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Outlook Dim June 23, 2008 10:37 am

Posted by Doug McCaughan in : Communications, Gadgets, Technology , 1 comment so far

I am retiring Outlook as my email client and moving entirely to GMail. I’ve used numerous clients over the years including Fidonet and the other BBS packages (my first email experiences), sendmail at the command line, emacs, cc:Mail, Lotus Notes, Thunderbird, Outlook Express, Outlook, and others I can’t remember. Outlook express isn’t bad if you are simply checking email. If you are doing scheduling, group collaboration, todo lists and the works, then you should be using Outlook (not Express). As much as it goes against my philosophy of "be in control of your content," I think that using an email client and downloading email to your desktop is old school. Collaboration is moving to portals such as BEA’s Plumtree and Microsoft’s SharePoint. Meetings are done online now with Webex, GoToMeeting, Skype (I am djuggler), Adobe’s ConnectNow, and even Microsoft’s instant messenger using ShareView. Communication is being accomplished through instant messengers and in some cases instant messengers are being replaced by services such as Twitter. Text messaging is frequently favored over a voice call as it reduces the urgency of the conversation and can provide additional benefit such as retention of information (if I give you a phone number via voice you have to memorize it or write it down..in a text message the number is stored). I can make argument that email is in its death bed. Much like snail mail and fax, it won’t go away completely but is bound to be ignored in favor of better technologies.

The way we communicate is changing rapidly. Video conferencing over mobile phones was promised by AT&T last fall in the Motorola RARZ v3xx and looks to be delivered on July 11, 2008 with the new iPhones will come sooner than later. Collaborative tools are far more powerful than hording information on single machines. And using third party or server tools to store information makes the information portable and available to you from any computer and any location. A couple of decades ago Bill Gates said the personal computer would evolve into a terminal and all software and data would be managed on network connected servers. He was right.

ps. I didn’t forget IMAP but that’s for a different post.

Note: During my transition from Outlook to Gmail I may overlook some email. If you have emailed me and been ignored, please resend your message as I am having to adjust some email habits in light of the different way Gmail handles email.

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Loren Feldman Portraying a “Nice Guy”! March 11, 2008 4:30 pm

Posted by Doug McCaughan in : Gadgets, Technology , add a comment

Oh, and he interviews Peter Semmelhack of Buglabs…

Note: The first time I saw Loren Feldman was on Seesmic and he hooked, lined, and sinkered the whole bunch into a series of angry videos that brought down the servers. I don’t usually get into this negative humor but I found it very amusing because in the first few seconds of his video I spoke aloud that "this guy is playing a character" and it was entertaining to see so many people invest themselves and their emotions into responding to him without seeing through the ruse. I could be wrong. Perhaps Feldman is just an angry ass. I have since seen him engage many of the tech celebrities such as Robert Scoble and their banters are amusing because reports have it that in person they are chummy. Many of us portray ourselves transparently on the web/blogosphere exactly how we are and who we are. Loren Feldman made me rethink this as perhaps Blogosphere1.0. As Hollywood loses ground to independent entertainment producers on the Internet, will Blogosphere2.0 be more people putting on masks and portraying characters online? As people in real life declare, "I saw you on the Internet and I can’t believe…" will you be able to respond, "oh, that’s just a character I play on the Internet!" That’s going to really screw with companies relying upon Google for background checks!

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Calling the electronic gurus January 29, 2008 11:25 am

Posted by Doug McCaughan in : Gadgets, Technology , 2comments

If I have a device that is labeled as needing 12v 250ma and I have a power supply that outputs 12v 1200ma am I putting my device at risk?

I seem to recall someone once telling me the milliamps don’t really matter but that doesn’t feel right.

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CONFIRMED! Google IS mapping Knoxville. November 1, 2007 11:02 pm

Posted by Doug McCaughan in : Communications, Gadgets, Of Interest, Technology, Transportation, Travel , 2comments

Google Street View camera carI wasn’t sure if it was Google or a competitor driving around with the camera on the car. It is confirmed! That is a Google car!

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Knoxville Street Views Happening Now October 30, 2007 10:15 pm

Posted by Doug McCaughan in : Gadgets, Of Interest, Privacy, Technology, Touchy Subjects, Transportation, Travel , 9comments

Narration with additional commentary (note: since this was ad libbed I misspoke and called the antenna on top of the car "a satellite" when I intended to say "a satellite uplink" or "satellite antennae):

camera carPut your best lawns on! A California company is driving around Knoxville taking pictures of your neighborhood for Google Street Views or a competitor. I saw one of these cars zoom through my cove a few weeks ago and I wasn’t quick enough to strike an interesting pose. Westmoreland Gets on Google MapsI was also unhappy with the state of my lawn and porch but oh well. So, will Google catch you peeing on the side of the road? Getting a ticket? Breaking into a house? Growing pot? Or just showing off your favorite thong? (see also). Concerned about privacy?

