Category: Technology

Moving on from Drobo

Posted on by luken7

So today is apparently the last day of my current DroboFS warranty, or yesterday was.  Apparently, the day it expires on is not the last day of warranty, but the day it’s no longer covered. So I was amazed to see that by pressing the ‘extend’ button gives an out of warranty price of $239 for a one year warranty. I would have extended it under the regular price, especially since this box has had two complete loss of data events, requiring a resync from another array (not a Drobo). But with the cost of $239, I think that money is much better served moving to a Synology NAS. I have a few friends with them and have heard nothing but good things.

DroboCare Purchase OptionsDroboCare for Drobo FS – 1 year out of warranty price $239.00Buy

DroboFS

Bubble Browser 2 :: Entirely new approach for your Evernote data!

Posted on by luken7

If you use Evernote and would like some visual insight into your data, here’s a great visualization tool for your “data mining”. Very real, dimensional and interactive, providing a new approach to searching and discovering your info.

As it’s dependent upon tags, I’ve discovered just how much I don’t tag as I rely on the pure indexing in Evernote to search, the brute force method. I think I’m going to just sit around one day and go through the 4000+ notes that don’t have tags, it  will be an interesting exercise. If there’s a feature that should bei n Evernote, this is it. Maybe they’ll purchase the company and integrate it directly into evernote.

For the time being, the app is free in the Mac App store, but definitely worth a few dollars.

Bubble Browser 2 :: Entirely new approach for your Evernote data!.

AT&T CEO voices regret over iPhone unlimited data model

Posted on by luken7

I have a great idea for AT&T. Get rid of the dumb texting plans and other absurdities, and just charge for metered data. Of course data should be metered and it unlimited. I don’t think I’ve ever heard of someone saying “I should pay a flat fee for my electricity”. Instead of the insanely marketing driven price plans, just charge by the MB. A penny per MB, which is you $10/GB. People can realistically watch their usage and know what to expect based on what they use.

Here’s another nifty idea. Have two types of data. One price for regular data access, and another for streaming data access, that should obviously cost a user more because it costs more to provide. BTW, I’m not a marketing major, just someone with a bit of common sense. Feel free to fire your marketing department and you can use my consultative services for a much lower cost….

It’s always refreshing to hear the head of a major corporation cop to past mistakes — particularly in front of a large crowd of on-lookers. AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson admitted some misgivings about the way the carrier handled iPhone data, telling a crowd at the Milken Institute’s Global Conference in Los Angeles, “My only regret was how we introduced pricing in the beginning, because how did we introduce pricing? Thirty dollars and you get all you can eat.” Stephenson drove the point home by adding, “Every additional megabyte you use in this network, I have to invest capital.”

And, for the record, that certainly wasn’t the only thing about the iPhone that kept the exec up at night. Stephenson again,

You lie awake at night worrying about what is that which will disrupt your business model,” he said. “Apple iMessage is a classic example. If you’re using iMessage, you’re not using one of our messaging services, right?

Not missing the premium channels

Posted on by luken7

It’s been over six years since not having HBO, Stars or Cinemax. In reading an article today about HBO adding HDCP copy protection for HDMI, and requiring folks with older equipment to upgrade, I just realized that I haven’t even missed having it.

I think this is a great opportunity for people to drop that channel, their shows may be good, but not THAT good. Nt enough to put up with their absurdity. When enough people drop them, they’ll change their practices, or maybe not. Anyway, whats this game of thrones thingy about anyway?

HBO not having me as a customer is not that big of a deal, after all, I’m just one customer……

Apple faces questions from Congress about iPhone tracking – Computerworld

Posted on by luken7

So the FCC and now Congress want to question Apple about the stored GPS data on their phones. First, I don’t think Apple is the only company that is secretly doing this. Second, if they want to get to the root of the issue, I’d suggest that they take a trip across the street to the Justice Dept., the FBI, NSA and other agencies that probably have known all along and probable requested it, since they’re the ones that routinely obsess with finding ways around the 4th amendment.

Sen. Al Franken D.-Minn., who chairs a new privacy panel set up in February, yesterday asked Apple to explain why its iPhones are tracking users locations.The Federal Communications Commission FCC is also reportedly looking into the matter, while a Congressman from Washington State has followed Frankens lead, promising to ask questions of his own.Frankens letter to Apple CEO Steve Jobs came after a pair of British researchers reported Wednesday that iPhones and 3G iPads running iOS 4 logged up to 100 location entries daily.

via Apple faces questions from Congress about iPhone tracking – Computerworld.

Goog-izon offer a "don't touch me" plan

Posted on by luken7

So reading between the lines, here’s the skinny. Verizon and Google are willing to concede to FCC regulatory control of fixed line broadband and not jack up content providers over bandwidth. Why, because maybe fixed line isn’t as profitable. But where they want hands off is with wireless, where there is plenty of growth and lots of margin. Fixed line is capital intensive and mainly labor intensive, especially with union workers sitting in trucks for forty minutes between each work order. Did I just say that and drift into another topic?

According to the proposal, Internet service providers would not be able to block producers of online content or offer them a paid “fast lane.” It says the Federal Communications Commission should have the authority to stop or fine any rule-breakers.The proposal, however, carves out exceptions for Internet access over cellphone networks, and for potential new services that broadband providers could offer. In a joint blog post, the companies said these could include things like health care monitoring, “advanced educational services, or new entertainment and gaming options.”

via Google and Verizon Offer a Vision for Managing Internet Traffic – NYTimes.com.

