Last weekend I took the plunge and reformatted my primary computer replacing Windows 7 with the developer preview of Windows 8. I have been completely satisfied with Windows 8 (W8) as a primary operating system. Neither my laptop nor my desktop running the developer preview of W8 has suffered from any blue screen of death (BSOD) episodes. Dell shipped my Studio 1535 laptop back on November 7, 2008. I have 293 days remaining on my Dell warranty, but I digress… Over the last few weeks, I have been reviewing ultrabooks. Right now the two frontrunners in my pan-ultimate search for the perfect ultrabook are the HP Folio 13 and the Samsung Series 9. A solid state drive (SSD) boots faster than a regular hard drive disk. Maybe it was a small miscalculation on my part to purchase a 40 gigabyte (GB) hard drive to replace my 200 GB SATA traditional hard drive with a built in fall sensor. Modern versions of Windows barely fit on a 40 GB drive. The full install of the developer version of Windows 8 with Microsoft Office 2010 professional takes up about 26.2 GB of hard drive space.
Technology
LinkedIn inmap for Nels Lindahl
This post is a placeholder for a much larger think piece on why my professional and personal networks are separated into six distinct (but highly clustered) groupings.
What about the HP Folio 13?
Are you ready for 2012? I’m already thinking about my next major laptop purchase. That purchase will probably include something from the newly minted ultrabook family.
My Dell Studio 1535 has been my primary computer for over 3 years. When I purchased the laptop for some reason (a reason that still seems to be rather questionable in origin) I selected a four year warranty. In terms of usage, pretty much every computer in this house gets used on a regular basis. Over the course of the last three years the keyboard has held up surprisingly well. Normally, it is only a matter of time before heavy usage will wear down the lettering on the keys and leave palm prints on base of the laptop clamshell.
Thinking about the value of Blu-Ray discs
I’m hesitant to buy a copy of, “Star Wars: The Complete Saga,” on Blu-ray disc. I have purchased 3 or 4 copies of Star Wars over the years. Will George Lucas release a Blu-ray collector’s edition? Streaming content has changed my views on owning or collecting Blu-ray discs. I have purchased a few complete episode collections of my favorite science fiction shows, but based on the current production schedule I do not anticipate making any future collection purchases.
I’m reading the book Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson
Thanks to TWIG, I was listening to Leo Laporte, Gina Trapani, and Jeff Jarvis talk about the nature of dead documents (traditional publications) versus building a dynamic (maybe unified/standardized) digital content presentation medium. At the same time, the hosts were talking about Walter Isaacson’s new book about Steve Jobs. The time honored publication of books in paper form is not dead. Economics happen. Industries change. Watershed events or ideas can inspire the public to share a common focus. For example, reading or talking about the book Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson will become a shared experience for millions of people around the globe. Depending on the quality of the book over time a degree of intergenerational conversation could be inspired by Isaacson’s words.
Lingering Pre-Order Kindle Fire Questions
Ok. So I have a bunch of lingering questions about the Kindle Fire. My Kindle Fire has been pre-ordered and I am just waiting for the unit to arrive.
- Will the Kindle Fire get the Android market?
- Will somebody extract the Android market code from the developer SDK and install that open source package as an APK on the Kindle Fire?
- What happens when you visit https://market.android.com from the Silk browser?
- Will the market stop Kindle Fire users from downloading applications?
Thinking about the cable industry
Outside the warmth of the house winter weather has blanked Colorado Springs with a mixture of snow flurries and generally gloominess. Normally, we have to wait until Halloween for snow in Colorado Springs. Even Peppercorn the dog has given up on going outside today. To make matters worse the University of Texas Longhorn football team is having a hard time competing against the Oklahoma Sooners on ABC today. One of the challenges of giving up cable involves being willing to watch whatever football games happen to be on broadcast television. From what I can tell from a few quick internet searches overall cable subscriptions are down. I was looking for a chart of the total number of cable subscribers by year, but was unable to find one that I liked. I built one from some data I found on the NCTA website mixed with some press release based Netflix data. Statistician based wizardry aside; the obvious conclusion that can be extracted from the data involves a trajectory of increased competition for content providers.
