"Murphy was an optimist!"
Oh no! No energy! June 21, 2009 1:00 pm
Posted by Doug McCaughan in : Daily Life, Gadgets, Technology , add a commentI’ve been neglecting my family and household duties in the name of work. Household repairs such as rehanging Sarah’s shelf that Evan pulled down upon himself have been left ignored. Yesterday I made great progress on cleaning up the driveway and cleaning up the garage. Today I am going to work on Sarah’s room. But alas! My Ryobi cordless power tool 18v batteries won’t charge! Today may be all about dissecting battery packs, testing cells, and combining two battery packs into one. Wait a minute. What are these tools with cords hanging out of the handles? They look like they just might plug into extension cords and wall outlets!
add a commentGo green! Give your old iPhone to someone. June 21, 2009 12:14 pm
Posted by Doug McCaughan in : Communications, Gadgets, Technology , 2commentsAll the cool kids are upgrading to the newest iPhone. I remember the day I purchased my gold Motorola RAZR v3xx. Ah! I was ahead of the game with the newest and slickest cellphone on the block. That’s the phone I’m still using. So as you excitedly unbox that new iPhone and relegate your old iPhone to the back of your desk drawer, think about how your e-waste could help free someone from the confines of WAP and instead help them join the hordes enslaved to JOBs. Give me your old iPhone! I mean, find someone in need of an upgrade and let your e-waste become e-useful.
2commentsI’m in print! June 9, 2009 10:42 am
Posted by Doug McCaughan in : Communications, Education, Gadgets, Health, Technology , 5commentsSome of my digital words seem to have leaked into today’s newspaper! Go to Knoxnews and read Teach cell phones, don’t ban them. Comments are open on Knoxnews or commentary can be added at the School Matters website.
5commentsDrowning Out the Decibels with Noise June 3, 2009 4:14 pm
Posted by Doug McCaughan in : Daily Life, Family, Gadgets, Of Being Dad, Technology , add a commentMy house is noisier than yours. I know this because I think OSHA would require hearing protection in this place.
Our house it has a crowd
There’s always something happening
And it’s usually quite loud
[Source]
I have some wonderful noise canceling headphones
Technologies to come March 4, 2009 5:10 pm
Posted by Doug McCaughan in : Gadgets, Hardware, Software, Technology, Touchy Subjects , add a commentSomeone titled this "Microsoft’s Vision for 2019" I don’t know if that is true or not. What I do know is that much of what is presented in this video is already in the works. I’ve seen some of it demo’d. I know we have the technology to be deploying some of it today but necessary infrastructure improvements and profit margins stand in the way. For instance, if Nokia has a plan to release version A B C D and E of a phone there is a good chance that while were are using version A that B C D and E are in the works if not already developed. If B and E were developed at the same time Nokia could sell E but would miss out on all the profits by release B then waiting awhile to release C and awhile longer to release D and so forth. It doesn’t make fiscal sense to jump ahead. If money were not the issue and the technology improvements were solely about the advancement of society, you can bet we’d jump from A to E.
2019 is too far away. We need these technologies today! Freeze me and wake me in 100 years.
Update: Take a look at how AT&T envisioned the future back in 1993. Pretty amazingly on the nose!
add a commentWhat are these things? January 24, 2009 11:50 am
Posted by Doug McCaughan in : Gadgets, History, Technology , add a comment
And why are they in my house?
To steampunk or not steampunk; that is the question!
add a commentHaving fun with Jott December 18, 2008 12:10 pm
Posted by Doug McCaughan in : Communications, Daily Life, Gadgets, Software, Technology , add a commentJott is one of my favorite web services. I use speed dial on my phone to call Jott, I speak the name of the person I want to send a note to (usually ‘myself’), I record my message spelling out difficult words "My name is McCaughan M-c-c-a-u-g-h-a-n", then I speak the date and time for when I want a text transcription of my words sent to my email and phone as sms. Jott’s magic is not in its speech to text software but in its human backup. Computers do the bulk of the work but humans (India I think) listen to difficult messages and provide a fairly accurate transcription although sometimes there are errors. My first reminder today:
Get a plunger.
Okay. I am pretty sure I never said to get a plunger. I can go to the Jott website and listen to my original message to figure out what I really meant. I also like to have fun with the messages sometimes:
Get a plant light, save the plants. Save the plants, save the world.
You can also use Jott to post to Twitter, Remember the Milk, and 40 some odd other services.
add a commentIs 9V too much for a 6V device? September 19, 2008 8:51 pm
Posted by Doug McCaughan in : Gadgets, Science, Technology , 2commentsIf I have a device that requests 6V input and I have an a/c adapter that outputs 9V, will the device draw only the 6V it needs or will it try to take all 9V and burn itself out? In this case the circuit is simply a light. It has the switch and the bulb with an optio of being powered by 4 AA batteries or 6V input. No amp requirement specified.
Watt’s it matter?
2commentsOutlook Dim June 23, 2008 10:37 am
Posted by Doug McCaughan in : Communications, Gadgets, Technology , 1 comment so farI 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.
1 comment so farLoren Feldman Portraying a “Nice Guy”! March 11, 2008 4:30 pm
Posted by Doug McCaughan in : Gadgets, Technology , add a commentOh, 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!
add a commentCalling the electronic gurus January 29, 2008 11:25 am
Posted by Doug McCaughan in : Gadgets, Technology , 2commentsIf 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.
2commentsCONFIRMED! Google IS mapping Knoxville. November 1, 2007 11:02 pm
Posted by Doug McCaughan in : Communications, Gadgets, Of Interest, Technology, Transportation, Travel , 2comments
I 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!
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 , 9commentsNarration 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):
Put 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. 
I 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:
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.
Update Feb 6, 2009: Top 10 Moments Caught on Google Maps Street View (link to the flasher - she’s just a blur of pixels now)
9commentsSay 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 , 3commentsI 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.
3commentsCalling Marriot Housekeeping October 30, 2007 9:42 am
Posted by Doug McCaughan in : Communications, Daily Life, Family, Gadgets, Of Being Dad, Sarah, Technology, Travel , 2commentsOn 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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