My Barnes & Noble Nook review-ish thoughts

Posted on by luken7

nook_front_viewI thing Barnes and Noble has a winner here. This is definitely a Kindle killer. It’s as though B&N looked at all the flaws and complaints of the Kindle and ran with it. The interesting feature that I like is that you can share your ebooks with other people, and every book in B&N’s catalog has a free preview. Now match this with the built-in Wifi and 3-ish-G from  AT&T for always being connected, you’ve got a winner. I think I’m sensing a birthday or Christmas gift for myself.

But nothing is without a few issues. First, being an Android device, I’m a bit surprised to the thickness of the product being a 1/2 inch. I guess I was looking more towards that highly thin tablet the Capt. Piccard used to carry, wafer thin. Next, with the always connected ability of the device, why no browser? Or did I miss that? It comes with an MP3 player, might as well throw in a browser, not chewing up much data with that, even AT&T can handle that.

Next, and it’s not their fault, is that being an electronic device, it’s not airplane friendly. I fly quite a bit and have given up trying to use the ebook reader on my iPhone because of outdated rules of electronic devices on planes. have to be turned off when the door closes, and since a lot of flights are delayed, they close the doors and pull away from the gate (so they can claim on-time departure) then sit there for 20 or so minutes. That’s a lot of reading time I loose. Next, you take off and can’t turn on your device until you’re past 10,000 feet. Why not 8634 feet? What’s so magical about 10,000? And the worst part, when you’re within 150 miles of your destination or 30 minutes out, all devices must be off. So I’ve been carrying old fashioned paperbacks with me, and I keep loosing my place in the books. Would love to be able to use an electronic e-reader from start to finish, from the moment I sit down on to the time I get up. I’ll just have to sit in a window seat and keep a look out for the flight attendant I guess.

But with a $259 price tag, is it worth it? I think it’s maybe a little too steep but hey, gotta help America get back on track (although it’s probably made overseas).

Ok, so a quick followup, the first major kink in the armor. Leave it to the content providers to find a way to rub off the polish on the Nook. How, apparently the lending feature is restricted to just one time and even that feature is by the publishers choice. If I buy a hardcopy book, I can lend it as much as I want.

Unfortunately, the “world’s most advanced e-book reader” limits the LendMe feature to one 14-day period per book, ever, and that’s only if the publisher gives permission. You also can’t read the title yourself during the loaner period.

Nook, eBook Reader, eBook Device – Barnes & Noble.

Pigeon post faster than South Africas Telkom | Mail Online

Posted on by luken7

Honestly, I thought this was going to be an Onion article. Just goes to show, we still have  a ways to go for broadband around the world. I personally think it has more to do with the South African government and their not so friendly free market ideas that stifle innovation and investment. Not to mention the corruption that keeps things held back. That could never happen here.

Carrier pigeons are being used to transfer data between offices because bosses believe it is quicker than broadband. Computer experts at a South African firm said it took six hours to transfer four gigabytes of encrypted data from Durban to a call centre 50 miles away near Pietermaritzburg.

Staff at Unlimited Group, a financial services company, today attached a memory card to the leg of a pigeon called Winston who took just over an hour for the trip.

via Pigeon post faster than South Africas Telkom | Mail Online.

Even AT&T's "Seth" The Blogger won't change my mind

Posted on by luken7

Well, AT&T has gone to the extreme, introducing “Seth” the blogger. I’m assuming he’s supposed to be the face of AT&T’s new campaign to plead with their subscriber space about their shortcomings regarding network capacity.

Seth goes on to say that they are working really hard, around the clock, and spending BILLIONS (with a raised pinky finger) to improve their network. So first question, didn’t they expect the increased traffic when introducing the world’s first fully smart, smartphone? Or essentially a computer that also makes voice calls? A device that is solely dependent on network connectivity based on the applications it has? If they can start this campaign then they can also rebate their customers on a monthly basis for the reduced level of service they provide, until they catch up. Sorry, but I’m not feeling too much compassion for them right now.

Next, I find it ironic that they on one hand, would reach out to their customer base and say they are doing all they can while on the other hand, do everything they can to restrict user functionality and features such as GoogleVoice, and the many other applications that they feel would erode their revenue stream. I don’t hear an apology for their anti-competitive practices, complex billing, or never-ending voice response units used in customer service that leads to nowhere.

No AT&T, sorry, not feeling the sorrow for you. You knew exactly what you were getting into, which is why you’ve signed an exclusivity deal to have the iPhone, and even paid Apple a monthly fee per phone. You knew what the market segment was going to do and you chose not to invest in the most critical part, but chose to address it after it became an issue, knowing customers would put up with it because they simply had no other choice if they wanted an iPhone. Well, hopefully, choice is coming, if the FCC acts accordingly. iPhone should soon be available on other carriers such as T-Mobile, Verizon and maybe even Sprint in a couple of years. Then you will be measured on features, cost and customer experience, not on the fact that you’re the only provider and we’re stuck with you. Better days and better choices are coming. You have an opportunity to correct things and make amends with your customer base by then, but I doubt it. For you, it’s about how many  customers you can retain while providing the least amount of service. You’ll work the numbers and tweak it till it’s just right.

via YouTube – AT&T Network 101 & MMS Availability Update.