If you’ve been following here for a few years, you know that I like to run while fully decked out in gadgets.

While I enjoy running, it is easy to fall off the wagon. But thanks to the friendly competition with my industry friends all over the world in communities like Nike+, I find it very easy to keep up with the workouts.

After a long, fat winter I joined the Affiliate Summit East Nike+ challenge which motivated me like nothing before.

Running Apps

For running apps, I have been using both Runkeeper and Nike+ on my iPhone. Now that iOS has multi-tasking, both apps can track at the same time, which is pretty remarkable, and only a little bit cumbersome to manage.

Nike just introduced a GPS-based tracking app in addition to the app that comes built into the iPhone that links to a device that goes in your shoe. I tested that out yesterday along-side runkeeper. Here’s Nike+ GPS on the left and Runkeeper on the right.

They both tracked the overall run very well, though the nike app seemed to have some trouble with the splits and short-term paces. For example, early in the run it reported that I was running 5 and 6 minute mile paces. There’s no way! I think that’s probably due to some GPS inaccuracies, which is inevitable. Runkeeper seems to do a better job with that.

If you do try running both apps toether, here’s a tip: Set the voice on one to male and the other female. That way you can keep track of which app is giving an update.

In the end, both proved to be good tracking solutions, though I like the Runkeeper web interface MUCH better than the Nike one, except for one big problem: Community.

Community

Runkeeper is currently missing a few things that are critical source of motivation for me: most of my online running friends aren’t there and it is missing challenges.

Dozens of my friends use Nike+ for tracking, and the importance of that cannot be overstated. I can’t very well ask them to all move to a different tracking solution. And if I did get them to move over to Runkeeper, what do we do there? We have a lot of fun with challenges in Nike+, even though the interface is horrible. Runkeeper doesn’t have that feature (yet).

Enter Dailymile.com…

So I’m now testing out dailymile.com, which doesn’t itself have a tracking app, but it does sync with Garmin GPS devices and Nike+. It would be amazing if they could import from other apps like Runkeeper and 321Run as well. But worst case, you can enter your workouts manually.

This is where Dailymile has a huge benefit. People can pretty much use any tracking solution they want and still participate in challenges there.

The best part about Daily mile is the interaction with other people there. They’ve done a great job with the friend interaction, keeping motivation front and center as the number one feature.

So what do you say? Join the small but growing group of affiliate marketers over in dailymile?

Here’s my profile. Add me as a friend and I’ll invite you to the friendly challenge that we’re just getting started.

Post from: Jangro.com

Running Apps and Online Communities for Motivation

Are you a website owner?  Have you seen the new “Reader” feature in Safari 5?

Basically, it allows your visitors to view a cleaned up version of the page you’re viewing.

They can view your website without your formatting. Without your ads.

Haven’t seen it yet?

Here’s what it does.

Here’s my blog…

And here’s my blog with the “Reader” feature, got by clicking the “Reader” button in the address bar, where there’s normally an RSS link.

It’s a nice cleaned up page, easy reading.  As a frequent blog reader, I think this is great.  If you’re cluttering up your website with ads, distractions, and poor design decisions, you’re putting you first and me second.  With this, in spite of you, I can read what you have to say.

As a website owner, why am I not up in arms?

I know, I know, my readers can read my page without ads. But that’s ok.

Because to provide this information, Apple is using my RSS feed. This is content that I make available for syndication.

And by the way, this is what my blog has looked like for years in RSS readers.

(Actually Apple appears to do some extra cleaning up of the RSS feed to remove ads, tweetmeme stuff, etc.  I’m guessing they’re scrubbing it by removing anything that isn’t on the website or is served from a third party.)

Want to Stop This Travesty?

If you don’t want people to do stuff like this with your content, then don’t syndicate it. It’s that simple. If you don’t offer RSS or Atom feeds, then this simply won’t work.

Or switch to partial feeds instead of full feeds.  The “Reader” feature won’t work with partial feeds either.

Safari Reader doesn’t work without full RSS feeds available for the given page.

So that’s how you stop Safari’s Reader. And how to bite off your nose to spite your face.

Or you can chill the heck out.  Your readers have already been doing this for years in their feed readers. They want to read the way they want to read, in a browser, in Google Reader, in NetNewsWire, and now Safari 5’s Reader.  So let ‘em.

(RSS ads don’t work anyway. Other smart people have figured that out years ago.)

