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Facepalmbook
May 27th
After an embarrassing bout with the blogosphere and some serious hatred about their tactics, Facebook finally answered the call for a better privacy system.
Amid the story of Mark Zuckerberg having some choice words for the initial Facebook users at Harvard and their trust of his service, a large number of techluminaries started to evac Facebook with a quickness. Leo Laporte and Jason Calacanis both quit Facebook, though admittedly Jason’s way of of Ustreaming it live was quite interesting.
I was seriously considering the change and looking over what I needed to do. I was on the verge of just outright deletion. When I considered even just the time that I would get back from not having to check all the status updates and photos and comments, I just realize that my productivity would go up. However after some cajoling from friends and family about that disconnect, I decided instead to just restrict as much of my information from Facebook friends and from public records as possible. Especially after I saw Youropenbook.org I was stupefied that so many peopled posted so freely about taking drugs or any other illicit thing. I then realized that people have a skewed view of privacy thanks to Facebook. They think that because it has a login it must be secure, that because I just have my friends on the site then only my friends will see my posts. I will say that “walled garden” gives an illusion to the users but it just that, an illusion.
Either way for all my Facebook friends I will stick around, BUT I am not going to be posting any more photos, videos, or other updates. I will stick to my blog right here, my picasaweb for photos, and of course Twitter as always for my microblogging needs.
After this last link posts on Facebook I will remove my Twitter integration and my Facebook will go silent.
Thank you and goodnight.
Developments on the horizon
May 24th
I am trying to adjust somethings to my work flow and to the time I spend outside of work. After reading from Rework I have to definitely check myself. Also I am going to further try to develop my “brand” as I redirect the way that I use social media and other tools. One which will be changed very soon is my Facebook. More on that later…
HTC EVO 4G
Apr 23rd
Oops is that my fanboy showing…
The HTC Supersonic I was hoping would come to Sprint has been revealed instead as the HTC EVO 4G. I realize this is a little old as the debut of this superphone was at CTIA. I just haven’t had a chance to blog yet. Now though I have a great reason to post. Sprint Premier, a service for its loyal customers, has just released a contest to win that Sprint EVO 4g BEFORE it gets released to the world. Now I am definitely an HTC, Sprint, and Google fanboy so when this superphone opportunity came out with the trifecta of all those great services I had to try. Either way just for fun I thought I would post my entry. I usually never try for contests so this was a stretch for me. 
If you were to look up HTC fanboy in the dictionary or Wikipedia you would find my picture/twitterfeed/facebook. Simply put I fell in love with HTC devices a LONG time ago and have been that way ever since (evidence can be found here http://twitpic.com/nrmxz). I praise and rave about HTC to all my friends. Beyond that I have also been a Sprint customer for over a decade. As long as I was allowed to have a phone my number has been with Sprint.
As the smartphone market developed I stuck with the tried and true Windows mobile platform for its flexibility and integration with my online world. Then Android came and my world was rocked!! Because in the same way that I love HTC and Sprint… Google is my next love. I have been a loyal Gmail user since its early beta days (which went on for years) and then Google Voice when it was first Grand Central.
Needless to say the Android platform married with HTC hardware immediately had me smitten. My wife needed an upgrade so I got her a Hero to test the waters out. Now she can barely use it if I am around cause I am always messing with it. Finally I discovered the online community that created a linux bootstrap to then launch Android 2.0 off my SD card. That has satiated my need for the time being by allowing my WinMo Touch Pro to run Android as a dual boot, but the CTIA came…
EVO 4G… This I must have… You are reading the entry of a man who traveled literally 50 miles to three different Best Buy’s to purchase the Touch Pro when it first came out at full price because I was not due for an upgrade… I want, nay I need that EVO 4G.
I already tried to coax my local sprint rep to do whatever he could to help me out in my pursuit… I will gladly blog, tweet, facebook, and exploit any other social media channel necessary to secure my victory.
I do not want to keep on going but take a bit and check out my blog www.digitalruck.us, twitter @jtalaiver, tumblr jtalaiver.tumblr.com, or facebook.com/joetalaiver
Palm for sale
Apr 12th
Just read an article on engadet that stated Palm was looking for a chance to sell. This could lead to a very interesting development as the folks over at HTC had been looking at I seriously. Could be a neat development as Palm brings a beautiful collection of Patents with it and of course the design and bank account of HTC makes for an interesting genetic mix for a new breed of phones. We will just have to wait for the development.
I will update later with links.
I want to go Supersonic
Feb 19th
“Faster than a speeding bullet, more powerful than a locomotive, and able to leap tall buildings in a single bound…”
All those except for the leaping thing maybe true of the latest device that has my fancy. It was rumored a few months ago when it was leaked on the Sprint product roadmap as the HTC A9292. Briefly mentioned as a “WiMAX” enabled phone but little else was said. Then Mid-January some more details arose and the HTC Supersonic started to reveal itself from the internet ether.
