Hybrid Cost Model

I did some simple math to see if the cost of a Ford Escape Hybrid was justified.

The savings of less than $100 per year, including the government subsidy that strives to make this an attractive choice, is not the whole story.  Considering that at about year 6 I will need to spend about $4000 in today's dollars to replace the battery pack, the demise of which is not covered in warranty, I can see that the resale value of this car will decline rapidly to about zero.  I know that the Prius has the highest resale value going, but we are no where near the time and mileage when the batteries are finished, and people realistically add the cost of their replacement into the equation.
So, I am left thinking, Hybrids are not any better than equivalent to gasoline power.  I don't even want to go to the guilt I need to feel, the sense of moral superiority I will feel, and the desirability of changing from boots to Birkenstocks.

The Other Flash- not Adobe

Travel with tech, the mobile life, gets better and better as silicon does more. The company that drives/rides that wave is Sandisk. And they know it. Many tech companies succeed in spite of poor leadership and management. Apple defines the exception. Quietly, so does Sandisk


MILPITAS, Calif.(TheStreet) -- SanDisk, which posted strong fourth-quarter results last week, will reap the benefits of the mobile explosion in 2011, according to CEO Sanjay Mehrotra.
"The biggest driver of growth in 2011 is smartphones and tablets," he told TheStreet. "Third-party estimates put the smartphone growth going from over 200 million units in 2010 to over 300 million in 2011." SanDisk CEO Sanjay Mehrotra says that 2011 will be a big year in Flash Memory.
SanDisk, which provides Flash memory hardware for a slew of companies, including Apple and Motorola, is confident that consumers will snap up increasingly tricked-out phones. ...
Click to view a price quote on SNDK.
Click to research the Electronics industry.

http://www.thestreet.com/story/10989041/1/sandisk-ceo-eyes-2011-flash-boost.html?cm_ven=RSSFeed

Sent with MobileRSS for iPhone

Francis Ford Coppola: Maybe the Downloaders Are Right

Coppola is an artist of truly diverse talent, driven by a maniacal demand for perfection. His talents surprise people when you know his full body of work, and are intriguing when you consider the scope of his family's work. 

In this statement he generates more discussion about art, compensation, greed and inspiration for a topic that is not going away. 

If you accept that art is like any other business, and artists should be filthy rich, you also assert that CEOs and investors get to be super rich too. 

But really, art is art, and the art business is a super mega international conglomerate, right?  And maybe, soon, the machines will be able to make what we accept as "art" today, and the whole argument becomes moot.  Then we will see humans free to produce true art- free.  

Francis Ford Coppola: Maybe the Downloaders Are Right [Blockquote]
GIZMODO | JANUARY 31, 2011
http://pulsene.ws/VsGL



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Gizmodo does a hatchet job on newscaster apps

Gizmodo is a professional blog with broad reach and deep pockets. But it still sometimes comes up short, showing that sometimes a good editor is needed to improve content. 

Today's article on newsreaders is not really an app battle, poorly researched (or lazily, the same thing), and not very enlightening. But when you are big, you have to churn out "content" regardless of value. Like this, me putting this on my blog.

The Best Apps for News Junkies [Appbattle]
GIZMODO | JANUARY 31, 2011
http://pulsene.ws/Vvhn



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DOF Calculator For Android

Photographers need to understand depth of field, or DOF. Even those who use Android. So here is an app that has you covered. 

DOF Calculator Turns Your Android Phone into a Photographer's Helper [Downloads]
LIFEHACKER | JANUARY 30, 2011
http://pulsene.ws/VfZw


Android: Rather than waste time cranking out test shots, DOF Calculator takes your camera, lens, and aperture settings and ...

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Firmware in Everything

If you think John Connor is just battling big kill-bot machines, think again.  Computers are in everything.  Think about this- I have a Sony A-mount lens for my Sony NEX-3 that needs an adapter to mount up to the NEX' E-mount.  Most think of an adapter as a ring, with different types of connection on each side, to bring similar but different things together,  There is no glass, no real anything except mounts.  BUT...

In order to make this work, you have to update its firmware.  So it has it's own little computer inside.  Think about it...  

The Cost of Thinking of Owning a Hybrid

We do a lot of traveling by car.  We love to drive.  We will soon need to upgrade an older SUV.  We are considering mileage in the equation.  Like they did in the 50's and 60's.  But that is another story, for nowadays we are much smarter and better.

So we settled on form factor- a crossover type SUV.  There is a nice one, the Ford Escape, or as I like to call it, the Exscape.  It comes in a hybrid version, as does Toyota's Highlander.  Now we will get into the cost analysis.  I am not going to lose money trying to assuage the guilt society tells me I should have about society's environmental disregard.  Lets see if I can break even.  Stay tuned for specifics.