If they care enough to click over to this special view to read what you have to write, you should be happy. Isn’t that why you wrote it?  And they probably weren’t going to click on an ad anyway.

Post from: Jangro.com

How to Block Safari 5’s New “Reader” (And Bite Off Your Nose)

For the first time in as long as I can remember (maybe forever), I have stopped drinking coffee for the past 4 days now.  With only a few missed days here and there, I think I can safely say that I’ve been drinking coffee every day of my life for the past 20 years, and a lot of it at that.

After reading some fitness books that don’t so much bash on coffee, but expound on the virtues of tea, I’ve decided to switch to tea for a while.

I’m not giving up on caffeine, though this will result in less consumption.

Though when I do go an entire day without any caffeine, it doesn’t seem to affect me. I hear that some people do experience headaches and other adverse effects.  Not here, thankfully.

The health benefits of drinking tea are what have attracted me to it, the antioxidants attacking the free radicals and all that (sounds very scifi), but I also wonder if I stand to benefit from drinking less coffee as well.  I do suspect that it may be contributing to some GI issues (stop,TMI).

So, this week, I’m drinking Numi Jasmine Green organic tea.

I’ve learned a lot about coffee over the years, but I have to admit, I know next to nothing about tea.

Perhaps I’ll have to lean on my friends over at American Tea Room (in the affiliate program, specifically) to help get me started.

Post from: Jangro.com

Off Coffee, On Tea

My little girl just turned 13.

(pause for dads to shudder)

She’s been waiting for at least two years for this day to come so she could get a cell phone, which she did of course.

Dad the gadget freak would have bought her one long ago if it wasn’t for her mother.

me: “Why can’t she have a phone again?”
her mom: “SEXTING!”

Oh, ok.  (what? 7th graders do that?)

For at least a year now, I’ve been witnessing this growing up as posters of animals in her room get replaced by the Jonas Brothers, then just Nick Jonas, now Justin Bieber.  Yes, my daughter is a “Belieber”.

It’s starting to freak me out a little.

American Idol has turned from her liking the girls with the best voices to the cutest boys.

Her aunt got her a Twilight movie for her birthday and we watched this.  I’ll tell you, it’s a bit uncomfortable watching as she and her step-mom talk about which boy they like the best.  Then her favorite boy spends the rest of the movie running around half naked.

And Lady Gaga…what???  If I have to hear Alejandro or see the Alejandro video one more time, I think I’m going to throw up.

Rant over. Now I feel better.  No I don’t. Someone tell me it’s all going to be ok.

Never mind, I know you’re lying.

Please, can I have Hannah Montana back!

Post from: Jangro.com

My Little Girl Is Growing Up, Cell Phones, Twilight, Alejandro

It is widely believed that interval training is a vital component to a good workout regimen, if not downright better than pure cardio endurance training. (Not to start a holy war or anything.)

I’m no fitness expert, but I’ve been reading more and more that interval training is simply better for fitness and fat-loss. Apparently, you can get the same benefits from intense interval training in a fraction of the time you need to spend on endurance running in the “heartrate zone”.

Same benefits in 2 hours vs. 6 hours a week? Sign me up!

I’ve said it a million times before, and I’ll say it again. I’m a geek, and I need hi-tech. So naturally, my first stop was on the iPhone app store looking for an app that helps me keep track of intervals. I also want to keep using nike+ to track my workouts if possible. Thankfully, Nike+ is one of the few apps on the iPhone that will work in the background (like the native iPod app and the phone app), so it occurred to me that I could get an app to help me manage intervals while still tracking my run on Nike+.

ITGO – Interval Training GO

I quickly found the app called ITGO (website | appstore) (which is short for Interval Trainer GO). It is a fantastic app that will alert you via sound cues and vibrations that it’s time for a fast or slow interval.

I bought it for $2.99.

It is perfect for the type of training that I want to do, which is a jog-sprint over and over again. You set it up for the length of the rep and the fast and slow ratio. The default was great for me, one minute reps, 2:1 ratio slow to fast.

With those settings, every minute, I’d run 40 seconds slow and 20 seconds fast, for 20 minutes.

You can also set up different playlists for the slow and fast portions, which may seem gimmicky, but it was really fun and motivational.

Check out the video to get a good look at how the app works.

Integration with Nike+

But how does it work along-side Nike+?

Perfectly! (Thank God, because it would have been a deal-breaker otherwise.)

After getting ITGO setup, the basic process goes like this.