Today should be a pretty good college football day for broadcast television viewers:
- Texas vs. Oklahoma on ABC (Morning)
- Florida vs. LSU on CBS (Afternoon)
- Ohio State vs. Nebraska on ABC (Evening)
Some of my best thinking happens after ordering a pizza. Today’s bout of cold weather inspired me to purchase a pizza from Borriello Brothers. In other food related musings, I would hazard that the number of people making chili sometime this week in Colorado Springs is about to increase significantly.
Traditional Camcorder or Pocket Video Camera?
A ton of pretty good cameras have flooded the market. Sony has developed a newer (better) version of the Sony Handycam camcorder I have had for the last few years. The Sony Handycam Camcorder Model number: HDR-XR160 has every feature you would want. It shots in 1080p at 60 frames per second and has enough hard drive space to last an entire vacation. It also has pretty good image stabilization. It also has a wind reduction feature (that is awesome for filing outdoors).
I would highly recommend purchasing a pocket video camera like the Sony Bloggie. I feel like shareable web video has trumped building DVDs or Blu-ray discs with a traditional camcorder. The Sony Bloggie records in web ready Mp4 clips that are easy to share and play. Keep in mind that with the camcorder you have to offload the video to a computer and edit it into a format that you can then export to a DVD (15 minutes) or a Blu-ray disc (the writer is like $125 and the discs are pretty expensive $3 each). You could always export to regular DVD by decoding the video on a computer from HD to SD. I just export our 1080p video to Flickr or our PS3 using a networked attached storage drive.
HDR Photography APP Review
What is HDR Photography? Well HDR or HDRI photography involves high dynamic range imaging that uses technology to extract contrast by calculating ranges between the lightest and darkest sections of images using multiple and varied exposures. In an effort to better understand HDR photography technology, I purchased a copy of HDR Camera+ from the Android Market on my HTC EVO 4G.
I took the following images using the HDR Camera+ application on my HTC EVO 4G phone using the 8 MP 4:3 photo setting.
2011-10-01-10.14.20-+0.0Ev
2011-10-01-10.14.21-+2.0Ev
2011-10-01-10.14.22-2.0Ev
2011-10-01-10.14.37 Final HDR Image
Since I enjoy outdoor photography and happen to live in Colorado, I will probably be able to enjoy the HDR Camera+ application frequently. I tried a couple of times to take a photo of a person using the HDR app and found the process very challenging. Landscape photos work pretty well using the application. You do have to have a fairly steady hand or a tripod to be able to take photographs of larger areas (panoramic style photographs).
* Next time we go to the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo I plan on taking a series of HDR photographs of the City of Colorado Springs and then stitching them into a panoramic photo using the Windows Live Photo Gallery panorama tool.
Falling Tablet Prices
Why would HTC initiate a $200 price drop on the Flyer when the Kindle Fire from Amazon is still $100 cheaper at $199? A higher price point is still a higher price point.
Questions
- Will the Amazon Kindle Fire table support the Android Marketplace?
- What wireless keyboard will work with Will the Amazon Kindle Fire tablet?
- What will the upgrade schedule be for the forked Android operating system on the Amazon Kindle Fire tablet?
On The Kindle Fire
Amazon now has a reasonably priced Android based tablet available for preorder. I’m not totally sold on the Kindle Fire. The initial price point is encouraging, but the lack of a clear upgrade path is disturbing. Will favorable economics of scale be able to reduce the price point to around $149.99? A fifty dollar price drop would certainly create substantial demand for the Kindle Fire.
Right now, I am researching keyboard options for the Kindle Fire. Will the Kindle Fire integrate with the Android Marketplace? I own a few games and I am hoping they will be transferable from my HTC EVO to the Kindle Fire.
Alternatively, I could just buy a Bluetooth keyboard for my HTC EVO and consider purchasing an HTC EVO 3D. More or less (for better or worse) I really would to be able to create weblog posts or massive amounts of prose on the go or while traveling.
Considering the Eee Pad Transformer as a tablet
I sent a question out into the grand public square known as Twitter today. My question was straightforward, “Has anybody ever used or owned the ASUS Eee Pad Transformer tablet or the docking station/keyboard associated with the tablet?” During my custom computer building days I invested a lot of money into ASUS motherboards. I have been looking at tablets for a while now, but the idea of being able to buy a tablet computer that can transform into a netbook is strangely compelling. Consider for a moment the advantages of having 16 hours of battery life during a road trip or airline flight.