Payment on the Road Gets Better

In his column Buzz by Tim O'Reilly, the author talks about why paying with a phone is a good idea. I for one am paranoid about it, but no more than my credit card paranoia. Not sure why I use them so freely, handing them to any server who comes along to disappear into the back for a time with my card. Weird, huh?

Another and different Apple story

If you think of the Apple of the Seventies, it was Sony. The Walkman was as revolutionary as the iPod. Sony was the most admired of companies before the founding management retired. See why the similarity is so striking. How Steve Jobs 'out-Japanned' Japan

More Adventures in Travel Reservations

American Airlines continues to not work with Safari browser.  It is more aggravation, in keeping with American's customer service ethic.  Delta however, lets you make a reservation, but the link they send you to access the itinerary?  It leads to no-where.  Today Delta is worse that AA for reservation management.  But all this is a good way to prep for the hassles of the actual flying experience.

My advice- take a boat or a car.

iPhone Cases

The perfect iPhone case?  Doesn't exist.  I like using a variety of cases to protect the iPhone, depending on the environment in which I am traveling.   

I have reviewed the Otterbox Defender, my choice when on the water or in the woods.  

When in the city or at home, I have been going naked or with the Apple bumper.  I like the bumper, it has a nice soft rubber edge, the bumper, that also provided grip.  But due to a great sale event at TIPB, I ordered a few more on the cheap.

The first is the one in the middle,  a clear bumper stye.  The brand?  I guess its "Made in China".  It was cheap.  It is worth it. A clearish bumper.  Fit is poor, button access is poor.  Did I mention it is cheap?

The Incipo Ultrathin is thin.  It comes with a couple of screen protectors.  Good fit, it sits proud of the front of the phone by a half a mm or so, and this I like.  Low enough to not inhibit swiping, but providing some protection when the phone goes face down.  It is finished in a high gloss, so I'm glad to have bought grey, and I expect it will show wear soon.  The mold is a bit crude, as the edge is not evenly finished.  One thing I like, it covers the Apple logo on the back.  Button access is great, but I don't like that it is so slippery.  This will do for the city or in the house.  

The Case Mate Barely There is also thin, and has good button access.  It too comes with a couple of screen protectors, that are good quality, if cut a bit too conservatively.  This makes them more forgiving to install, but means the edges don't line up perfectly.  The case just goes over the antenna, so the only protection for the screen is the screen protector, but swiping is completely unencumbered.  The texture is that soft touch plastic, that is not rubbery by the texture of rubber's surface.  I like this to give a bit more grip.  The round cut out for the logo to show through, in my view, is a weakness.  We should be more advanced than to need to see the shiny silver apple.  

Giottos Screen "Protector"

Worst product I ever bought online. This kit is nothing more than a generic piece of static cling film. It is so soft that wiping it with the provided microfiber towel scratches it. If you brush it along your clothing it peels off. Oh, it is filmy too, so makes a hi def screen lo def. I wasted my money and time on this. Now I worry what else B&H Photo sells that is junk.

New Look for ExecHobo Mobile

Finally home!  It was a long few weeks of travel, and we are glad to be back to Hobo HQ.  Relative to the blog, the first thing I did was to change the title image- the old one was irrelevant.  This works, and gives me some breathing room to perfect it a little later.  The Sony NEX3 did a good job rendering a nice white balance and depth of field, non?

Google Adds Weather Widget While Browsing

I have been using thus widget for a couple of days now, and once again I have to tip my hat to Google for another cool tool well executed. It won't make me delete my wunderground.com link, but it does further enhance my browser usage. That and the Chrome add-ins are upping the ante for the amount of time I an using Google stuff on my laptop and iPhone. 

Google Adds Weather Widget While Browsing
EVERYTHINGICAFE | JANUARY 25, 2011
http://pulsene.ws/RDTu


Google's been busy over the last couple of days: number porting, cloud printing, and now this. Simply boot up your ...

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Travel with iPhone- a step away from self awareness?

In a bit of tongue in cheek, Jim Matthews on TidBITS describes how he, for a moment, thought his iPhone had come to life, with Immaculate Reception.  Not sure if there is something of a security concern here, but it is interesting.

THINK

You will be inspired if you watch this video for the IBM Centennial: They Were There,  a film by Errol Morris, with music by Phillip Glass.

The stories here are shared by other great companies, like Boeing, Bell Telephone and Ford.  It tells how one company contributed to the way we live today and tomorrow, starting in the 1950's.

Listen to the statistics surrounding the Saber system, around the 8 minute mark.  Around 13 minutes the barcode comes up, and I think of paying for my latte with my iPhone and a 2D code.