This Snapdragon phone powered with Android was the HTC fanboy’s dream. HTC HD2 had already made us drool but its one caveat was the Windows Mobile operating system. No doubt Windows Mobile is a tried and true mobile OS and I myself have had WinMo phones for years but the best OS on the market now available on multiple devices is Google’s Android. Google released the Nexus One right before CES and has definitely changed the expectations of what can be offered in an Android device. The Supersonic “takes it one step further“ in many ways. It has a 4G radio enabling it to browse on Sprint/Clear’s WiMAX Network or on the LTE standard.
If it is on Sprint though then it will capable of WiMAX as Big Red seems to be headed towards an LTE standard in the next few years.
How Tech Addicted Are You?
Feb 6th
Answer each of the 50 questions below and give yourself one point per question you answer “yes” to. At the end, score yourself. Be honest, this is just for your own benefit… until you report your shocking score in comments, that is.
1. Do you eat most of your meals while at the computer or in front of the television?
2. Do you sometimes bring your laptop when you sit on the toilet?
3. Do you check your feeds more than 1x per hour?
4. Do you make a nervous habit out of refreshing your inbox over and over, just in case someone emailed you in the last 45 seconds?
5. Can you not remember the last time you didn’t check online reviews before eating at a new restaurant?
6. Do you freak out if you’re in a car and there’s no GPS?
7. Does the verb “tweet” come up regularly in your real-life conversations?
8. Have you ever changed vacation plans based on wi-fi availability?
9. Are there more than two portable electronic devices within reach right now?
10. If your house were on fire, would you run in to rescue your laptop?
11. Are you closer with some online-only friends than people you actually see in real life?
12. Are you pretty sure you’d have killed yourself if you lived in the days before Internet?
13. Do you buy things online that you could easily drive across town to get in person?
14. Do “electronics” have their own category in your monthly budget?
15. Are you a member of any sort of online “guild?”
16. Do you answer questions in support forums when you’re bored?
17. Do you bring your smartphone with you to church?
18. Do you own 3 or more video gaming systems? (Oh come on, portables count.)
19. Do you have multiple t-shirts with references to Internet memes, linux, or webcomics?
20. Do you know what the word “meme” means, for that matter?
21. Has your significant other (or mom, if applicable) ever banned you from your smartphone?
22. Do you spend more time on Facebook than you do in the presence of actual people?
23. Are you currently in a virtual relationship? (WOW, Second Life, etc)
24. Do you have 3 or more active social media accounts?
25. When something happens in your life, is your first thought usually “How can I fit this into 140 characters?”
26. Do you need multiple wall outlets to charge all your stuff at night?
27. When you sit down in a coffeeshop, do you tend to position yourself close to a power outlet “just in case”?
28. Do you generally spend most of your day looking at a computer screen and then go home… only to look at a computer screen for the rest of the night?
29. Have phrases like “BRB” and “ROFL” worked their way into your real vocabulary?
30. Do you often skip meals because you’ve lost track of time in front of the computer?
31. Do you call people by their screen names when you see them in real life?
32. Do you have more than five tabs open in your browser right now?
33. Are there more than three screens of some kind in the room you’re in right now?
34. Are there more computers in your house than there are people?
35. Do you tweet or read blogs while watching movies at home?
36. Do you put your phone on vibrate at the movie theater rather than turn it off, even though you’re not expecting anything important?
37. Have you ever turned down a romantic encounter in order to play video games?
38. Does your Internet usage cut into the time you should be spending on personal hygiene?
39. When you see the last names Cerf, Otellini, Ballmer and Berners-Lee, do you know who is being mentioned?
40. Do you ever leave your laptop open in social settings, even though you aren’t actually doing anything on it?
41. Have you ever had a dream where you were surfing the Internet?
42. Can you type text messages faster than you can handwrite the same words?
43. Have you ever left an event or date early so you could get online?
44. Would you classify yourself as an “expert” multitasker?
45. Can you read machine code?
46. Do you regularly have to put blocks of ice, portable fans, or frozen packages of hash browns on or near your computer to keep it cool?
47. Do you have carpal tunnel syndrome?
48. Do you keep multiple webcams around your house?
49. Are you up on the computer past 3am at least once a week?
50. Did you make it all the way to the end of this quiz?
Scores:
0-1: Clean as a Whistle – You are either 95 years old, or you lie compulsively to make yourself feel better about your internet addiction. Sorry to call you out like that.
2-9: Social Drinker – You’re not great with technology, but dabble. You probably play sports and actually have a significant other. Either that or you’ve recently been released from Internet rehab and haven’t slipped back to the old ways yet.
10-19: Coffee Fiend – You’re about as plugged in as the next person—but you gotta have your daily fix. Let’s face it, gadgets are everywhere nowadays, right? That’s what you tell yourself at least, but what you don’t know is everyone calls you “nerd breath” behind your back.
20-29: Chainsmoker – You recognize that you’re a little too plugged in, and you’re trying to quit. Your tech addictions are starting to ruin your social interactions, between signing out of the real world every 10 seconds and stinking up the room when you enter. Take this as your cue to shower.