Qwest DNS Connectivity Issues
Qwest (now called CenturyLink) has been providing my household with internet service for several years now. Over the course of the last two weeks, the digital subscriber line (DSL) modem has been experiencing intermittent connectivity issues related to resolving domain name systems (DNS). Tomorrow morning a technician will be reviewing our internet systems. The modem has been running hotter than usual and restating the modem will normally restore service. An uninterruptable power supply (UPS) system both conditions the power being provided to the modem and ensures no internet service disruptions will occur.
I wonder what will be required to fix the situation…
Waiting for technicians can be tedious and annoying, instead of wasting the time I plan on focusing on studying for the Cisco Certified Entry Networking Technician (CCENT) exam.
The technician from CenturyLink was courteous and knowledgeable. Qwest had previously stipulated that we were on the edge of the DSL coverage range. To reduce degradation the technician installed a whole house filter and segmented the DSL service. Everything seems to be working.
Considering Cisco Certifications
Over the course of the last few days, I have started working on passing the Cisco Certified Entry Networking Technician (CCENT) certification exam. As part of my professional development path, I have decided to pursue a variety of Cisco voice and security related certifications.
HTC EVO Infinite Reboot
My HTC EVO 4G Sprint phone running Android Gingerbread 2.3.3 started rebooting over and over again without any options. The infinite reboot was both annoying and troublesome. The solution to the infinite reboot problem on an HTC EVO involved holding the down volume button after hard reboot and pressing the power button intermittently to open the Android boot menu. I then selected the clear content option and reset the phone. The solution wiped the phone memory, but the phone has returned to normal operations.
Android Application Usage Update
In general, the defense style games seem to offer strategic challenge and entertainment at the same time. What are the best robot defense games for Android phones? I have played and enjoyed Robo Defense from Lupis Labs. The Robo Defense application has had some recent upgrades that really extended the long term playability of the game.
Maybe now is a good time to take a few moments and review how Android applications have been used and purchased on my HTC EVO 4G. During the course of the last few months the Android Market has only had a few applications that were worth purchasing. For the most part developers of high quality content have ignored the Android Market. Old school video games should be having a renaissance on Android phones, but the market seems to be undersupplied.
What Android applications have been purchased by this household?
- Advanced Task Killer (Before it became free)
- BeyondPod (This application allowed me to retire my Zune)
- Math Alarm Clock (Best (most effective) alarm clock I have ever owned)
- Retro Defense (Recently purchased; provides quicker games than Robo Defense)
- Robo Defense (Addictive!)
- Wolfram Alpha (Not sure why I bought this application)
What free Android applications have been downloaded (and utilized) by this household?
- Angry Birds (Complete Franchise: I will purchase the Eagle option when given the opportunity.)
- Coca-Cola snow globe (I really enjoyed this live wallpaper)
- Firefox (I switch between browsers)
- OpenTable (Great app for quickly making reservations)
- Ringdroid (Used sporadically, but very functional)
- ScoreCenter (Frequently used because the ESPN mobile website is horrible)
- Twitter (Enough said)
On Android Tablets
When will the second generation of Android tablets arrive?
The price point on the first generation seems to be just over the threshold of mass adoption throughout society. Mass production of the second wave of Android tablets should realize an economy of scale that reduces the price point. However, the current market overcrowding of similar competing Android tablet products could create a price war. While most of the companies will not survive the Android tablet competition the marketplace will be stronger.
Sony Bravia Repair Update
Here is the story of my Sony Bravia repair saga three weeks into the process:
Exactly 91 days after purchasing the television from Costco part of the backlight system failed. The failure happened to occur during the fourth quarter of the Jets/Patriots game. For the last three weeks the television has been sitting in the living room darkly consuming space. The broken television sitting in the corner of the room has reminded me of how technology failures can be devastating and frustrating. Even a manufacturer warranty and a two year additional warranty were not enough to ensure a swift, effective, or efficient resolution to the issue.