Interestingly, my dad was working at Burroughs during the time this film covers.  IBM was the major competitor, and Burroughs was never quite up to the standard, but the stories he brought home about the new computers were intriguing!

And the stories here are ours, my generation's.  Apolo 13, the bar code, the PC.

iPhone Jailbreak

I am drawn to iPhone jailbreak stories like a moth to the flame. In the past I never considered it an option. In fact I hardly knew about it. Now I keep reading posts. If I stay away from forums I can quell the urge. But to own my phone, OS and all? To own the data stream I pay for, even if I want to channel an iPad onto it via my iPhone? Temptation, your name is jailbreak. Or Cydia. I'm not sure about the terminology.

iPhone App- Starbucks Card Mobile

They say "Everything is easier with Starbucks Card Mobile."  I had to have it.

Starbucks Card Mobile App

I found this to be a gross exaggeration.  In many ways, nothing had changed.  It is still cold out, my shoulder still aches when I lift my coffee cup.  But I'm gonna try this out, because it is just plain cool.

I will be there when the iPhone 5 becomes a wallet, and I will adopt limited liability financial functions.  Like a Starbucks card with a $27 balance.

Of course, I have to go to Starbucks to use it, and that is not a frequent trip I make, now that I am on the Third Wave of coffee.

Traveling Presentations-Old School

Presentation is the life blood of an organization.   The Military runs on Powerpoint, along with the Fortune 500.  Interestingly, the only politician who ran using a presentation tool was Ross Perot.  The charts he used quickly became fodder for comedians.  Voters seem the only body of people able to be swayed by speech alone.  Of course, the results they get are, well, wanting a bit more substance, no?  For other endeavors, presentations are essential language, in any language.

Working on a presentation. That seemed to characterize most of the last 20 years of my former worklife. In fact, presenting ideas was the kernel of what I did. Creating, gathering, understanding, analyzing facts, concepts, ideas, occupied the first 40 hours of the workweek, and turning them into presentations that got others going was the remaining 20 hours.  More or less.  We talked in presentations.  Even in small companies, presentations galvanized action.

For years, business presentations were done on slides,  literally and figuratively.  A big audience, say 30 or more, merited 35mm slides.  Any smaller group got overhead slides.  The slides were made sometimes on typewriters, with some handwriting to emphasize or add drawings, or any media that could be run through a copy machine, where the overhead slides were produced.

Later, we had specialized software, and began developing presentations from a combination of printed material, drawings, and spreadsheets, and pages from Harvard Graphics, or for those less adept, Lotus Freelance.  The progress in software was as fast as in the spreadsheet area, as Microsoft drove to dominate this niche, while IBM seemed intent on killing Freelance along with Lotus 123.  Within a couple of years Powerpoint was the standard.

All of this was printed, and went to the copy machine to be copied onto acetates.  Each presenter had a favorite way of transporting and organizing the acetates for use on the overhead.  Some methods were to be carried loose in a file folder, or to be inserted in a sleeve and then into a ring binder.  These binders got very heavy!  When on the road, no presenter was willing to trust that their presentation could be produced in field offices to their standard and time needs, so the presentations needed on a trip, of any length, were carried in a case that grew to resemble a pilot's map case.  And never left your side!  Oh, those 35mm slides?  They were coveted for travel- if you could justify the cost of over a dollar apiece.

Apple Ups Security Quotient

I have become more security conscious as years go by, and have been appalled at the ease with which systems are hacked. When encryption is so robust, it boggles the mind that security is so unsecured.  So this news from All Things D is welcome indeed.  

Exclusive: Apple Taps Former Navy Information Warrior for Global Director of Security [NewEnterprise]
ALL THINGS DIGITAL | JANUARY 22, 2011
http://pulsene.ws/PFkS

David Rice is also the author of "Geekonomics," a 2007 book that argues that software is infrastructure, and that when it's ...

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iOS 4.3 features: New wait button when adding contact phone numbers

At first I dismissed this new feature, then I read through and realized two thing, one, you can already insert pauses, but not waits in a phone number. The second, this has some application to me, but not as much as it used to. Let me explain. 

Back in the day, we had these analog systems to deal with. When you dialed from country to country you had to wait for a switch to open between country code and phone number. So we used to guess how many pauses, or commas to insert into the modem setup to accommodate the wait. Then we shared out setup notes. Via written notes.  It was cutting edge to dial in from primitive places like "angl-and" or "bell-jum". Forget about Asia, just get your email when you get to "awe-strale-yuh". And yes, smart ass, there would be hundreds, cause the office critters back home never stopped churning them out, sending greetings to the directory, "cc all"-ing and such. 

iOS 4.3 features: New wait button when adding contact phone numbers
TIPB - THE #1 IPHONE, IPAD, AND IPOD TOUCH BLOG | JANUARY 21, 2011
http://pulsene.ws/Pr8p


iOS 4.3 features: New wait button when adding contact phone numbers is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone ...

