i-mate K-JAM

While I like the HTC Universal, also branded by i-Mate as the Jasjar, Cingular is more likely to carry this model because it is quad-band. The i-mate K-JAM looks like a winner in Size and functionality. One thing that was done right design-wise is when the keyboard slides out, the screen rotates similar to how Tablet PCs work. With all the new models that are about to be released, I'll likely wait until Christmas to decide on a replacement for my SX66.

Tags: PocketPC, phone

Carry your PC on a U3 USB Key

The U3 USB Key becomes you personal data center over at ubergizmo talks about some neat new technology that's headed our way. U3 gives you a platform to run apps from your USB thumb drive; you can use those apps to sync data and remain in stealth mode on public machines. I've been using my Sandisk Cruzer Titanium to sync data for a while, but having the U3 platform would enhance that experience by adding a slick interface to multiple apps I can install on my Cruzer. Now, we need larger USB thumb drives (or smaller apps).

Tags: new, software, tools, security

Small tools that are Smartronix

PC Magazine is reviewing these two jack/plug adapters that are a must for any net admin's toolkit. I plan on getting a pair ASAP, which means I won't need to carry around my cable tester or crossover cable everywhere I go.

Tags: tools, gadget

How to send SMS via e-mail

Lifehacker posted the list of SMS e-mail addresses for the larger US carriers. One thing I will note is that I had to register with Cingular before I could receive emails via SMS. I don't know if that's true of the other carriers.

Tags: email

New feed reader for Outlook

Scoble posts about Attensa -- an Outlook RSS aggregator and del.icio.us tagger. You can also use it to create blog posts for several popular blog sites. I'm not sure I like the posting features or method yet, but the ability to generate tags is cool.

Tags: new, software, tags, del.icio.us

Living room remote redux or Why I still read magazines

Most of my magazine subscriptions arrive digitally via Zinio. Early this year I started receiving Sync magazine, a gadget lovers guide to cool gear. In reading the latest issue, I came across what may be my living room remote solution -- the Philips RC9800i. Not only does it control my stereo equipment (infrared), but it also has WiFi for controlling PC content. And, you can actually view content on its screen. How's that for a living room remote?

Tags: new, home, gadget

Windows Vista and audio

Because I have ripped every CD I own and plan on adding a media center PC to my living room, the Channel 9 video with Steve Ball - Learning about Audio in Windows Vista seemed like something interesting to watch. A lot of new development has gone into the audio system in Windows Vista to make performance and fidelity improvements that end-users will notice. the demos early on in the video clearly illustrate the advances that have been made.

Tags: new, software, Vista, video

New OpenOffice release

I used version 1.1.1 on my old TC1000 and it worked very well. It's nice to have a free Office alternative for a computer where you won't use Office often. Read more here: Slashdot OpenOffice 1.1.5 Released.

Tags: new, software

I feel a rant coming on...

Yesterday was a Hurricane Rita day for us here in Miami. No major storm damage and no work. So, where's the rant?

I had been unable to VPN into the office for a couple of weeks, so I thought I would experiment with the connection since no one was at the office. It's a pretty standard setup: SBS 2000 server with RRAS, 2 NICs and ISA; a Netopia 3346w from BellSouth with a DSL connection and 5 static IPs on the office end; and a D-Link DI-624 router connected to a Westell 6100 DSL router from BellSouth in bridged mode on the other.

The problem began about 2 weeks ago; before that, the VPN connections worked like butter. I was now getting an error 721 when attempting to establish a VPN connection. What had changed?

For starters, I had upgraded the firmware on the Netopia. No harm done there, right? Now, I wasn't so sure. I had also disabled a couple of ISA access policies that were not necessary -- nothing related to VPN. After searching the web, the problem seemed to be related to the GRE protocol 47 not being passed through the routers in one or both directions. The log files did not contain any error messages; the only solution I could find was to adjust the WAN NIC's MTU setting, which I tried, but did not work. Time to focus on the other side.

I had also upgraded the D-Link firmware. The new firmware added WPA2 and did not work any worse than the previous firmware, or so it seemed. I had not changed anything on my laptop, so my focus had to be the D-Link. Did WPA2 break VPN? Was the PPTP passthrough enabled? Did the inaccurate time on the router play a role? After checking everything I could think of, I downgraded the firmware and sure enough the VPN started working again. The time was also synchronizing again. Everything was back to square one on my end.

