Rumors

This has been a busy summer for me in the gadget department.  Most are work related, but others are not.  Here is a quick summary of new gadgets I’ve had the chance to play with and some of my initial thoughts.

iPhone

The iPhone has been one of my favorite gadgets of all time.  The combination iPod, phone and PDA has been a boon to my productivity, scheduling and overall information organization.  I can’t overstate how much the iPhone has lived up to it’s promise, however much of that is probably due to the fact that I live in a 100% Apple ecology.

Mac Air

The newest addition to the Apple laptop line has replaced my aging G4 17″ PowerBook.  Since I use a Mac Pro as my primary workstation, the Air makes a perfect companion laptop.  Combined with the iPhone and MobileMe, now all of my  important documents, calendars, email, bookmarks and contacts are all fully push/synced between all of my devices.  In fact, I’m typing this blog entry on my Mac Air right now on some snatched WiFi at my favorite lunch spot.  Solid construction, adequate performance and ultra portability round out my thoughts on this gadget.

Sony PS3

I haven’t had much of a chance to play with this new gadget yet, but am looking forward to spending some quality time with hit once the snow starts to fly.  So far, I love the interface, which is the best of the 3 major systems (PS3, Wii, Xbox 360) in my opinion.  More on this as I get to use it more this winter.

Wii Fitness Board (Wii Fit)

I, along with a few of my friends, have had a BLAST with this latest Nintendo gadget.  From tracking my weight (*ahem*) loss to playing ever increasingly difficult balance and strength games, the Wii Fit has provided many hours of fun with my butt NOT on the couch.

Rock Band II

I just received this for my XBOX 360 this week, and can’t wait to tear up some new tracks!  I love the drums, and can play most of the original Rock Band cuts on the HARD level.  I’m looking forward to learning new tracks and online playing with my friends.

Sony 46″ LCD Bravia “W” Series

This TV has delivered great 1080p performance for gaming and BluRay movies.  While I’m not sure if 46″ is where I will stay, I’m very happy with the gadget and the price.

That’s about it!  I’m sure I will post more game and gadget reviews through the winter as I get to spend more time with them.  Anyone else have experience with this set of gadgets?

 

 

 

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Jul 28, 2008

Originally uploaded by IndySawmill

Beautiful Monday afternoon

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I’ve never really thought about this, but it is fairly annoying to have to show your receipt on the way out the door of big box retailers. Basically, they assume you are guilty until you prove yourself innocent. Here is an interesting story of how Wal-Mart treated one of it’s customers.

Next time I go to one of the Big Box retailers, I’m going to see how far they push this issue. It is kind of ridiculous that right after my purchase I have to “show my receipt”. What does that prove anyway? If I were a shoplifter, wouldn’t I have the item stuffed in my pants or something, anyway?

Just more reason to shop with locally owned merchants. At least they don’t make me feel like a criminal when I leave.

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Thanks to everyone who came out Wednesday to celebrate my birthday. I had an absolute blast and it was great catching up with everyone.

You can see some pictures of the event in my gallery.

Here’s to another great year!

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According to the New York Times, how your dog wags their tail, tells you how they are feeling.

If you are a dog owner, then you probably already can tell if your dog is happy or sad. How they look, act and sound tends to give away their thoughts. My puppy (see picture above of Brody) would be a terrible poker player, but that’s ok.
From the NY Times article:

When the dogs saw their owners, their tails all wagged vigorously with a bias to the right side of their bodies, Dr. Vallortigara said. Their tails wagged moderately, again more to the right, when faced with an unfamiliar human. Looking at the cat, a four-year-old male whose owners volunteered him for the experiment, the dogs’ tails again wagged more to the right but in a lower amplitude.

So, the next time your dog starts whining at the neighbor’s cat, or meets an intimidating cousin while on a walk; see if you can tell how your dog is feeling by the way he wags his tail.

Technorati Tags: behavior, dogs, pets

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Normally, I don’t waste much of my time on silly quizzes, but this one intrigued me. It said I am The Iron Man.

Figures, I’d get one I have never even heard of.. *sigh*

See who it says you are!

Take the Which Superhero are you? Quiz.

Technorati Tags: humor, pop culture, social

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Just an amazing story I had to share.

Could you imagine his kids seeing all of this?

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find out more.

Reducing the amount of clutter in my email inbox was something that took me a bit longer to adopt.? However, for the past few weeks, I've managed to keep my work and personal email inboxes under one page of unanswered email.? What a difference!?

I have traditionally used my inbox as a type of loose “ToDo” list.? However, more often than not, items would become stale before done, and would sit for weeks (months?) until I finally got around to deleting them.? Not to mention how SLOW my email client was, as IMAP synced up those hundreds, and sometimes thousands, of messages.

Now?? I have 7 email messages in my work inbox and 3 in my personal gmail account…? How does it feel?? Great!?

Find out more about how and why to keep your inbox from overflowing.? It is worth the effort..

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I made many friends and gained a new respect for the many things that we are lucky enough to enjoy here in the United States.? We are truly a fortunate country, but I fear that, as a whole, we take it a bit for granted more often than not.