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OMG! OMG! February 9th is the day for iPad 2 Announcement

The level of speculation about Apple has just gone silly. Read this to see how we know Feb 9 is announcement day. 

Rumor: iPad 2 announcement day might be February 9th
MACGASM | JANUARY 20, 2011
http://pulsene.ws/NyNS


Like all rumors that we post, this one should be taken with a grain of salt. Slashgear has started to publicly speculate that ...

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iPhone App- gyroCam 1.0.1

I normally don't have an issue with photos being off kilter. But, one of my favorite shots is unsettlingly so. This may be the solution. 

gyroCam 1.0.1 for iPhone
PHOTOGRAPHY BLOG - NEWS | JANUARY 20, 2011
http://pulsene.ws/NGgf


gyroCam is an iPhone app that automatically levels photos in real time, while shooting. Read more and ...

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iPhone App- deGeo for iOS

As a hobo traveler, I don't want to share where I am or was. This app may be one I load as a utility I would rather not have to use. 

deGeo for iOS
PHOTOGRAPHY BLOG - NEWS | JANUARY 20, 2011
http://pulsene.ws/NkJY


deGeo is a new photo sharing app for iOS that helps iPhone and iPad users guard personal their privacy by ...

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How to Travel with Photo Gear

Talk about traveling with tech!  This article is worth reading on a couple of levels. First, the issue of balance is at stake. ExecHobo is devoted to keeping my home in my hand. Checking bags ups the anxiety quotient of travel by orders of magnitude. (I just used two statements I love - orders of magnitude and anxiety quotient. I don't know what they mean either, but they are bloody good in print.) 

Coolest part of the article though is the photography. Not of Anapurna. That looks the view from my porch. The moraine lake is spectacular. And the lead photo of the backpacking photographer is humorous and evocative. 

How to Travel with Photo Gear
PHOTOGRAPHY BLOG - NEWS | JANUARY 20, 2011
http://pulsene.ws/Njs7


One of the UK's leading landscape and travel photographers, David Noton, explains how to pack your camera bag. Read ...

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Added a Blog Today

I keep my "blogroll" short.  Every once in a while I go through the blogs I read, and curate the list.  That keeps me from getting bored with blogs, lets me add content that I think is relevant to my current state of mind, and exposes us all to new (to me), bloggers with some quality content relevant to ExecHobo.  I added bitterpress today.  Check it out if you like coffee.

Photography

Last night I couldn't sleep, so I took my latest app download, WidePhotoViewer 6 for a spin to see what's what.  It does what it is designed to do, and very nicely.  In fact, it is the best photo viewer I have used yet on the iPhone.  I like being able to browse the names, comments, and camera information of a photo, including my own.  I found myself traveling through hundreds of the Getty Images album on Flickr.

If you haven't done this, I strongly advise it, as the images there are a broad spectrum of photographers' work.  From baby pictures, to landscapes, many are worth looking at.  I use this kind of musing to get a new idea for my own photography.

After I cruised the Getty Images, I looked at some of my own, and saw I have a ways to go, keep too many bad ones, should label mine, and should put more up on Flickr.

Sunrise from the porch

WidePhotoViewer 6 for iOS

Sometimes there is a solution to a problem you never knew you had, till you read about the solution, then the problem seems crippling. So it was when I read about WidePhotoViewer. I have to remember it for when k have an  iPad, and I have to get a LOT better at cheating photos b

WidePhotoViewer 6 for iOS
PHOTOGRAPHY BLOG - NEWS | JANUARY 18, 2011
http://pulsene.ws/Mm5w


WidePhotoViewer is an iPhone/iPod/iPad app that allows users to access their galleries and individual photos ...

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Solitaire Greatest Hits: A review

Laptop travel gets little attention these days. I know I still carry mine, and use it most days on the road. There are some heavy duty real for real work that an iPad just won't do. And being a MacbookPro, solitaire was always a ridiculously costly amusement. So when I saw solitaire in the new Mac App Store, it rang a bell. Now I can load up a game and get into what all those WIndows laptop users are doing on the plane. 

Solitaire Greatest Hits: A review
MACGASM | JANUARY 17, 2011
http://pulsene.ws/LXVy


The Mac App Store has only been around for about two weeks now. One of the categories that has not been as prominent on the Mac ...

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Steve Jobs Talks Shop

The man who drives Apple shows the passion that has driven Apple to the paramount position in the world of tech.  Given the news that Steve Jobs is taking some time off for health reasons, I took the time to re-view this and a few other interviews.  The best one is from the WSJ conference All Things D.