Better picture:
Google Streetview Car photographs Knoxville

Update: Confirmed! That is a Google car!

Update: The WebUrbanist presents 10 urban snapshots from Google Street View including one implying that the google camera van ignores traffic blockades. Mashable asks Should Google offer to blur Street View imagery for people requesting privacy? And get my cat off your website! If you are enjoying these links then you will also enjoy http://www.streetviewfun.com/, some bizarre splicing issues, and Wired’s voting system to find the best Street View pictures.

Update: Jon Hickman asks, "Where do you actually see the pictures they take?" I am pretty sure these will show up in Google maps and Google Earth. Mashable suggests that they will be accessible from http://www.googlestreetview.com/ and two others but those domains aren’t live yet. Ah! Here is Google’s video explanation of Street Views and a direct link to where Street Views are available.

Of course Microsoft has Windows Live Street View.

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Say NO to speed cameras October 30, 2007 3:36 pm

Posted by Doug McCaughan in : Economy, Gadgets, Local Politics, Politics, Technology, Touchy Subjects, Transportation, Travel , 3comments

I was against red light cameras (and still am! $2 million TN dollars went to TX because of Redflex!) and I sure am against speed cameras. Speed trapping makes roads dangerous! Roads should be predictable. We don’t need people slamming on their brakes for police cars and cameras. Sometimes to avoid a problem it is safer to speed up then slow down even if that means hopping above the speed limit. An officer can see, "that truck was about to sideswipe him and he avoided it by speeding up." A camera cannot make that judgment.

I often drive fast on the Interstate. It is safe because the relative speed of traffic is the same and visibility can be several miles. I don’t drive recklessly. There is a huge difference between driving fast and driving recklessly. A slow driver can drive recklessly. In town, I tend to drive the speed limit. I recognize the lights have been timed such that you will make little gain by speeding in town. The few seconds you shorten your trip by speeding is not worth the danger you place pedestrians and other drivers in within the unpredictable confines of busy roads.

Speed cameras and red light cameras are profit tools for public, tax funded law enforcement. We don’t need them! We fix traffic problems through better civil engineering (narrow roads, curves in roads, reduction of traffic signs, removal of speed limits, etc.) and through education. Could you imagine the impact it would have if a police officer pulled you over for speeding and instead of giving you a ticket brought a video player to your car and forced everyone in the car to watch a 15 minute educational video on how speeding wastes fuel, puts unnecessary wear and tear on the vehicle, places people at unnecessary risk, and reduces travel time by less than a few minutes than staying under the speed limit? The 15 minute delay per incident may be reason enough to slow down. But even if the message did not reach the driver, perhaps it would get through to some of the passengers and then you’ve made a difference. Will a bill in the mail have that same impact?

UPDATE: Michael Silence has put up a poll to see if Knoxville wants speed cameras. When I took it, 86% said no.

Update: UT to probe ethics of using traffic cameras. Think about the other cameras we can have in our future "beeeep Our facial recognition software has identified you as Jane Doe. You have been standing in the same spot for 5 minutes and one second which constitutes loitering under ordinance w37704. A fine of $45 has automatically been assessed to your cell phone bill."

Related: Google is mapping Knoxville. How will you be immortalized for the world to view? Do speed cameras change driving habits? See Driving Patterns - Let the Ass Merge.

Update: More details including Chattanooga’s numbers.

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Calling Marriot Housekeeping October 30, 2007 9:42 am

Posted by Doug McCaughan in : Communications, Daily Life, Family, Gadgets, Of Being Dad, Sarah, Technology, Travel , 2comments

On Saturday the 13th of October, Sarah settled into bed midnightish at a Marriot Hotel near Atlanta. She was traveling with the high school band to perform flags. On Sunday the 14th she awoke unable to find her phone that she had left on top of her luggage so she assumed it was in her luggage (that’s her official story..personally, I think she woke late and groggily shoved everything in her bag and rushed out to see her friends without giving the phone a thought). Sunday at 9pm as she came off the bus I asked, "where’s your phone?" She replied, "In my luggage." On Tuesday, she finally confided that her Motorola RAZR v3xx was lost or stolen.

I scoured her phone and text messaging records. The last number called was to Phoenix, Arizona so there was hope that we had a way to contact the person with the phone. After a few calls and several text messages we figured out that Sarah had actually placed those calls on behalf of a friend. Hope was lost. I contacted the housekeeping manager at the hotel and he confirmed no phone had been turned it. I deactivated the phone. A week later I called again and still no phone. LissaKay comes to the rescue (aided by Twitter) with a replacement phone for Sarah and Sarah flips with excitement spending the next 6 hours customizing the phone.