1. Start a basic workout on Nike+ with no music.
2. I start jogging at this point as Nike+ is keeping track.
3. Go to the home screen and launch ITGO. Nike+ will keep running in the background. (Yay multi-tasking on the iPhone before its time!)
4. Start ITGO, and tap the timer to start the intervals.

Your slow interval will start with the slow music (if you’ve set that up), and will alternate back and forth slow to fast to slow… according to your settings.

All the while, Nike+ will quietly keep track of your runs. And since Nike+ takes over the lock screen, if you lock the phone with the top button and bring it back again, you’ll actually see the Nike+ progress info, which is fine as you don’t actually need to see the ITGO screen as you’re getting audio and tactile feedback with every interval change.

Perfect.

Here’s my 20 minute interval workout from this morning on Nike+:

My slow pace was 10-11 min/mi and my “sprint” pace (what others would probably consider a “run”) was in the 6-7 min/mi range.

It all averaged out to a 8′17″ mile over 2.5 miles in 20 minutes. A pretty awesome workout.

Post from: Jangro.com

Interval Training with Nike Plus on the iPhone

A number of people have commented that after changing the color wheel, their red and blue colors are reversed. This is a different color wheel and a newer model set than is documented here, but, some report that by removing a jumper on the color wheel, the problem is resolved.

The jumper is as shown in this picture, below the yellow/white label.

Thanks to Tref for the picture!

And if you’re unsure about this.

Post from: Jangro.com

Reversed Red and Blue After Changing Samsung DLP Color Wheel

This guide will tell you how to reset the lamp counter on your Panasonic DLP television. This procedure is necessary to reset the indicator lamp that tells you that it’s time to replace your lamp.

After you have changed the lamp on your Panasonic DLP Television, you want to be sure to reset the lamp counter, or timer on the television. You really should only do this after you have replaced your DLP lamp. See here for information on replacing the lamp in your Panasonic DLP.

What does this mean? All lamps, lightbulbs, etc., have an expected life in hours. DLP televisions have an internal timer that tell you how many hours your lamp has operated. On some televisions you can actually view the number of hours; in others it is merely to display a “replace your lamp” message. On the Panasonic it is the latter.

The procedure for resetting your lamp is a little bit tricky. This is intentional so that you don’t do it accidentally.

1. Turn on the television.
2. Press the volume down button on the TV display (not the remote!)
3. While pressing the volume button, press the “split” or “PIP” button on your remote.

If it works, you’ll see a message like this, an the lamp indicator light will turn off. Success!

Enjoy your new lamp!

Post from: Jangro.com

How to Reset the Lamp Counter on your Panasonic DLP Television

This guide explains how to change the lamp in your Panasonic DLP television matching the part number TYLA1000 or TY-LA1000. This lamp replacement is compatible with at least a few dozen Panasonic models. See the list at the end of this post to see if yours matches.

How do you know when it is time to replace your lamp?

The sure sign that your lamp needs replacement is an indicator like this on your display. (yeah, NSS.)

However, you may determine that you need to change it sooner, either if the lamp won’t fire up at all (and therefore no message can display), or you find that the picture has dimmed significantly over time.

The best bet is to get a backup lamp BEFORE you need it. Lamps will die. They’re supposed to. They have a life expectancy of several thousand hours. This can be 1 to 10 years depending on your television viewing habits and other factors.

What lamp to buy?

There are two options when buying a replacement lamp:

1. Lamp and Housing
2. Bare lamp

Replacing the bare lamp requires some pretty involved procedures, possibly including the use of wire cutters and a soldering iron. That’s pretty serious stuff, and beyond the scope of this document. But if you feel comfortable with that, go for it. You also run more of a risk to end up with a lamp that is not from an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) and may be an inferior product.

The safest bet is to go with the entire lamp and housing kit. It is much easier AND much faster. And it’s a 5 minute operation instead of an hour. This will matter if your lamp dies in the second quarter of the Super Bowl. Then what’s a quick change worth to you?

You can purchase the full lamp and housing at PartStore.com. I’ve had really good luck with those guys.

Replacement Instructions

1. Turn power off and wait until the power lamp stops blinking. This gives the lamp enough time to cool down and the fans to stop.

At this point, the safest thing is to wait at least an hour for the lamp to cool off sufficiently. If you do not wait, you could get a serious burn.