It is long, but that helps make up for the fact that the journalists want to discuss so many narrow and topical issues.  Jobs takes the chance to make his points with clarity, intensity, and passion.  I wonder though, is Walt Mossberg really as stupid as he seems?  His ignorance of how to run a business hampers his ability to foster interesting discussion.  How did he get this gig at the WSJ?  He and Kara Swisher seem to want to share the stage rather than facilitate the discussion.

At about 40 minutes into the interview Jobs talks about his passionate support for the press.  In view of the current drive for iPad press subscriptions, clearly a year ago he was telegraphing an idea in development.  In my view, online reading is very, very important.  How many times do you find that a link and a story are video, and when using your phone, when on the go, you just say "No thanks.", and move on.  I like to digest my information by written word, so I can manage the pace and place, irrespective of connection.  Newspapers are great, but big, messy and narrow.  The web is as much about reading as about images to me, and with the right apps, I can read with or without internet connection.

At about 1:35 of the interview Jobs talks about the phenomena of apps.  Today we saw interesting data comparing app uptake to music download.  He expressed his amazement at this reality that seems genuine.

Watch through to the Q&A, it is as good as the interview.

iPad

Is there any other tablet device to consider? Android continues to make strides, but is full platform integration an advantage with iPhone, iPad and MacbookPro monumental?

Apps Bigger Than Music? Of Course

Here are a few reasons I am not surprised by this data. It is interesting, but should not be a surprise. 

1) we have figured out downloading, and so has Apple. It is easier, more mundane to buy an app. 

2) The marketing for apps was more effective

3) Much of the music on MP3 players was owned in other formats, or pirated. 

4) Apps serve more compelling functions than music. 

The curves of the charts are what is interesting. That Apple has created two businesses of this size and growth is astonishing. 

App Store could surpass total iTunes music sales by March
TUAW | JANUARY 17, 2011
http://pulsene.ws/LiR9


Anyone who has visited the Apple website in the past few days knows that sometime in the very near ...

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Travel with iPhone on AT&T

Before you move to Verizon, look ahead to any travel outside the US.  The AT&T phones run on GSM networks, so you can swap SIM cards when abroad.  The Verizon phone is CDMA, which means you still be able to use that phone, but only by paying Verizon's international roaming rate, one of the highest there is.

Of course there is always the solution of buying a local "burn phone" and using the iPhone on wifi like an iPod Touch.

By now, the world has yet again divided in two.  Those who will stay with AT&T and those who will go to Verizon.  Don't choose sides without considering all the implications.

ExecHobo Mobile will be reporting on the travels of a typical iPhone user as she moves from Mexico, through the US, and on to Europe.

Steve Jobs

No tech related blog that favors Apple can resist running with the news that Steve Jobs is taking a leave of absence for health reasons.  I am a big fan of the man, along with countless others.  I don't want to repost what they are saying, and the speculation has not yet gotten rolling.  I will say that I wish him well, and appreciate his impact on my life.  I want him back at Apple, for no one has a more tangible impact on a brand that I use than him.

Morning on the Road

Geared Up and Ready to GO!

Travel is a state in which I am comfortable.  It is not superior, nor is it preferable to being home, but it is a situation in which I exist, for a significant amount of my life.  When on the road, routines establish themselves that are different from the routines of the home.

In the morning, I look over the news, and today I realized I no longer read news on the laptop.  It is all done on my iPhone through Twitter Groups and Pulse Reader.  I wonder if the iPad will change that?

Making or getting coffee is still the first thing I do once I am dressed.  The refinement of coffee degustation is demanding a change in this routine though.  A better way to ensure I get the best coffee I can is in the offing.

Travel routines are never static.  They always change with the new environment and new knowledge I absorb on the road.

All in all, travel satisfies me.

Five Best iOS Newsreaders [Hive Five]

I use two of these five, and now will try Flipboard. I value all the interface juice I can get with my iPhone.

Five Best iOS Newsreaders [Hive Five]
LIFEHACKER | JANUARY 16, 2011
http://pulsene.ws/KQZC


A portable and internet-connected device with a touch screen, especially a sizable one like the iPad, makes for a pretty slick ...

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Flying in the 2025 May be interesting

Air travelers in 2025 can expect what? In flight organ harvesting as airlines find better ways to offset low prices?  

My bet is we will still be flying 737s as Boeing tells us the 787 Dreamliner needs a few more tweaks to keep it from falling apart. But NASA thinks otherwise. Flow the link to see. 

This Is What You Will Fly In 2025 According to NASA [Airplanes]
GIZMODO | JANUARY 14, 2011
http://pulsene.ws/Js4R



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LoTech Coffee Not A Solution

Traveling, as much as living at home, requires coffee When on the road for extended periods we like to make our own. The problem is that with kit like this, you are as well served serving instant laced with flavor enhancing Creamora. I had forgotten how dreadful coffee can be.

