What Happened to Google?

Google just keeps getting better! This is one company that has definitely been busy simplifying my digital life.  If you don't know what I'm talking about - read on.  The products released by Google over the past couple of months are nothing short of amazing.

For most - Apple has garnered the majority of press.  As you're probably aware, Apple released the iPad and the iPhone-4.  Both made news (for vastly different reasons).  Google on the other hand has been relatively low-key, or so it seems.

Anyone who is really serious about discovering the edge that improved personal technology can provide didn't miss the advances Google has made.  I've listed some my favorite new Google applications below.

• Google Voice (make/receive free phone calls through Gmail)
• Gmail - Priority Inbox
• Android's Remote Notifier
• Google Instant

The application for these services should be pretty straight forward.  Nonetheless, I'll spend some time over the next couple of posts describing how I use them.  In the meantime, try some of them.  I'll be surprised if they don't impress you.

On a side note - if you don't have a Gmail account, then you're really missing out.  I highly recommend signing up for one. You won't be disappointed.

Time to talk about the iPad (Kinda)

Over the past couple of weeks, there's been plenty of coverage in the media about Apple's iPad.  So much - that I felt no need to mention anything on my blog about it.  Until now.

First, let me say that I'm happy Apple is bringing some much needed attention to the tablet product space.  In my mind, an inexpensive tablet makes for a perfect coffee-table computer.  You know - something you grab while watching TV to check something on the 'net.  Maybe you use it to play a quick game during commercials or to jot down a quick note to yourself as a reminder....

Or, you could use it to get caught up with Ironman, Spiderman, or X-Men.  Panelfly has been making comics available in your back-pocket for some time now with their iPhone/iPod-Touch App.  Now - wth the introduction of the iPad, they finally have a form factor which makes perfect sense for their product.  Panelfly will introduce an optimized version of the popular comic book reader for the iPad in March 2010.

I still think the iPad is over-priced but I could get with a color eReader if content like this is going to be available.

DELIBERATELY QUOTED

Technology... the knack of so arranging the world that we don't have to experience it.  
~Max Frisch

Who Needs Rosetta Stone?

First, I have to admit that I'm a huge fan of Google.  I use Gmail, Google Reader for RSS feeds, Blogger, and I've been trying to convince myself that dropping a half a G on the Nexus 1 makes sense in some way. All that said - you really have to admit that (if what you're about to read is true), Google is about to make life for international travelers a whole lot easier.

What is Google working on?  Ans: software for a phone which will translate foreign languages automatically and in real-time.  Check out the story here.

Here's the Fantasy Football App of 2010!

According to the Wall Street Journal, the NFL is planning to make a version of their RedZone service available on cell-phones.  If you play fantasy football and are busy with family or work activities on Sunday, then this is a godsend.  If you have a smartphone, you will be able to check your players performance AND monitor the critical scoring possessions at your leisure.  Check out the story here: NFL RedZone on Phones

The Future Search Engine?

The video in this post is from Project Natal (a new form of gaming interactivity for the X-Box).  The concept illustrated is cool in and of itself - no doubt.  But - what if you could use this to search the internet?  Yeah - it's nice to just get straight to the point sometimes when doing an internet search.  But, it'd also be nice to run some ideas past an impartial party while you're trying to find that special gift for someone or looking for the name of that song you loved 15 years ago but all you remember are a few lyrics.  I imagine that Milo could be programmed with some artificial intelligence to do searches in the background while you were bouncing ideas off of it during the course of a completely natural conversation.

Anyway, take 5 minutes out of your day to check out this video.  It's pretty sweet.  If this is the future of interactive gaming, then we're a lot closer to what we were fed 20 years ago in sci-fi movies than I realized.  Heck, I might have to go get an XBOX on GP.

DELIBERATELY QUOTED

All of the biggest technological inventions created by man - the airplane, the automobile, the computer - says little about his intelligence, but speaks volumes about his laziness.
- Mark Kennedy

Deliberately INUTILE?

