SuperBoB » gadgets

MagicJack on the rise?

bob — Sat, 23 Jan 2010 17:59:23 +0000

I have seen a collection of posts about MagicJack lately. It looks like a cool idea.

I could live with an Apple Tablet e-reader device

bob — Sun, 03 Jan 2010 23:35:21 +0000

John Gruber and http://www.betanews.com/joewilcox/article/The-world-doesnt-need-an-Apple-tablet-or-any-other/1262456214 had some things to say about a possibly imminent tablet-like device from Apple. Then MG Siegler disagreed with Joe Wilcox. Somewhere in one of these posts or comments to them, I ran across Mag+ by Bonnier. The thing I found interesting about this was the thought that went into how digital magazines would work. It wasn’t web pages that looked like a magazine. It wasn’t 100% true to printed format. It looks like they really tried to make an effort to determine what a sensible balance would be. Although, their radial menu idea and “warming up the page” didn’t click with me right away, their idea for both allowing some of the layout elements of a magazine to remain while getting rid of the tiresome electronic page turning meme really resonated with me. The final products may not end up working or looking like this, but they have at least shown part of a compelling path forward.

Although I don’t have a Kindle reader, I do have the software loaded on my iPhone and PC. I’m not sure I care for the horizontal page flipping as opposed to vertical scrolling, but maybe it will grow on me. The one advantage I see right now to flipping is that it is easier to figure out where you left off after setting the device down. However, the visual bookmarking on the iPhone works well enough for this that I’m not sure flipping is really a benefit over scrolling. Nevertheless, I definitely enjoy reading books on my iPhone and expect to continue to do so. The fact that Amazon sold more digital than physical books this last Christmas makes me think I am in the rapidly approaching majority, at least for serious readers.

What does this have to do with the tablet? I think Gruber is right that Apple may have planned uses for the tablet that we on the outside haven’t fully grasped yet. It won’t just be a bathroom e-reader and browser. Apple will have some other compelling use case, or combination of use cases. However, I cannot imagine that any use case will preclude the tablet’s use as a reader and browser. In addition, you have to think that a 7 to 10 inch screen would in fact be large enough for decent home automation software. I personally would stick to the lower dollar amounts ($300-500) expected of a e-reader or fancy webpad. I think the home control enthusiasts would be getting a steal at the higher end ($800-1000) considering the quality that is likely to go into a gadget released by Apple and the cost of existing products if the tablet could replace them. In the end, I wouldn’t pay more than the low end unless, Gruber is right and the released product has a good chance of replacing my old PowerPC based Macbook (which is still running strong). The truth is, I currently don’t see a tablet as a compelling laptop replacement. However, I wouldn’t put it past Apple to surprise me like that. I guess I’ll just have to wait and see.

The Guinness Button

bob — Tue, 27 May 2008 18:33:40 +0000

While having lunch with one of my brothers, we discussed the best way to find places that served Guinness. I had read about Beer Menus, but I figure it will be a while before something like this comes to town. So, I decided to make my own map. Google Maps work OK. How can I get the push pins populated? I assumed I could hook some sort of GPS module up to my iPhone. Then I could have a button on the phone that would send GPS coordinates to a remote server when I pressed a button on the phone. However, I don’t really want to pay the fees for SMS messages. Geotagging of photos is becoming more popular. After reading about yet another geotagging device (the Sellgino GS-200), I decided that pictures of each place could be really cool as well. I could just take a picture of each place with the iPhone while carrying the geotagger around with me. At some point, I could offload the pictures, sync them with GPS info matching the EXIF data, and push each bar up to a map. In theory the software would be easier to write when used in batch mode like this as well. I could just write a simple client that runs on a local machine. OK, so I don’t end up with a Guinness button, but I might end up with something easier to build, which always improves the chances that this will get done. In addition, I can leave myself with another challenge to finish the tighter integration at some later date.

The Media Center Remote I’ve been waiting for

bob — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 20:32:54 +0000

I bought one of those clunky IR keyboard + mouse combos almost a decade ago to control my computer from my couch. I have had a PC hooked up to the TV and wanted pretty much full capabilities without being tethered. The keyboard I had burned through AA batteries and still wasn’t quite right. The IR box hooked up as a serial connection, and if I moved around the house, I had to still keep line of sight with it to do anything. The diNovo Mini seems to solve at least the line of sight issue. It also is a much more elegant keyboard. My Mac mini instantly recognizes it as a keyboard and allows me to have it hooked up at the same time as a full-size keyboard at my computer desk. It is still a bit pricey, but in line with fancy Harmony or Pronto remotes, which is what it replaces for me. I run everything through my Mac and the keyboard allows me to type in websites as opposed to using a pickboard. This along with Youtube, Veoh, and Hula makes the difference that sets this peripheral apart for using your computer with a nice sized screen.