What solutions exist that are supremely space efficient in my luggage?  Can pour-over be executed with no special kettle?  Can a French Press fold flat?  Any solution must brew 2 cups at a time to prevent marital meltdown in the AM.   Remember, my bag never leaves my side. Solutions? Please comment!

American Airlines Struggles With Web Browsers

Traveling on American Airlines gets even more difficult if you are a Mac users.  It seems that the "new and improved" AA website can't work with Safari to make a reservation.  But this is not a slight to Mac people, they can't work with Chrome either.  So I  downloaded Firefox, again.

So I called and emailed American, and of course, have not received any reply, let alone an answer.  Shocked?  You must have never used American Airlines before.

So if you are on the road, how do you manage airtravel with AA?  By the phone?  How 80's!  And even with no web access, they are happily charging $20 for a reservation by phone.

FWIW, Firefox is looking better, and works with AA.  But how many browsers do I need?  Apparently at least two.

Washroom Tech

When traveling, frequent hand washing is essential to staying healthy. The eco friendly way to dry your hands is with air. And now, the lowly hand dryer has evolved. It now works, thanks to James Dyson. You put your hands into the chamber and the blower starts. As you slowly draw your hands out the concentrated air curtain drives water down your fingers and off your hands, like the big blower at a carwash. Simple and effective.

Traveling Traditions- "Sunset at..."

We all do it- capture the mood of vacation with a sunset photograph. Famous shots like Mallory Pier, or Diamond Head, immortalized by pros under perfect conditions don't deter us, after all, OUR sunset is ours, and linked to our personal experience. In fact, for me those perfect images at "my" spot only make me feel like my experience pales in comparison to that of others, and my travel experience is compromised. 

Don't let the fact that a shot is trite deter you. There is a reason certain views are repeated over and over- they are incomparable. So get on with it, take the shot. Here is one of mine:

Late Razor Clammers on Kalalock Beach

How to Capture the Perfect Sunset
PHOTOGRAPHY BLOG - NEWS | JANUARY 13, 2011
http://pulsene.ws/IXmQ


There are several ways that you can capture the perfect sunset. This article includes technical tips for setting your ...

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iPhone Abroad

Travel with the iPhone, using it well, and you will be continually pleased with how it can help you be a better traveler.  While at home in the US, it is easy to take the use of the phone and its data use for granted. But when you cross the border, you had better be prepared with a plan.

A travel blogger, Twitchhiker, has done a good job of summarizing many of the hacks, which I call methods, for using an iPhone while managing the cost of data within your budget.  I read this post and its included links with great interest, as we are in the process of planning our bi-annual Euro-Touro.

On our last trip, we discovered the joy of McDo in France.  Not only is the wifi free, the beer is cool and the food and service are akin to the golden age of McDonald's here in the US, before Marketing replaced Operations as the driving force.  Now that Starbucks has seen the light and now that I have a Gold card, free wifi just became more accessible.  As for the idea of streaming video and radio?  When in France?  Why?  Or GPS?  Just bring the Garmin.  And it helps to rehearse while home to see what apps I need that need data, by going Airplane mode and just using wifi.

Bon Voyage!

The Military-Grade iPhone Windshield Mount [Lifechanger]

I take my iPhone on the road. I need this mount.

The Military-Grade iPhone Windshield Mount [Lifechanger]
GIZMODO | JANUARY 12, 2011
http://pulsene.ws/IfKf



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Kindle app now supports Project Gutenberg eBooks

Traveling with enough reading material for a month or more has always been an art. My preference? Second hand books I can swap at other second hand shops. When going international the trips are long, and I pack at least 4 or 5 books. And the second hand sellers A) Don't want to give me anything for them, B) Charge ridiculous money for used paperbacks, C) Carry books Brits like- Path to Enlightened Rose Gardens, Colourful Olde English Crosswords.

So now, with electronic book readers and the plethora of well priced material, reading on the road has become a better proposition. The Apple bookstore/reader app is beautiful, but Kindle has won me. The selection of books is better, and I can share books between all platforms.

Kindle app now supports Project Gutenberg eBooks
TUAW | JANUARY 12, 2011
http://pulsene.ws/I5PV


If you've not already jumped on the eBook bandwagon, there's never been a better time to climb ...

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Privacy Concern- Don't bother following the link

Traveling means being out with cameras all around. I sometime wonder how many Japanese tourists have photoshopped their snaps to improve my image. In London there are fewer spots off camera than an NFL football field. But of course, when you are in public, it is likely you are being looked at. So besides wearing clean underwear, don't pick your nose or pull at your bra. Behave and dress nice. Your companions may appreciate I if you acted conscious of being on camera.