Two weeks after the initial failure a technician replaced the power supply and board inside my Sony Bravia KDL-52EX701 television. Apparently, the six blink error code indicated a power failure. Strangely, after replacing the power board the six blink error code was replaced by a two blink error code. Sony error codes help technicians diagnose problems remotely. In this case the failure of the screen destroying the power system happens to be a known issue. The six blink Sony error code will be replaced by a two blink Sony error code after the faulty power supply is replaced. The actual problem involving the screen was being masked by the power failure it created.
Three weeks ago, the process started with a call to the Costco technology concierge. Probably, the most professional and straightforward part of the process involved working with the Costco technology concierge. The problem was discussed and a warranty claim was opened and the concierge stayed on the line throughout the entire call with Sony. Based on my detailed explanation of the initial failure the Sony repair team was able to remotely diagnose the problem. I have to say that talking with Sony representative about the warranty was an incredibly painful and unprofessional process. Specifically, the Sony technical support agent perpetually used soft holds (mute holds with no hold music) and basically refused to provide any degree of assistance. The representative basically shifted the process to the repair team and refused to schedule a maintenance visit during the phone call. The process concluded with a case number and a phone number to call a technician that lives about two hours away in Denver. Sony put all of the reasonability for the warranty claim back on the consumer. Bottom line: I’m glad that we got a two year warranty for the television, but the Sony warranty process was not consumer friendly.
Next week, during the fourth week of the problem Sony will be shipping a new screen to the technician. The bezel, graphics board, and power board will have to be removed. The most expensive piece of the system the display (screen) will have to be replaced. Strangely, I thought Sony might just send out a new television instead of creating a hodgepodge of parts in my living room.
————————————————–
Updated at 09:00 MST on 2/26/2011
* Will the television repair sage ever come to an end? The saga came to an end. Sony invoked the replacement program and replaced our 52 inch Sony Bravia television with a refurbished 60 inch Sony Bravia. The process was not easy or satisfying. For the most part the process could have been better with a small degree of communication from Sony.
* Will somebody from Sony ever call to follow up by talking about the process? Strangely, the technicians worked with Sony to get parts to repair the television. The replacement television showed up before the technician could make the repairs. I swapped out the new television for the broken old television and thanks to the speed of air freight Sony now has possession of the old television.
Notes from 20101121
* Netflix provides access to a myriad of content. Thanks to the diversity of Netflix content, it was relatively easy to discover and watch the Luke Wilson film Tenure (2009). Surprisingly, the film production occurred in only 25 days for a miniscule (by Hollywood standards) $5 million dollar budget. How do even relatively independent Hollywood productions cost millions of dollars? A surprisingly small amount of Luke Wilson’s work is available for streaming on Netflix. The amount of streaming content available within the multitude of online streaming services seems to be increasing exponentially. Online content seems to be the wave of the future. The average size of a home television has been increasing over the last few years. Even standalone gaming platforms have integrated online content delivery. Will the traditional methods of content delivery survive?
*During the middle hours of the day, on Sunday November 21, 2010, I enjoyed watching the documentary, “Who is Harry Nilsson? (And Why Is Everybody Talkin’ About Him).”
* Some of my various hastily written reviews of situations, meals, and purchases exist online spread throughout the internet. Stephanie the other day ran into a review from a Nels in Colorado Springs. In some ways, the simulacrum of a previous restaurant experience (review) could end up simulating the previous meal without contributing to the current reality of the situation.
Online Payment Structures
Different models exist for delivering online content. Novelists have been experimenting with different online content delivery systems. Some novelists prefer using established delivery channels for digital reading systems. Other novelists are interested in completely open online content delivery systems that utilize online advertisements. Monetary compensation can occur in a variety of ways. Content developers typically expect some form of financial compensation.
…and now an unrelated transition to stream of consciousness derived prose…
Now could be nothing more than a transient space between the then and the now about to be reconsidered, reminisced, and eventually forgotten. A new week could open the door to a promising future. The future stands as a reminder of the presents promised potential. As the intersection of technology and modernity bleeds into postmodern euphoria, previous considerations tend to be adjusted to reflect changes anticipated or otherwise noticed by the thinker’s content to evaluate society. A few of the thoughts might be akin to the thinker’s grand castle in the air overlooking an overpromised tomorrow that might just be the shining city upon a hill.