D-Link caused me all the headaches I encountered (or at least my trusting in their newest, non-beta firmware). Why do software vendors think they can release software that has bugs and not call it beta? Did D-Link do sufficient due diligence when testing this software? No.

Newsflash to D-Link: your 2.70 firmware for the DI-624 does not do PPTP passthrough correctly. Fix it or you will lose customers.

Tags: commentary, troubleshooting

The video iPod?

The AMEX RSS feeds I receive were updated today, and this product was on the listing: RedEnvelope - macvision multimedia player. The description does not go into much detail, and it is only available in black now, but it sure looks nice. I've never seen or heard of this model. Where has it been hiding?

Tags: iPod, video

Renewed my Norton

After reviewing the numerous reviews at PC World, PC Mag and CNET, and looking at ICSA Labs, I decided that renewing my Norton 2005 subscription on my TC4200 was my best bet. At $34.95, it was on a par with some other antivirus vendors' products.

I'm using AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition on my desktop, but I've noticed a virus or two get through on some of my clients' computers.

What else is worth my money? At least Norton is ICSA certified for removal and detecttion.

Tags: antivirus, software

I remember seeing this...

Ars technica has an article about Apple filing for patent on a notebook with digital camera integrated into the latch. They mention Asus having a similar feature, and I remember Sony having a sub-notebook with a camera where the latch would be also. Apple seems to think the innovation is in integrating the camera and the latch.

Show me a laptop with a camera integrated behind the screen -- that's innovation!

Tags: Apple, camera, new

Microsoft Office 12 is truly amazing

Check out this Channel 9 video with Julie Larson-Green - Diving into the new Office 12. I was amazed by the radical, yet intuitive, changes they made. Not only does it look like it will be easier to use, but it should increase user productivity too. Microsoft's Office UI team is truly innovating with this new product launch. This almost makes up for the last several versions of Office that were so similar (2000, XP & 2003).

Tags: software, new

Mobilize!

Pocket PC Thoughts points to an interesting service (if you can call it that) for PDAs and web sites without mobile-enhanced pages. I tested the service with my site and it produced relatively good results.

Tags: PocketPC

Living room remote (reprise) -- WebGuide 3

As you can see from my previous 2 posts on this subject, I have been giving this a lot of thought lately. James is posting about WebGuide 3- use any PC as a remote for your Media Center, which allows you to use any PC or Pocket PC or smartphone to control your media center PC. Best of all, it's free! Once I get a media center PC, I'll have to check this software out.

Tags: software

Microsoft and software security

Brent Hill and Roger Grimes - Chatting about IIS 7's security Channel 9 video taped by Robert Scoble discussing the security of Microsoft's 2003 server, IE and IIS. With all the latest software and patches, Microsoft has a secure product. However, if you don't patch, and you don't know what you're doing, you won't be secure. With the consulting work I do, I see misconfigured systems all the time. I think more critics should point out the virtues of patching and upgrading to the latest version rather than put down all the old software and vulnerabilities that still exist out there.

Tags: security, software, commentary

Touch screen tablets

One vivid memory I have of the Microsoft Tablet PC launch I attended several years ago was the (then) Compaq rep explaining that you could rest your hand on the screen and it would not interfere with data input. Coming from Pocket PC world, where that was a no-no, I was quite impressed. I'm not sure that a touchscreen is good for handwriting recognition, but I think it will boost sales. The pen takes some getting used to; poking icons with your finger is a no-brainer. I hope this is one step forward for Tablet PC and not two steps back. jkOnTheRun: Hello touchscreen.

Tags: TabletPC

Acronis & Tablet PCs

Tablet PC Talk has a press release from Acronis discussing Acronis joining Motion's ISV program.

I have used Acronis for hard drive imaging in the past. The fact that Acroris is taking notice of the Tablet PC market segment and sees the need that Tablet PC owners have for quick backup makes me think that Tablet PCs will occupy a larger market share some day.

Tags: TabletPC, software

Wrecked Exotics

For the masochists out there... www.UberRides.com

WARNING: Not for the faint of heart

Tags: cars

More powerful living room remote -- Motion LS800 review

Although it is probably too expensive a solution, the Motion LS800 is another unit I would consider using as a remote for a media center pc. Read more here: Great LS800 review from MikeWo - The Tablet PCs Weblog - tabletpcs.weblogsinc.com _

Tags: TabletPC

I want the top link; no, I want the top link

Scoble has a pretty funny Google search to share with us today: Are Google's algorithm's political?