BoB’s New Camera: Part 3

bob — Sat, 20 Oct 2007 00:25:47 +0000

I purchased a Canon SD1000 about two weeks ago and in my use up to this point, I am very happy with it. I actually purchased the camera from butterflyphoto.com, which I linked to, but I made the purchase through Amazon. Since Amazon already has my credit card information, I would already be exposed if they lost it. I feel that purchasing items through the Amazon marketplace is helping my online security. Yes, Amazon is a huge target and I assume that there are constant attempted hacks going on against them. At the same time, they are big enough and have been around long enough that I hope they have the security bit down OK. I certainly don’t expect them to do something crazy like TJX. That seemed to be asking for someone to steal information. So I get a great camera from a good company without having to spread my credit card information around to more parties. Butterflyphoto.com shipped the camera the same day they got the order and it was well packaged when it got to me, so definitely no complaints there. The camera takes great pictures outdoors. I don’t have a UV filter on, but I’m very happy with the color and crispness on the photos. Indoor pictures are certainly OK for a pocket camera like this, though I would expect better from a DSLR camera. I have all the settings set to auto, and no intention of messing with them. This is really what I wanted, a camera that is no hassle. Today, I found something that would make it even sweeter though. The EyeFi 2GB SD Wireless card is supposed to work with a Mac or Windows PC. It seems like an interesting device and I will definitely check it out when it’s released.

Wireless charging versus USB

bob — Sun, 24 Jun 2007 16:31:58 +0000

Although I would still prefer USB to most other types of connectors, as I noted in my last post, there is something attractive about being able to just set your gadgets on a mat and have the devices charged through induction. It looks like some manufactures are getting close to releasing products. I have seen designs for a charging box, which might make some feel better about all the stray electromagnetic radiation. Powermat has a “puck” that supposedly allows adaptation to their power source. It sounds like this might be a USB adapter. If it isn’t, they should definitely jump on that idea. This would further justify and add value to those manufacturer’s who are already using USB connections.

DS Gadgets

bob — Mon, 19 Mar 2007 23:35:03 +0000

It looks like the Opera browser for the Nintendo DS will finally be available June 4th in the U.S., and the Pokemon Pearl/Diamond sets will ship with a headset that could potentially be used as a WiFi headset. This isn’t quite on the level of a PDA, but it might make for an interesting personal communicator.

BoB’s New Camera: Part 2

bob — Mon, 19 Mar 2007 02:43:12 +0000

Unfortunately, the really compact HD cameras have been getting bad reviews. Sony has a new camera that has gotten decent reviews, for example. This seems somewhat like the way harddrives have been going. For years, they were getting cheaper, but at some point, they kind of leveled off in price and simply grew bigger for the same price. Cameras have been getting cheaper, but for the really cheap cameras, you get what you pay for. I think this is pointing me back towards the Canon SD600, which has gotten good reviews. I will have to figure out a separate camera for video, but stick with my old trusty Sony DV camera for now.

The ultimate PDA

bob — Wed, 07 Mar 2007 03:50:24 +0000

I woke up dreaming about Palm Pilots. I have been looking for the ultimate PDA for several years now, but still haven’t found it. Of course as technology fixes the old wants, new ones come up. When I started looking, bluetooth wasn’t even an option. I bought my first Palm Pilot back in 1998. I read today that the hardware part of the company is ripe for a buyout. The software part was sold already. What would you look for if you could have your pick of what’s available today?

New camera

bob — Wed, 28 Feb 2007 02:12:57 +0000

I’ve been looking for a new camera to replace my Sony Cybershot. I think it takes lousy pictures. I also have a Sony video camera I bought back in 2002 which I would like to replace, not because it is bad, but because I want to eventually move away from MiniDV tape. Canon just announced a new hybrid video camera that seems intriguing. I balance the excellent Canon reputation for quality images versus the fact that it is a hybrid rather that a straight still camera. Read more about it here and here.

Mustek also release some interesting hybrid cameras, but I really have no faith in the image quality. I have also been reading about how great the Canon SD600 is, so I’m still up in the air about what to do. I think I’ll have to see what kind of reviews the TX1 gets on sites like dpreview.