Microsoft Office 2010 Questions
It feels like I only recently upgraded to Microsoft Office 2007 software versions of Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. That feeling has made the switch seems strange. What are the benefits of completing a move to the 2010 version of the Microsoft productivity software? More of less the move is entirely based on switching to the latest and greatest version of Microsoft Word 2010. Almost all of my writing processes or habits are centered on the use of either Microsoft Word or brainstorming in traditional paper sketchbooks. For some reason the process of writing everyday has taken root and will probably always be a part of my life and my daily routines.
Why are all these questions about Microsoft products coming to the forefront of consideration today? The answer is relatively simplistic. After the process of formatting my Dell Studio, decisions are about to be made about what software to install. Over the course of a few months, software always seems to get installed and forgotten. The formatting process helps remove the unwanted software from the system and ensure the best possible laptop processer performance and overall computing experience.
AK Notepad Review
Ok so this is a note built on AK Notepad. How hard would it be to write prose on an Android device? The keyboard takes some practice to master. The spell checker seems to improve over time. With no built in grammarian functions the editor provides very limited document editing.
Sprint Blackberry
When will sprint get a new Blackberry?
EVO DAY FAILED
Yesterday could have been the big day. The joy of technology acquisition was in the air.
Hope existed at an unprecedented level. Most of the day was spent waiting for a call from the Sprint store in Derby, Kansas. Calls had been placed to a few stores in the area to locate the exact location for the next delivery of HTC EVO 4G phones.
Last night involved drinks at Mike’s Wine Dive in Wichita, Kansas. Joni’s ten year high school reunion seemed almost surreal. Something about the entire reunion process only hits home right before walking into the door. Right before the reunion drinks we had the privilege of attending a wedding reception. Everything really hits home when you take a figurative uppercut from a metaphor. Maybe it was the dumbfounded look of a high school sophomore contemplating the ancient nature of a ten year high school reunion or the realization that an entire decade had passed, but the night took on a bit of introspective melodrama.
Naturally, Amanda had the HTC EVO 4G and recommended purchasing it as soon as possible. Somebody at Mike’s Wine Diver was even playing Super Mario Brothers on the HTC EVO. At some point perhaps the overwhelming avalanche of evidence and recommendations supporting the HTC EVO 4G will inspire the purchase of two of the devices with a backup Blackberry hanging out in third place.
In any event after the major technology acquisition failure that occurred on Friday only one real solution exists. Sure camping out at the local Sprint store would be an option, but placing an order for the phones online might be the only way to move forward.
HTC EVO 4G DAY
Could today involve some live blogging? Maybe; the waiting process will certainly inspire a certain degree of nervous energy that could very well result in the generation of stream of consciousness prose.
I finally broke down and got my name placed on a waiting list for the HTC EVO 4G. Let me say officially and without any qualification, waiting for the call from the Sprint store this morning seems to be taking an eternity.
When will the HTC 4G EVO arrive?
When will they finally call?
How long will it take to get to the store?
Speculation; enjoy it or fight it, but eventually you will end up accepting that it exists and moving on to something else. The internet is a large (incredibly large) space full of plenty of content to mesmerize even the most enthusiastic connoisseur of speculative thought.
Acquiring this particular phone seems to have been a Herculean challenge that defied reason and logic. Typically, a company as large as Sprint would attempt to find a supplier that could manage to deliver a significant quantity of products. The current shortage of HTC EVO 4G devices could either be a part supply problem or corporate mismanagement. Theoretically, the part supply problem could be part of a competitor’s evil plot to shrink HTC market share.
More of less this weblog realizes the full potential of single serving writing. Since the units of analysis for a weblog inevitably boils down to the number of posts. The process of single serving writing tends to develop organically and it quickly becomes entrenched for most digital authors. Some weblog posts can use reverse linkages in the form of hypertext bookmarks to allow readers to navigate across the historical universe of the weblog. For the most part readers tend to focus on the newest weblog posts instead of conducting a historical survey that draws on prose across a broad spectrum of experiences and motivations. Sure almost every weblog has a search engine, but the search engine tool is general remains under utilized and typically under delivers.
********** Story Update v0.32B **********
The morning shipment from HTC never materialized and the waiting game started to see if a 4:00 PM (CST) delivery would occur. Getting the HTC EVO 4G might actually be harder than getting placed on a list. Why Sprint has refused to allow people to preorder the device who are wiling to wait for shipment defies reason.
