... without any help from anyone else.

To Conclude I would also like to add, that while I understand that Apple has signed crazy revenue sharing deals with the Mobile Providers (sucker providers who will pay for their stupidity) I believe Apple's main market will NEVER be mobile phones. Now I know it's very dangerous to use that word... NEVER, but for Apple's sake, lets hope I am right. The mobile market is VERY competitive and if Apple is actually considering to join that party they need to realize, they will not make money there... at least not nearly as much as with iTunes. So the best thing Apple can do, I think, is to realize they need their new iPhone device to sell, and get people to use the iPod functionality of it (buying more music and videos off iTunes of course) and allow the hackers to show the device's true potential not the limited, controlled environment Apple would like to have. As the saying goes... be careful what you wish for, you might get it.

Google phone... you know it's coming...

2007-09-21T18:28:00.001+01:00

Why won't Google just finally admit this thing is real? It would REALLY piss off Jobs right now (stealing his iPhone thunder). I'd love to see that!

Holy Molly... that's a lot of data!

2007-09-21T18:23:00.001+01:00

So this Israeli company is way too smart for its own good. When will I see this as a consumer product I wonder?

I always wanted a screen that disappeared...

2007-09-21T18:10:00.001+01:00

This is a wonderful idea and I hope it works as well as it looks... and I figure if you have to ask how much it is... you can't afford it.

Looks like Zalman are going Audio...

2007-09-21T18:08:00.001+01:00

Not too sure what to think about this but Zalman (yes the CPU cooler people) are going into audio. I'll give these a try but I hope they are not USB only (as I'd love to see how they sound with my MP3 player).

Zalman Dual Stereo Headphones

The Fake Steve Jobs... no more...

2007-08-06T08:03:00.001+01:00

I wasn't sure where to post this. I mean it's technology related, yet it's also entertainment, and maybe even a little political... but that was what made the Fake Steve Jobs Blog so wonderful. It seemed, if anything else, sincere. Now, thanks to one newspaper reporter (Brad Stone) the blog that everyone was reading (including the real Steve Jobs and Bill Gates) is gone. The unmasking means that the real author can no longer continue to speak freely, and that... I think is a great loss.

I can not understand people like Stone who seem to think they have a right to take matters into their own hands and effect so many people by their obvious need to prove how wonderfully smart they are to everyone. Funny thing is, the people that have to prove themselves are usually the less intelligent ones, with this being the perfect example.

I decided to write Stone and email... here is what I wrote. And I hope the subject sums up how smart I think this guy is...

subject: "Mission Accomplished"

Brad,

I wanted to say how disappointed I am that you blew Fake Steve Job's cover. It was a fantastic blog, which I (and so many others) enjoyed greatly. Now it is gone, and YOU took it away. I do not understand what benefit it was to reveal who FSJ's is, but I do understand that you have managed to remove some wonderful writing. I hope it wasn't for personal gain, and if it was to show everyone how much smarter you are... well you failed there miserably. As a writer, a journalist, and person... you have done everyone a disservice which I can only hope you regret for a very long time.

You have also shown how badly you can misjudge as a journalist and I do hope you rethink your entire career... perhaps a change in profession is in order, one that doesn't require you to hold too many moral, or ethical standards (so you don't effect so many by your poor distasteful choices).

Here is a couple I thought of would be a good fit:

street newspaper sales guy
restaurant dish cleaner
AOL help desk representative

Hope that helps you out... and THANKS.

Yours sincerely
Peter Romiszewski

A great video with Eric Schmidt CEO Google

2007-07-20T10:14:00.001+01:00

Eric Schmidt has perhaps the best job on the planet right now. Leading a company that seems to do NO wrong. Stock price is OUT OF CONTROL high yet stable, new products are rolling out regularly and with clear focus. Google is entering the Web 2.0 space gradually... not too quickly (as the space is still being defined). Now they are finally ready to offer the online Web 2.0 office suite (and start selling it to business). Again this company seems to do no wrong.

This is an interview with Eric lasting about 35 minutes. I well spent 35 minutes... he is very intelligent and has great on stage presence. Seems to know his stuff for the most part, but most importantly seems to understand his companies (what some might find complicated) offerings. Google is a new breed of company, not in the traditional Microsoft, IBM, Oracle style. They are the biggest Web 2.0 company right now and show a continued push to remain the leaders.

YouTube - Eric Schmidt at the Web 2.0 Expo

Now THATS what I call a mouse!

2007-07-17T09:49:00.001+01:00

Usually Apple Computer seems to set the design bar. And usually it's pretty high. They've done it with desktops, laptops, monitors, mp3 players and even mobile phones... but one they can have had problems with has been the mouse. I have always disliked Apple's mice over the years, it's like they let their interns do the mice while the pros do everything else. So how can Apple do a nice mouse, easy... just take a page from Logitech! Now this is a great looking, head turning, eye opening mouse! Very good job Logitech... not sure how it feels but you got the drop-dead-gorgeous design right. (maybe Logitech hired some ex-Apple designers or something)

What an interesting idea for a phone

2007-07-17T09:39:00.001+01:00

I have to hand it to O2, this is a very interesting idea. I'm not sure if I like it or if it will work but Kudos for trying something new. I like what they are doing. It's called the Cocoon and it uses the outside of the phone much more. I would actually have to try this one out to see if it would work in the real world, but off hand... I'd have to say... why not?

Google throws down the gauntlet...

2007-06-26T23:12:00.001+01:00

We all knew it was coming... and it looks like Google is now ready to go head-to-head against the big boy on the block... Microsoft. I can't wait to see how this pans out.

Google is going where no one has gone before, because aside from MS Windows, Microsoft's main money maker is MS Office... by far.

If Google is able to take Microsoft on, and potentially win... well that changes EVERYTHING. I predict that Microsoft will not take this too seriously at first (Steve Balmer does think he is invincible right now) so this will give Google the perfect opportunity to perfect their new Office suite and to roll it out with all the proper tools to help business move away from Microsoft. Then... when it's too late Balmer will wake up and start throwing some incredible amount of money at the problem. Google has a good chance to really change the world here... wow, what a great time to be alive.

ZNET Article

Drobo storage device... oh my this is cool!

2007-06-23T11:24:00.001+01:00

This is the new Drobo USB device that just came out. It is a USB MULTI-DRIVE (raid-like) device that takes standard SATA 3.5" drives. That means that you decide how much space you need (the device comes empty and you get to get your own drives.) The unit takes 4 SATA drives (and they don't even have to be the same size). It stores parady information meaning that it creates a single logical drive (the total of the SATA drives that are installed), and if one dies, you can just pull it out and replace it with a new one getting all your data back!!!! Yes it's very cool.

Also here is the review from Engadget.

Canon's new EOS-1D Mark III Pro DSLR

2007-06-21T07:17:00.001+01:00

As a digital photography fan (yes, just a fan not a nut) and owning one of the best entry level Digital SLR cameras (the Canon Rebel XT, or D350 as it is known in Europe) I was very excited to read about the new EOS-1D Mark III camera that was recently released by Canon.

This is camera of choice for so many professionals and the specs on it are absolutely great. I'm happy to see Canon continue to lead the Digital SLR industry in semi-pro and professional quality cameras.

Even were announced for this great camera. And here are some image samples as well.