Every now and then - I come across a product which, superficially, appears to be useful but really serves no purpose whatsoever.  Today, I have a winner.  Check out the story at the link below

MP3 Player for Your Unborn Baby

Now, I'm sure the manufacturer put a lot of thought into this product.  And, it appears to be well designed.  But - to all the mothers in the world, what ever happened to singing or humming to your baby?

But hey - I couldn't have a baby if I wanted one (see - I'm male).  To the women that read this post, would you buy this if/when you get pregnant?  I'm just curious.

Wanna Keep that YOUTUBE video for yourself?

One of the primary objectives of this blog is directing readers to "tools" which will simplify an activity. YouTube, for example, has greatly simplified the distribution of video content on the internet. It made my list of Favorite Deliberate Utilities of the 00's. So - when a friend emailed me a question which, in my mind, would make YouTube even better, I was taken a little aback.


Here is the back story on why I'm writing this post. Recently, I received a request from a close friend asking me how to DOWNLOAD video from YouTube. Personally, I'd never thought much about that. Upon reading the email I thought to myself, "isn't YouTube's existence predicated on the fact that you can upload and share video with the world? Surely, you can't download stuff."


I was wrong*.


In the event you want to download a video from YouTube, check this link out: Saving YouTube video as MP4


The meat of the instructions starts at the "Add a bookmarklet" section.  There is even a handy video guide directing you on how to save a video from YouTube using the Bookmarklet.  

Have a great weekend.

* Not all videos have the option to download enabled. Only certain videos have this feature.

My Head is in the Cloud

Something that I'll refer to as "cloud creep" is upon us and you may not even be aware of it.

A simple definition of cloud computing: using servers hosted on the internet for data storage and management. This definition may still be too technical for many.

Instead, I suggest you think about these questions:

1. Do you use a web-based email service (Yahoo, GMail, etc)?
2. Do you share pictures online using a service like Flickr, Photobucket, or Picassa?
3. Do you have remote access to files on your computer?
4. Do you want your schedule synchronized between your phone, work and personal computer - in real time?
5. Do you download or stream entertainment from the internet (movies, music, games...)?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, then say hello to cloud computing.

Why is my head in the cloud? The answer is simple. As cloud computing has slowly crept into my life, I'm faced with a few new questions that I'd like your help with.

- How much personal information are you willing to store on servers located on the internet?
- Are you willing to pay to have access to this data from anywhere (if so, how much)?
- What criteria should a service meet in order to gain your trust?

My Favorite Deliberate Utilities of the '00s

You'll see in the header for this blog that I've defined a Deliberate Utility as "A system or device which is elegant, productive, and simplifies an action".

Even more simply stated - a Deliberate Utility is designed use-ability. It's a product or service which is so simple to use and effective that it permeates our lives, effortlessly. Its use becomes second nature almost over night. Think - running water or email.

Anyway - as the '00s have closed, I thought it would be interesting to make a list of the personal technology products that impacted my life with the greatest ease over the past 10 years.

1. Wi-Fi (it took all of 10 mins to set my first access point up - instant internet mobility).
2. MP3 Players (iPod obviously changed the game but it wasn't the first MP3 player)
3. USB Drives (does anyone remember the floppy? what about ZIP discs?)
4. MapQuest (what was life like before you could look up driving directions on the 'net?)
5. YouTube (little known fact, YouTube is the second most utilized search tool)
6. TiVO (From bulky VCR tapes to hard-drive storage and time-shifting... seemed like overnight)
7. The iPhone (while I don't own one, I respect what it did to the smartphone market)
8. RSS feeds + news readers (all the news I want in one place.... nice)
9. Pandora (this tool redefined internet radio for me)
10. Facebook (it's amazing how easily you can reconnect with your past)

Feel free to chime in with a similar list of your own. I'd love to read what others found as their deliberate utilities over the past 10 years.