Feature: Peep show: inside the world of unsecured IP security cameras
ARS TECHNICA | JANUARY 11, 2011
http://pulsene.ws/I4t5


If you're in public, you're on camera. If you walk into a coffee shop, the ...

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Sony Nex3 Comes to ExecHobo

For a traveling life, size and weight are important.  In a "never let go of your bag" world, I seek efficiency.

Sony Nex3- Simple, Beautiful

The Sony Nex line of cameras provided efficiency.  Part of the ever-amazing Alpha line, this camera is as small as a serious one gets.  Sure, there are smaller cameras, but the Nex line sports a CMOS sensor.  That's right, a sensor that is the same as those found in massive DSLR cameras.  That is important.  Nex cameras also have interchangeable lenses, so glass need not limit image quality anymore.

Yes, my sensor is rather large!

In its cameras, Sony continues the kind of forward thinking, engineering and design that they built their reputation on.  This camera has almost no knobs and buttons, using the big LCD screen, soft buttons and a menu to manage it's use.  And that is a challenge- the paradigm changes.  The LCD screen is big, and resolution almost as high as the Retina display on the iPhone.  And it tilts, one of the key functions I wanted in a new camera.  This makes using it without a rangefinder (an extra accessory add-on), easy.

Lenses?  An adapter enables use of any lens (with reduced auto focus and anti shake functionality), including the excellent Nikons, Leicas, Minoltas, etc. Native lenses include a rather narrow, expensive line.  I opted for a 18-55 and 55-200 mm telephoto, to cover everything I want.

iPhone to Verizon is Not a Hoax!!

As I predicted here a few days ago, iPhone is coming to Verizon!  Now denizens of NYC can use an iPhone for more than a fashion accessory and mini wifi iPad!

And the big newses:
1) they are both excited by the prospects,
2) there will be no issues with network capacity nor bandwidth
3) the iPhone will work as a mobile hotspot- till you use the phone, then not
4) the CDMA networks still can't handle voice and data simultaneously
5) Verizon customers don't care about #4
6) there is a new break in the casing/antenna
7) same phone pricing as AT&T
8) data plan pricing to come

So that's it, the world is now a better place. Especially for those who travel or live in NYC!

Gmail- Great Mail App- Mailroom Makes it Better

I love Gmail. The tags are the only way I organize mail. It is the number one way i email on my MacBook Pto  There are a couple of shortcomings though that keep me from making it my only client, especially on my iPhone. 

Daily Tip: How to get a better Gmail experience on iPhone
TIPB - THE #1 IPHONE, IPAD, AND IPOD TOUCH BLOG | JANUARY 10, 2011
http://pulsene.ws/HCJC


Big Google user and interested in getting a better Gmail experience on the iPhone? You can use IMAP or set up Gmail as ...

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YouTube Adds Drag-and-Drop Video Uploading [YouTube]

I am gonna make a video someday, I swear.  This enabling upload may push me over the line. 

YouTube Adds Drag-and-Drop Video Uploading [YouTube]
LIFEHACKER | JANUARY 10, 2011
http://pulsene.ws/GVMH


Yet another Google service frees its users from the tyranny of browse-and-select file picking. YouTube offers drag-and-drop ...

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The security gadget that UK bankers want squelched

When traveling the chip on a card is ubiquitous out there. Seems like it must be secure, if Europe, Japan and the US Miltary ( for personal ID & medical records carried by every soldier, sailor and Marine), right? 

Maybe not so much. And of course those who tout it as secure don't want to consider in public that it isn't. 

This tech is coming to us all, for ID, passports, or banking. Beware. Manage it like any other sensitive data. 

The security gadget that UK bankers want squelched
ARS TECHNICA | JANUARY 10, 2011
http://pulsene.ws/H8dL


A financial industry trade group demanded that it be removed from public view—it ...

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ExecHobo NOT APPROVED McIntosh Clock

I recently went to an audiophile showroom and listened to a $48,000 system. The turntable was designed and built by a German nuclear physicist. It sounded truly sensational. 

But really, after the initial wow, my ears grew accustomed to the magnificence, and it sounded like music. Better than an iPod, but music.  

I wonder how long it would take to get used to a clock? 

McIntosh-Owning Audiophiles Probably Heard About This MCLK12 Clock Already [Clocks]
GIZMODO | JANUARY 9, 2011
http://pulsene.ws/GUaX



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50,000 stolen iTunes accounts for sale in China

I warned you! 

50,000 stolen iTunes accounts for sale in China
MACGASM | JANUARY 9, 2011
http://pulsene.ws/GURQ


A major Chinese website has listed thousands of iTunes accounts for sale. It is believed that these are all hacked accounts. ...