Tags: jokes

Quick Online Tips: Absolutely Del.icio.us - Complete Tool Collection

An excellent site for del.icio.us tools. I'm testing out "lazy sheep" now. Quick Online Tips: Absolutely Del.icio.us - Complete Tool Collection

Tags: del.icio.us, tools

Tablet PCs and the legal profession

LAWTECH GURU BLOG by Jeff Beard: Tablet PCs: A Reality Check is an excellent post about the current standing of Tablet PCs in the legal field. Having worked with attorneys for almost 10 years, and having brought in Tablet PCs to the law firm, I can agree with Jeff's comments on the subject. However, I think he leaves a crucial factor out of the equation by focusing entirely on the technology.

Attorneys use numerous tools on a daily basis: a voice recorder (microcassette usually) pen and pad, etc. A computer is another tool -- an under-utilized tool. With a Tablet PC, tools can be combined. By using the speech recognition capability of the Tablet PC, thoughts and ideas can quickly begin to be assembled into working drafts of documents. The handwriting recognition can also be used in composing documents, as well as, for storing notes. With the vast amounts of Tablet PC resources available, I don't need to elaborate much on the benefits Tablet PCs have to offer. I will elaborate a little on the cost savings benefits of Tablet PCs.

By dictating into a Tablet PC over a microcassette, the document begins to take shape immediately before the attorney's eyes. That is an immediate time savings over having to wait for the tape to be transcribed by a secretary and cost savings of both equipment and personnel. I'm not suggesting that personnel can be eliminated, but personnel can be freed for other tasks increasing efficiency. The mentality is that training the voice recognition costs more than the savings of using the technology and increasing personnel efficiency. This is the classic short run versus long run battle. It's also an egocentric issue -- the attorney is more important than all other personnel and their efficiency.

So, before I can argue about the Tablet PC being worth the money, I have to ask, "Are attorneys worth the Tablet PC?"

Tags: TabletPC, Commentary

New headset from Jabra

For those who, like me, prefer over-the-ear headsets, Jabra is finally releasing a decent looking Bluetooth headset. Their former designs were huge an unsightly. This one looks like a winner; I hope the quality is good. Read about it at Smartphone Thoughts - Daily news, views, rants and raves: "Jabra BT350 Over-the-Ear Headset For Mobile Phones"

Tags: Bluetooth, Phone

Tablet PC Education Pack demonstration

OK, so I'm catching up on my video watching today... Emily Rimas - Tablet PC Education Pack revealed is a short video (~17 min.) showing the various components included in the Tablet PC Education Pack. I've been using it for a few weeks now, and the index cards we great for any age student; Hexic is also a great way to kill time.

Tags: software

Blogger for Microsoft Word Video

I've used the Blogger for Microsoft Word add-in a few times. It's pretty well designed and intuitive to use. Scoble was at Google recently and filmed an interesting video about Blogger for Microsoft Word.

Tags: software

The Ultimate USB Key

What a great article! I recently purchased a Sandisk Cruzer Titanium, which comes with some excellent software in it own regard. This will add some great software to what is already loaded on it. I usually carry around install programs for some of the software PC Mag suggests. Now, I can just install the programs to my Cruzer.

Thanks to Techbargains.com for pointing it out.

Tags: software

Konica Minolta DiMAGE X1

A client just got one of these and it is beautiful. He's going to play with it this weekend and I'll get a report on Monday. The smartest design feature on this camera, in my opinion, is the rear panel which covers the screen. It looks like the screen is more protected from damage that way.

Tags: camera

Good deal on an HP iPod 40GB

Considering all the 20GB iPods I've seen were $229 or more, $249 for a 40GB is a steal. Visit dealnews.com for more info.

I'm still going to hold out for a good deal on a 60GB color model.

Tags: iPod, deal

my iPod; my PDA

Brighthand's article: iPods Take Another Step Towards Becoming PDAs makes a few interesting points. I've always thought at least having contact & appointment data available on an iPod was convenient. With the iTunes phone coming this more makes even more sense. I'll have to download it and check it out.

Tags: software, iPod

Apple hoping for a golden snitch of sorts?

Dealnews has the latest on a new Hogwarts edition iPod. The audio books of all six volumes can be added for a fee about the size of Haggrid.