2010 Deliberate Utility 10 Wants

1. A decent battery powered digital picture frame. (None of my other picture frames require a power cord)

2. Multi-touch on the new Google Phone - Nexus One.  (This will probably be my next phone)

3. XMPP support for Yahoo's Instant Messenger. (I'd rather use Google Talk or iChat but all my friends are on Y! IM)

4. The end of AT&T’s iPhone Exclusivity (It's time)

5. Mass commercial availability of lossless digital recordings (I'm kind of a audio quality snob, 320kbps or higher is a requirement for my MP3 library)

6. A webcam that can be used with large flat panel televisions (It'd be cool to have a video call w/ my family on my 42" from the comfort of my couch)

7. A break-through in battery technology which drastically improves storage capacity (It's 2010, I should rarely have to plug my laptop in the wall by now)

8. An online service that sells vinyl LPs and delivers the MP3 file of the album as an instant download (Personally, I like the sound of vinyl better than CDs but, I don't want to take the time to convert a vinyl album to MP3)

9. High quality audio streaming from the internet in my car (think Pandora in your car - SUUHWEET!)

10. A NCAA D1 Football Playoff! (Sorry, I just watched the Fiesta Bowl)

Blu-Ray versus DVD - Is it time to buy?

I found this chart on Gizmodo which illustrates the decline in price of Blue-Ray versus DVD players over time.

I don't currently own a Blue Ray player.  I have recently thought about purchasing one.  It seems to me that the price is just about where it should be to get my attention.


A couple of things struck me as interesting regarding Gizmodo's post.


First, I wonder what drives people to adopt certain technology early in the product life-cycle (Year 0 on the chart)?  As you might (or might not) recall, when Blue Ray was first introduced there was a competing technology called HD-DVD available. 


Many people purchased either an HD-DVD player or a Blue Ray player well before the dust settled.  In doing so, these individuals paid a premium for the technology well before it was mature or the winning format was clear.


Blue Ray won the format battle.  


Second - since I don't own a Blue Ray player and I doubt that Blue Ray has really grabbed mass acceptance,  I'm really starting to wonder if Blue Ray is just an interim technological step which will ultimately be forgotten or replaced.


Certainly, I'm going to do a little research before I make my purchasing decision.  I'll keep you updated on my findings as I learn more about the Blue Ray market place.

Bluetooth Speakerphone Problem SOLVED!

My first blog post topic was about my problems with bluetooth speakerphones.  To recap - I simply wanted a device which would allow me to make and receive phone calls in my car without placing myself or anyone else in danger.  I'd tried several models and all of them were terrible for one reason or another.

Well - today, I can confidently state that my problem has been solved.  I've found two models that work very well.

The first (pictured on the left) is the Parrot Minikit Slim.  This bluetooth speakerphone has exceptional audio quality, is very compact, and is a breeze to use.  The only issue I have with it is the build quality.  The visor clip is very flimsy.  If the visors in your car are too thick, then this bluetooth speaker phone might very well fall off.  As a result, I've found myself using this handsfree device as a speakerphone in my home more often then in my car.  It's great for those times when you will be holding a long conversation with someone and you don't want to hold a phone to your ear.  You can pick this speaker phone up at Fry's for $79.99.

I initially went to Fry's looking for the second bluetooth speakerphone pictured above but they were sold out (probably a good sign I thought to myself).  The second (pictured on the right) is the MOTOROKR T505.  This device was recommended to me by a friend (Thanks, Brian O!).  This speakerphone works great.  The build quality is solid.  And, it has one feature that really makes this product worth the price.  This speakerphone has a FM transmitter which will allow you transmit the audio from callers through your car's speakers (not a requirement in my mind but a definite nice-to-have).  At $99.99, this unit cost a little more than I had initially wanted to pay (I got mine at Best Buy).  But, this speakerphone is definitely worth the extra $20.

Long story - short, if you ever decide to purchase a bluetooth speakerphone for in-car or in-home use, you can't go wrong with either of these models.  You certainly could pay less but my experience has taught me that you get what you pay for with these devices.