The globalization of the world markets presents great opportunity, but along with it goes painful readjustments.? How we as a country handle those readjustments, will determine the world that our children will live in.? It seems that our trend towards isolationism is a step backwards, and we need to cautiously embrace globalization.? Sticking our heads into the earth is certainly not the answer.

It takes 60 farmers in India to feed 100 people.? It takes 1 farmer to feed 100 people here in the U.S.? However, there is already a greater number of middle class, as measured in numbers of population, in India than the United States.? In addition, in a country of over 1 BILLION people, they can find a way to provide universal health care to ALL of their citizens without forcing them into bankruptcy.? As this middle class grows in size and influence, it is only a matter of time before those below the poverty line begin to be pulled up.

There is no doubt that the United States is a great country, but just as the 1800's was the era for the British and the U.S. was firmly the world power throughout the 1900's, one has to wonder what the 2000's and 2100's will bring.
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It has been a great trip and I have met some really wonderful people. The attitude among the working folks here is a breath of fresh air, compared to what I see in the U.S. at times.

I fly to Mumbai this afternoon for the NASSCOM 2006 conference. There are a ton of interesting speakers and MANY exhibits to see. It should be a good experience and teach me even more about what is going on here.

I have posted more pictures in the Photo Gallery. I will start a new folder for Mumbai once I have some pics.

I have also uploaded some short movies with sound to the gallery. Be sure to check them out!

More later!

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It is now my second to last day in Bangalore before flying to Mumbai tomorrow evening. ?

Over the weekend, I had the pleasure of visiting Bangalore’s version of “Silicon Valley”, called “Electronics City”.? After a 30-40 min ride through some very dense traffic, we arrived at the gates of the technology park.? While on the way, we passed by numerous Class “A” office buildings, home to technology mavens such as Linksys, D-Link, Dell, Siemens, HP and many others.? One of the buildings you can not miss near the entrance is Infosys.? It is simply amazing and would not only fit right in, but stand out, in a place such as Palo Alto.

What does all of this mean?? Why are all of these companies here, so far away from their primary market?

One of the things that is hammered home here, if you are paying attention at all, is just how “flat” the world has become.? This is not something that may happen in 5-10 years, but is ALREADY happening now!?? American’s companies that do not have a global vision will certainly lose their ability to compete.? Just as manufacturing jobs that have left the US to land in much cheaper labor markets, technology jobs are now doing the same.? This is something that can not be “fixed” by enacting new laws, or continue to be ignored by sticking our collective head into the sand, it is something that should be embraced, understood and exploited.

Why wouldn’t a company want to provide a higher level of service, reduce their labor expenses and increase their market size in the process?? There is an entire world beyond our borders that we have mostly ignored, as a whole.? The bubble the US has been living in is not sustainable and adjustments need to be made to make the inevitable bursting easier to deal with.? As we wastefully drive around in SUV’s, heat our water and cool our homes 24/7 even if we are not home, consume vast amounts of high calorie food, other people are living in a much more frugal manner.? These people are hard working, well educated and are learning more every day.?

While the large economic lead the US currently enjoys will not dissipate overnight, it would be ignorant to believe that it is insurmountable.? Creatively, US technology also maintains a solid lead.? However, I can imagine a day in the not to distance future where even that is threatened.?? Shouldn’t all of us in the United States technology industry be concerned about this?? Certainly, but not fearful.? The US population is very small compared to the rest of the world, and while we enjoy a proportionally large middle class…that same relative middle class is increasing all over the world.? This “new” middle class around the world is a far larger market than the entire population of the United States, and will require many of the same services, products and technology we enjoy in the US.? Innovation will be required to meet this demand without overwhelming the resources that are available.? Where will this innovation come from?? It sure seems to be a huge opportunity for the United States, but will we recognize and embrace it in time?

We have become fat and happy in the United States, however in the process we have become arrogant and complacent.? A rude awaking is coming for many, perhaps most, American’s… but I can assure you, not this one. Adapt or die..? I, for one, choose to adapt.

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Be sure to visit http://blog.rumor.net/gallery/ to check them out!

I will blog more on my trip as soon as possible, but suffice it to say that so far, it has been the trip of my lifetime.

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After arriving in the Bangalore airport, there was a driver there to meet me. After surviving the trip to the flat where I am staying, I freshened up and started my day on the other side of the world. After being here for a bit more than a day, here are some of my thoughts…

1. Traffic and driving

In a word, it’s fucking insane. They have lines on the road, they simply choose not to pay any attention to them. Lots of bicycles, motorcycles and 4 wheeled taxis much smaller than the smallest american vehicle crowd the narrow streets along with small cars, large trucks and buses. They have a few different ways they communicate with other vehicles. The best I can make of it is 1 beep means “Watch out” or “OK”, 2 beeps means “Get the fuck out of my way”, and multiple short beeps means you are an asshole. Quite simple, actually..and the system actually works remarkably well.