Tags: Harry, Potter, iPod

More hardware antivirus protection coming?

ExtremeTech has this story about Intel taking a $16 million stake in Grisoft, makers of the free AVG anti-virus software program. I use AVG and recommend it to many of my clients for home use. Thus far, it has not let me down -- it updates automatically and scans files daily.

Tags: software, antivirus

Who's the Wiz?

The HTC Wizard is another Pocket PC Phone that will be available shortly. The unit is more svelt than the HTC Universal, and seemingly as powerful -- only time will tell about the new processor it's using. With all the bells and whistles this tiny (by Universal measurements) unit purports to contain, including Bluetooth 2.0, the really good news is that Cingular may get the Wizard.

Read more about it at:

• Engagdet
• Brighthand
• msmobiles.com

Tags: PocketPC, Phone

Popular abroad, but not here

Lots of new gear is making the news this week. Looks like something new is coming from Everex. My first Pocket PC (palm-size PC) was an Everex Freestyle. It was great.

Übergizmo has the details on Everex’s new Pocket PC Phone. Nice specs, but no EDGE. (

Tags: PocketPC, Phone

The search for the golden LEGO

Since I posted about Lego's a little while ago, here's an interesting bit of info I found over at the Gadgeteer: LEGO Shop at Home - 50th Anniversary!

Tags: Lego

Eenie, meenie, miney, MIMO

Maybe I'm a little dense, but... If it's pre-standard, and to reap the full benefit, you have to use one of their pre-standard PCMCIA cards, and you won't see any major speed improvements unless you're transferring files, can someone please tell me the point of those pre-N routers? PCWorld.com's - Budget MIMO Is a Good Value article reviews a decent regular MIMO router, which sounds more reasonable.

Even so, the Internet won't be any faster....

Tags: wireless

Best in class virus detection

This is an interesting article about virus protection: Slashdot | The End of Signature-Based Antivirus Software?.

Tags: antivirus, software

How big is too big?

I'm always getting questions about how large email attachments can be. When you can't send an attachment, YouSendIt.com comes in. Read more about it at Jim Calloway's Law Practice Tips Blog: When the file is too large to e-mail.

Tags: email

Talk Digger: Check who's talking!

This is an interesting search engine: Talk Digger: Check who's talking! It shows you who's linking to any URL you put in. They should do some sort of trackback service. I read about it at the [non]billable hour.

Tags: search

Freshblog: How to use del.icio.us for blogger categories

I'm finding this difficult... Freshblog: How to use del.icio.us for blogger categories

Categories: tags, Technorati, del.icio.us

Living room remote

I originally thought about getting a Microsoft Windows Powered Smart Display for my living room to control the Media Center PC I would have in my stereo rack. Then, as I used my Tablet PCs, I thought a Smart Display might be too large and uncomfortable. Besides, Microsoft and the manufacturers killed them off.

Now, along comes the Nokia 770, which seems to be a good combination of size and functionality. I wonder if it can be used to remotely control a Media Center PC.

Home

Big Head

You could say music is another one of my “passions”. So today, when I was reading the news at Tablet PC Buzz.com, this article grabbed my attention. I listened to Big Head Todd and the Monsters when I was in college (I may have even seen then play once). “Bittersweet” is still one of my favorite songs. It’s pretty cool that he uses a TC4200, like mine, to do a lot of the same tasks I do. While the benefits of a Tablet PC are not quite by far over and above those afforded by a laptop, I agree with Todd – having the ability to write on the screen is definitely worthwhile.

Most of my posts these days are written by hand in Word, and posted using the Blogger plug-in for Word.

GPS for your Pocket PC Phone

This sounds like a cool way to get GPS on a Pocket PC Phone. Thanks to übergizmo.

A history of photography

I bought my first digital camera, an Agfa 1280, in 1999 to take on my honeymoon. It had a swivel lens (i.e. lens and viewfinder pivoted), and is probably my favorite camera for that feature alone. Many photos (and cameras) later, I am using a Nikon S1 – an excellent pocket size camera from a camera manufacturer I consider top notch.

Today, I am reading about my next camera – the Nikon S4. This camera is an amalgamation of all the features I love in my S1, with the lens swivel of my old Agfa, and one helluva optical zoom (10x!).

Read about it at:

• dpreview.com


• Engadget


• übergizmo