Forced Cooling: Some Panasonic models have a forced cooling feature. After the power button is turned off, during the time when the cooling fan is still in operation (within the first minute), press the VOL+ button on the television and a solid triangle button on the remote at the same time for at least 5 seconds. In this mode, the cooling fan will operate for 10 minutes. the lamp indicator will flash red five times every five seconds.

2. Unplug the set from the wall.

3. Remove the front cover on the television by placing your fingertips under the cover and pulling up from the television.

4. Loosen the lamp cover screw and remove the lamp cover.

5. Loosen the lamp housing screw with a screwdriver. Pull the unit out by the handle. (See picture to the right.)

6. Carefully insert the new lamp. Use caution to not touch the face of the lamp. Oil and residue from your hands can heat up and shorten the life of the lamp. Press the lamp firmly into place. There are connectors that must seat properly.

7. Tighten the screw on the lamp.

8. Replace the cover and tighten cover screw.

9. Replace the front cover.

10. Reset the lamp counter by following the instructions here: Reset Panasonic DLP Lamp Counter.

Compatible Models

The lamp and procedure described in this post is compatible with the following Panasonic television models.

PT-43LC14, PT43LCX64. PT44LCX65, PT-44LCX65-K,
PT50LC13, PT-50LC13-K, PT50LC14, PT50LCX63, PT50LCX64, PT52LCX15, PT52LCX15B, PT52LCX35, PT52LCX65, PT-52LCX65-K, PT60LC13, PT60LC14, PT60LCX63, PT60LCX64, PT60LCX64C, PT61LCX35, PT61LCX65, PT-61LCX65-K, TY50LC13C

Post from: Jangro.com

Panasonic DLP Lamp (TYLA1000) Replacement How-To

My GE Advantium Microwave Oven’s lamps burn out way too often. While it looks difficult to replace the one that lights up the inside of the microwave, it is actually very easy.

The oven has two halogen lamps in it, both identical. So you can purchase one or more replacements knowing that (a) they will burn out eventually, and (b) the lamps you purchase can be used in either location in the oven.

Replacing the lamp on the bottom is easy and obvious. Unscrew the single screw holding on the cover and you can access the lamp.

Replacing the lamp inside the oven is not difficult, but it is not at all obvious. That’s the focus of this how-to.

To get to the lamp, you need to remove the grate/air vent at the top front of the oven.

IMPORTANT: Before starting, you should unplug the microwave oven!

To remove the vent, you must remove the two screws at the top left and right corners. There are three screws up there, but you only need to remove the outermost two.

Before pulling off the cover, take note of how it is flush with the front of the microwave. It is easy to put it back on and not have it seated fully. The cover will pull right off, releasing from the top. Tilt it down towards you.

With the cover off, you can see a metal plate. The lamp is under it. To lift the plate, you need to remove three screws and two smaller covers that are covering the electrical components.

First screw on the left side:

Two screws on the right side holding down the plate and two covers.

Once the screws are removed, remove the cover shown in the above picture. That will expose another smaller cover that you can slide out by pulling it to the left.

With those covers removed, it looks like this. Even though the microwave is unpugged, be careful not to touch any of these electrical components.

Now you can lift the plate and locate the lamp. The lamp is in a shiny metal cover that you need to pinch to remove. (See the video for more detail.)

The lamp cover and lamp look like this once removed. To remove the lamp itself, slide it in the direction of the arrow.

Replace with the new lamp. It doesn’t matter which side faces down.

Reverse the steps to put it all back together!

Post from: Jangro.com

How to Replace the Lamp in your GE Advantium 120 Microwave Oven

A reader asks, “How long does a DLP lamp last?”

Under normal conditions, standard DLP lamps should last 7000-8000 hours. Your own lamp and television watching habits will vary, but if you watch TV…

• 2 hours a day, your lamp could last for more than 10 years
• 5 hours a day… 4 years
• 10 hours a day… 2 years

8000 hours. That’s a lot of Law and Order!

There are some things that could decrease the expected life of a lamp, such as widely varying room temperatures, poor ventilation around the television set, electrical spikes, as well as other factors.

Be sure to see this post on how to make your DLP lamps last longer.

DLP lamps are expensive, but considering how much viewing you get they don’t really seem to cost that much. A $300 lamp that lives a full life will cost merely $0.03 to $0.04 per hour!

And since there’s nothing worse than losing your lamp in the middle of the big game, you should consider getting yourself a back up lamp if your current lamp is getting up there in hours.

Post from: Jangro.com

How Long do DLP Lamps Last?