30-39: Pothead – You’re addicted, but you have no desire to quit. There’s a box of Ho Hos on the desk, and you had to brush Cheeto dust off the keyboard to log into your computer, which you keep password protected with heavy encryption. You hurried through this quiz because your guild is waiting for you in the other window. You really should consider counseling.
40-49: Crackhead – You get all shaky when you think about technology, always searching for your next fix. You’ve considered constructing a biotech bathtub for your body to lie in, so you can plug your consciousness permanently into the Internet. Family members are planning to stage an intervention and check you into a clinic. You look forward to the shock therapy.
50: Permafried – There’s no higher brain activity going on anymore. Doctors should prescribe you video games and/or marijuana for medicinal purposes. Just to keep you from flat lining.
Classic Gaming on New Hardware
Feb 6th
I fell further in love with my little netbook when on a whim I broke out Quake II and Driver. The joy of long late nights playing Q2 with my boys over a LAN game suddenly rushed over me. It was epic. Amazing to see that such a small machine just cranked out the video and 3d rendering that Q2 required. Such a perfect example of Moore’s law in effect. The machine I used to play Q2 on needed its own video card and lots of RAM and a great screen. Now all the same requirements can be met by a device that is a little bit bigger than a hardbound book. The same could be said for Driver. I used to have lag and get frustrated cause my computer couldn’t keep up with my speed. Now this little netbook puts me to shame because I am having to keep up. As they continue to cram more and more processing power on such tiny chips I am awaiting the day when I can rock Crysis at full res on a netbook. It’s not too far away.
iSlate = iPad
Feb 5th
The revolutionary internet device has been released and the better part of the tech world said “meh”. Unfortunately the hype surrounding the iPad made living up to said hype as improbable as Bigfoot actually speaking the queen’s english and inviting everyone over for scones. The reality is that Apple’s last few revolutionary devices were just that, revolutionary. The iPod was not the first harddrive based MP3 player on the market but the way one could interact with it (click wheel) was revolutionary. The iPhone with its iPod/phone integration was amazing. The apps made it groundbreaking, but even here iPhone wasn’t the first. Windows Mobile has had hundreds of thousands of apps available for its platform BUT it never had an easy way of finding all of them (i.e. App Store).
As for the iPad I am afraid it had some serious competition it had to face, its own family of products. Since the iPad was not on a custom OS and built using the same software as the iPhone/iPod touch it ended up seeming like a very large iPhone (that doesn’t make calls). The iPad offered users the ability to work on iWorks with Keynote and Pages but without the true power of a laptop some of the Keynote presentations could get laggy on the tiny 1 Ghz chip it is running. Even there the hardware though beautiful seems like it missed some key features.
If it was a true “pad” I should be able to just turn it on and just write onto it like a piece of paper and maybe do some handwriting recognition. That would have been revolutionary! Oh wait… no not really… that functionality was in Windows Mobile phones since the days of the HP Jornada and Windows CE. It was also in a previous Apple product, anyone remember the Newton, anyone, anyone? Plus a device like this would be awesome for video webconferencing and “couch computing” since it is more “intimate than a laptop” but Uncle Steve I guess decided he didn’t want to put the camera in. Maybe on version 2.0
I think the problem for the iPad was the enormous amount of speculation. People were researching patents that were submitted from a company called “Fingerworks” which was acquired by Apple. That company had some amazing gesture based patents in their filings, but Apple decided not to use it or decided to shelf it till they could work it in.
Now there are rumors of a second version of the iPad and there is no surprise there. I know that Jobs has a pattern of releasing something awesome and then soon after releasing an update that gives the proverbial kick to those early adopters.
Will I get an iPad… Maybe… Will I get in the boat and buy this 1.0 version? Probably not.
iSlate or iFake
Jan 19th
The upcoming rumors of the mythical Apple device has the whole internet a buzz. Research into patents, companies that were acquired, website registration, and even a HIGH bounty for pictures, video, or physical interaction. There is reason to believe that this could be Jobs last hurrah and a parting device for all of us to fall in love with. With netbooks becoming a massive growing market Apple has been quiet about what their plans were. People have made their own ways of dealing with it by hackintoshing some of the Intel based netbooks that seemingly work perfectly with OSX (even Snow Leopard). Of course this is a breach of the EULA that Apple has about installing on non-Apple hardware, but Apple had to realize that everyone wants a small, cheap, machine to just pop in a purse or bag. Especially with cloud-computing and more and more web based interaction than heavy application use people just need a way to get access to their online content. Apple has been silent through all this and only offering more innovation in the higher end mobile computing. Yes the iPhone and iPod Touch have been wonderful convergent devices but still not with enough horse power or screen estate for some applications.
Now the speculation might lead to some results when Apple has its event in California on January 27th. The word officially came from Apple when it sent out invites to “See their latest creation”.
In fact when I started this blog entry more information keeps coming out so I just want to post this article. The live blog hosted by gdgt will be my source of information as they do a great job with their impressions.
UPDATE: Analysts state now that the iSlate might take some time to release. Similar to the iPhone release when the announcement came out but the actual device took 6 months to release.