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1984 plus 27

The future is here, make plans to be part of it or not. Of course it happened a long time ago with the Social Security system. Want to benefit from the munificence of the federal government? Get behind these ideas. Have confidence in the eurocrats.   

Obama administration moves forward with unique internet ID for all Americans, Commerce Department to head system up
ENGADGET | JANUARY 9, 2011
http://pulsene.ws/GTQQ


President Obama has signaled that he will give the United States Commerce Department the authority over a proposed national ...

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TV Alternative- Netflix is the Camel's Nose

TV- I like it, big, hi def, for several hours during our long dark nights up where I live.  In fact, where I live there is no cable.  To far off the trunk line. Which I like to think of as living off the grid. 

I want to break the yoke of oppression placed on me in my lazy boy by the villainous cable/satellite providers. But then I start to imagine a program I like being created, produced, written, acted and all that. Then beamed to a satellite in orbit over the freakin earth, beamed to me, at my house, and processed into an entertaining experience. And that processing, I can't even conceive how images become 0s and 1s, then images!  But I do know I can cut out the ads with my PVR as a result of it all, and glean content from the 250 thinly contented channels I receive 

For a brief shining day I considered cutting out my satellite provider, going all Internet on TV. Then I started the research. I learned the reality is that the Internet/ hardware 

 In the attached article, Eric Schonfeld gets it right. 

Netflix Streaming Is The Gateway Drug To Internet TV
TECHCRUNCH | JANUARY 5, 2011
http://pulsene.ws/Fgyo


Nobody likes cable TV, although we all pay exorbitant sums for it to be piped into our homes. That is why the idea of being ...

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iTunes is Ten?!

What was the outlook for that weird mp3 format, that odd clickwheel player, and managing digital rights?  

And now, why has no one been able to challenge iTunes hegemony?  Congratulations and best wishes from a user/fan!

Happy 10th Birthday, iTunes!
TUAW | JANUARY 9, 2011
http://pulsene.ws/GMb9


You've come a long way, baby. Back on your birthday on January 9, 2001 at Macworld Expo, you were ...

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Apps Afield, Particular Apps for Peculiar Places

Episode 1: New York City

New York is the natural place to start, the epitome of urban living, New Yorkers spend hours underground and enclosed in foot-thick brick walls. Signal access means planning, apps that require less or intermittent data connection, thrive here.

1. NYCMate-
If there ever was an app designed for traversing the caverns below NY, this is it. Sitting on the subway talking with a friend or two may lead to an improvised stop for something to eat or a quick cocktail. Quell any arguments about the route before they begin.
Densebrain and episode6 have teamed up to provide a clear and simple subway map packed with smooth zooming and expandable bus and neighborhood maps for getting more precise transit. The timetable tab is a nice feature as well. When you can't check the Google map, NYCMate is an invaluable resource.
NYCMate

2. Chase/BoA banking apps-
NYC is largely a cash-driven economy and there's nothing worse than walking into a corner bodega for that badly needed pint of Ol' Grandad to forget the day’s work, laundry detergent, or mediocre bagel; only to find that they don't take cards. These banks will help you out with an ATM finder. Not to mention they'll let you transfer funds when you've blown your budget.
Chase BoA

3. Time Out New York (TONY)-
No matter how hip, connected, or social you are, in NYC a block from you someone is making, performing, serving something you should know about but don't. TONY is a pretty good link to what's going on in any given neighborhood. Sure the interface is a little clunky and the design is far from svelte, but you are using this app to stop looking at the screen, right? Anything you’re looking for will be there; food, music, events, and if you've spent enough time in NYC, you'll really appreciate the Free & Cheap section.
TONY

4. doubleTwist/ ³(Cubed)/ Winamp-
Music on the train helps tune out the nuts, the screeches of the tracks, and... other people’s music. Once again, there’s no signal. If you’ve become a Pandora addict, you'll need to dust off your digital music collection before you leave the security of home. Pick your flavor of the aforementioned media players, each have benefits and drawbacks many times reviewed.
Personally, I don't have a fear or wires or manual syncing and don't watch many videos. I use ³, for the minimalist interface, though there are more exciting options.
³

5. AC Adapter/airplane mode-
Necessary apps? Maybe a stretch, but it’s one I’m willing to make. Life in NYC is as unpredictable as any place I’ve lived, not to mention that your poor phone is searching high and low for a signal and you battery life will drop through the floor. Vigilance over power consumption is a necessary part of a smartphone user’s day-to-day. You never know when you’ll have access to an outlet again or whence/when life may whisk you away. My advice is charge early, charge often and shut it off when you’re not using it.

There are a ton of other great apps out there that can and do make life as a NYer more rich. These are simply my go-to apps. What are you using?