Yesterday I get a phone call from someone explaining they found the phone! Yea! Housekeeping came through. No, wait, this is guest! The phone, lost on October 13th, was found under the bed by an honest person staying in room 517 on October 29th. It still had power because Sarah had turned it off so the honest person was able to lookup "Dad" and found me. This means that room 517 hasn’t had a thorough cleaning in at least half a month and that for at least 15 guests, assuming the room is occupied every day, don’t check the room very well. Ewww.

Now, who gets the phone? Sarah or Tommy.

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Presidential Hopefuls and their phones October 10, 2007 3:16 pm

Posted by Doug McCaughan in : Communications, Gadgets, Politics, Technology, Touchy Subjects, United States , 5comments

Everyone knows Rudy uses his phone. Someone needs to teach him some manners. What other presidential hopefuls are using their phones? Twitter is a short messaging service that lets you barrage your friends (and others) with the overly mundane in your life. People have found different uses for Twitter from marketing to exhibitionism (look at me look at me) to making announcements and sharing information on the Internet. Presidential hopefuls have accepted that they can reach a large audience and become closure to the constituents by using (or having their staff use) Twitter.

Democrats

Republicans

Uhhhh

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HOAX Your next battery might last 30 years! October 2, 2007 6:52 am

Posted by Doug McCaughan in : Gadgets, Technology , 1 comment so far

The US Air Force Research Laboratory has invented an environmentally sound battery that can last 30 years and it could be available in the next 2-3 years.

The breakthrough betavoltaic power cells are constructed from semiconductors and use radioisotopes as the energy source. … Although betavoltaic batteries sound Nuclear they’re not, they’re neither use fission/fusion or chemical processes to produce energy and so (do not produce any radioactive or hazardous waste). … The best part about these cells are when they eventually run out of power they are totally inert and non-toxic, so environmentalists need not fear these high tech scientific wonder batteries. If all goes well plans are for these cells to reach store shelves in about 2 to 3 years. [Source]

Ooops. Remember, even if you are busy, check your sources! BoingBoing Gadgets explains. Until I can find something more redeemable than this, I’ll assume that Next Energy News is a farce.

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Because you should have to chase your music September 1, 2007 11:47 am

Posted by Doug McCaughan in : Gadgets, Music, Of Interest, Robotics, Technology , add a comment

I guess this will be on someone’s Christmas list. via Engadget

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Brick your iPhone August 24, 2007 4:41 pm

Posted by Doug McCaughan in : Communications, Gadgets, Technology , add a comment

Well.. Everyone else was linking to it. NO! No attribution! Just a link.

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Boycott the iPhone! June 29, 2007 12:45 pm

Posted by Doug McCaughan in : Communications, Gadgets, Of Interest, Technology , 6comments

I hate AT&T but I love Cingular therefore I am an AT&T customer. And if I had the money and the time to stand in line we would probably have 4 or 5 iPhones in the house tonight.

Working Assets is a really top-notch organization, and they’ve nailed one of the reasons I’ve been skeptical of the iPhone since the start. Handset locking sucks, and AT&T sucks more: These people are criminal traitors who helped wiretap the nation, neutricidal maniacs bent on wrecking the Internet, and convicted monopolists besides. [Source]

See also (
Steve Jobs addresses new AT&T/iPhone controversy). More iPhone links.

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Is the iPhone out of your budget? June 22, 2007 11:40 am

Posted by Doug McCaughan in : Gadgets, Technology , add a comment

Don’t worry. Apple will release a new iPhone within your budget soon. Imagine, the iPhone Shuffle! Randomly call people.

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The Button That Beeps June 21, 2007 4:13 pm

Posted by Doug McCaughan in : Daily Life, Gadgets, Of Being Dad, Technology , add a comment

From now on, everything I make is going to have one of these.

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Today’s Technote - Motorola v3xx hidden feature June 19, 2007 10:03 pm

Posted by Doug McCaughan in : Gadgets, Technology , add a comment

The Motorola v3xx has a "hidden feature," an easter egg if you will…ok, it’s a bug! At least it seems like a software defect. If the combined number of messages in the inbox and outbox exceed something like 300 messages, then the Motorola v3xx will quit sending SMS text messages and will default to sending MMS messages. This creates a problem for people trying to send to services like Twitter or to people with phones which cannot receive multimedia messages. The solution is simply to clear out your inbox and outbox.

The combined time spent rummaging through menus and comparing settings between the working phone and the bizarre phone, calls to tech support, and surfing the web for an answer well exceeded 3 hours over the course of many days. I’d like that time back please.

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