One thing I can’t quite figure out, however…is they have motorcycle mounted traffic police everywhere. However, I have *NO* idea what constitutes a moving violation here. The traffic is one entire moving violation.

2. Weather
I only was able to spend a few hours in Bombay/Mumbai at the airport, but from the little time I spent there, the heat and humidity was stifling..and it was 3am in the morning. Bangalore, on the other hand, has wonderful weather. 80’s, sunny and low humidity.. every day… The monsoon’s start in April and run about 3 months. The rest of the year it is just like Southern Cali. I have to say, it is beautiful in Bangalore.

3. People
This is the one that probably shocked me the most. Yes, there is more poverty than I have ever seen. However, overall, the people here are the most friendly and accommodating I have ever been around. Mutual respect seems to be in force. I couldn’t help but think that the kind treatment and pleasant conversations I have had with random people on the street as I smoke, would not be duplicated in the United States if I were visiting from India. The openness and genuine diversity here is truly something that should be admired. There aren’t many 6′5″ redheads walking the streets of Bangalore and I gather my share of stares… But when those stares are met with a smile, a genuine smile is returned.

4. Food
So far, the food has been incredible. I am carefully avoiding uncooked veggies or raw fruit. It isn’t the water IN the fruit that is a concern, the the water they use to wash it. However, tea and coffee are fine to drink, as the process of heating the water conveniently kills off any bad bugs. While I’ve had my share of India food all over Indianapolis, the variety here is much greater than anything I’ve ever experienced. I had an Afghani dish last night at a 4 star restaurant, and it was very good. Breakfast consisted of a a crepe or pancake stuffed with potatoes. Some “sanbar” gravy and very sweet coffee with cream. Very filling. Arun, my friend and host, keeps some pepto bismo handy just in case, however so far it has not been required.

5. Poverty
The poverty is everywhere. It is a way of life, and the well to do and middle class, walk side by side with the poorest of the poor. Yesterday, while in the cab with 3 other people, a girl of maybe 5-6 years old comes up to my window…and points to her mouth, obviously begging for anything. No mother anywhere to be seen. It was heart-wrenching and you want to reach out. However, my hosts recommended against it…as it would encourage MANY more to approach the car.. It was different that a bum in downtown Indy asking for a hand out…and was one of the most difficult parts of my trip so far.

6. Workforce
Having worked all of my life in the U.S., one of the unchanging themes is that labor costs are always the bulk of any project. The exact opposite is true here. Time is worth a fraction of what it is in the U.S. People work long hours and are grateful for the work. The service is impeccable and usually timely. For example, my flat has two maids, a contingent of ’security” personnel, grounds keepers, etc. Probably 4-5X the amount of people you would see at a comparable business in the U.S. At the airport, computer terminal’s are rare.. But, 2, 3 sometimes 4 people behind a desk is common. Basically, it is less expensive to throw human resources at a task than technology. Very different.

Overall, I am enjoying myself immensely and can not wait to return. This is truly the “wild west” of technology, maybe 5-10 years behind the U.S. in many areas. However, the opportunity is truly limitless. The market here is 3 times the size of the United States, and over the next 10-15 years, India will undoubtedly be an economic and technology force.

I will be posting several pictures in the next day or so and will link it here.

More later!

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Here are some great tips.? I try to follow a majority of these,
but I could always be better.. Um.. I have a huge habit of working all
day in my pajama’s..

How to be Productive Working from Home
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Maybe this will help people understand how bad things are.

Terry Ebbert, head of the city’s emergency
operations, warned that the slow evacuation at the Superdome had become
an “incredibly explosive situation,” and he bitterly complained that
FEMA was not offering enough help.

“This is a national emergency. This is a national disgrace,” he said.
“FEMA has been here three days, yet there is no command and control. We
can send massive amounts of aid to tsunami victims, but we can’t bail
out the city of New Orleans.“

More of why some of these people are upset:

An old man in a chaise lounge lay dead in a
grassy median as hungry babies wailed around him. Around the corner, an
elderly woman lay dead in her wheelchair, covered with a blanket, and
another body lay beside her wrapped in a sheet.

“I don’t treat my dog like that,” 47-year-old Daniel Edwards said as he
pointed at the woman in the wheelchair. “I buried my dog.” He added:
“You can do everything for other countries but you can’t do nothing for
your own people. You can go overseas with the military but you can’t
get them down here.”

Whoa…? Is our government really this slow
in responding to such a crisis in our own country?? Or is this
disaster of such a magnitude that it is simply unreasonable to expect
anything better?? Would more and better planning have helped in
this situation?? Again, who is in charge of this?

Finally, this part of the story really struck me
for some reason.? I know that perhaps thousands have died during
this event, but the thought of this little boy losing his dog really
gave me pause.

Many people had dogs and they cannot take them on
the bus. A police officer took one from a little boy, who cried until
he vomited. “Snowball, snowball,” he cried. The policeman told a
reporter he didn’t know what would happen to the dog.

Source: www.breitbart.com/news/2005/09/01/D8CBN9OG2.html

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