The HTC EVO is sold out online
Should I just buy the HTC HERO today?
The HTC EVO never seems to be in stock on the Sprint website…
Every few hours I find myself checking the Sprint webpage to see if a new batch of HTC EVO 4G phones might be available online. Patience remains a virtue worthy of discussion and in theory worthy of practice in everyday life. The HTC HERO would provide most of the same features and is easily attainable both online and at retail stores nationwide. At some level it would be much easier to concede technologies advance and give up on purchasing the HTC EVO 4G by just accepting the accessibility of the HTC HERO. However, given the two year length of wireless phone contracts with Sprint the conclusion of the story would inevitably lead to two solid years of daily disappointment.
27 pints of Salsa Gordo Perezoso del Hombre are jarred and sitting in the kitchen. The salsa always remains jarred for one full day before the initial taste testing. The current test version of the salsa stands better than competition ready with a flavor that meets or exceeds any salsa enthusiast’s expectations. A successful marathon writing weekend 3.0 will make this 4th of July exceptionally memorable. Surprisingly, the writing project succeeded even with a substantial pit stop to make and jar salsas during the middle of the day on Saturday.
In other somewhat related news, the next writing project has been selected.
Now where is my HTC EVO 4G?
*** Revised and edited on July 5, 2010 ***
Sunday Writing Entanglements
The marathon writing session continued throughout the early hours of the morning until exhaustion extinguished any spark of creativity and the project had to be abandoned in favor of sleep. Thanks to the piercing sounds of my digital alarm clock the day started anew and the writing process kicked back into high gear. When the dissertation project is complete the search for the HTC EVO 4G will begin in earnest. Today should be the last day completely devoted to cleaning up the last two chapters. Tomorrow will probably involve a full day of work. Either way the process of writing and working and writing anytime the workday concludes takes a psychological and physical toll. Maybe at this point being done is more important than being well rested.
In any event, now would be a good time to get back to work.
*** Remind me to explain the massive number of BSOD my Dell Studio 1535 had last night. Somehow Dell has a hard time running complex calcuations using IBM’s PASW (SPSS) Statistics version 18.0.0 ***
Understanding Technology
What is the true tipping point for wireless phone technology competing with the personal computer market? A certain and definitive aligning trajectory between wireless technology and personal computing exists. At some point a wireless phone will be fully capable of document editing. Some travelers have to bring technology from coast to coast. A fully capable wireless phone that doubles as a personal computer would decrease the amount of weight a frequent traveler has to deal with or pack. Maybe modern wireless phone technology is reaching the tipping point.
Panda Express Fortune
Notes from the San Jose Airport
Recently, I started to take a visual survey of what types of laptop, notebook, and netbook personal computing devices people are actually using. Today for example, after checking in with airport security the long walk down the terminal causeway provided the perfect opportunity for a visual inspection of computer usage. The results were very interesting. People were using a series of Acer, Asus, and Dell computers. Only one computer could not be identified. Somebody working near the coffee bar was using a very small nebook that did not have a manufacturer label. The system was obviously running Windows Vista, but however built the system did not provide any identifiable markings.
During the last few days at the American Society for Public Administration (ASPA) 2010 conference in San Jose, California people were using Acer (Ferrari), Dell, and Macintosh. Academics run the gambit of computer usage. Some academics are true computer power users that demand absolute performance. However, some academics take an almost Luddite approach to accepting technology. Technology buyers tend to be a rather bimodal group of spenders. The first category of technology buyer avoids overspending at all costs; even performance considering are secondary to a perfect fit between price and basic functionality. The second category of technology buyers tends to spend based on the intersection of the bleeding edge of technological innovation and mass production.
Technology seems to be a topic that requires constant reevaluation. Without question understanding how people value computers requires empirical evidence based on observing what technology people transport with them across the country. If people value technology enough travel with it, then the way people use that technology needs to be functionally understood.
Netflix Streaming Video
Over the last few weeks the PlayStation 3 (PS3) has been providing HDTV access to streaming Netflix videos. Strangely enough the PS3 even allows the entire network to stream video content. Maybe a hat tip is due to Andy from Chicago because on some level Netflix streaming video makes using discs an example of the devolution of technology occurring within modern society.
