The future of books?

Apple's iPad

Tablet computing has a new face: the iPad. The internet is abuzz with news of this news product from Apple, so I am not going to repeat specs here. My personal opinion is I am not a big fan of the design, though. It looks like an enlarged iPhone. The name is also not something to jump excited about. iPad? It's like the most obvious name and yet I'd think a better name would have been imagined for the product. I expect people will tend to exaggerate pronouncing the letter "A" when referring to this product, so as not to confuse with the iPods.

However, the thing that surprised me (and a LOT of other people I'm sure) is the price. It looks ridiculously affordable at US$499 for the 16GB model. Plus, it's not locked to any carrier! At long last!

The design and name notwithstanding, I still expect that this will be a hot commodity when Apple starts shipping in the next 60 days.

Myvu personal media viewer for the iPhone and video-capable iPods

A personal video screen and stereo playback for your iPhone! Now that is something I would love to have! Myvu (photo credit also to this site) offers three different personal media viewers which you can use not only for the iPod but for other devices as well, such as the Zune, DVD players, and even video game consoles. All you need to do is plug in the necessary connector and you're done!

The Solo Plus EV Bundle costs US$124.85. That's a whole lot cheaper than a similar product I saw at a mall in Makati last year (with basic AV connectors). It's available in select countries, so if you want one too, lucky you if it's available in your part of the world!

Projector Phone

Some time ago, I mentioned in this blog a projector so small it can fit right in your shirt pocket. Well, only months later, this new projector technology has entered another major development phase, and can now be a mobile phone feature!

The Samsung Samsung W7900, aka The Show, is a fully-functional mobile phone with a built-in projector using the Texas Instruments DLP technology. From its analog days of simply enabling you to make calls, the mobile phone has evolved rapidly into providing digital content. With more phones supporting video and images, the projector capability is a logical step, enabling people to share the viewing of media in a more convenient and involved way.

Learn more about this fantastic device at Popular Science (also photo credit to this site).

i-Pot

Yes, you read it right. The i-Pot. Not i-Pod, but i-Pot. Actually the name has been in use long before the "i-Pod" came out.

The i-Pot is a simple yet cunning use of technology developed by Japanese company Zojirushi, a rice cooker and thermos manufacturer. It came about as a result of Japan's aged population increasingly living by themselves. A phenomenon called "death in solitude" is a by-product of Japanese people's general attitude of not becoming a burden on other people, including family members. Unfortunately, this can mean that people might move on to the next life without family members and even neighbors knowing all about it, and knowing about it in the most horrific way.

Incidentally, the Japanese are also quite fond of their tea, and regularly makes use of their pot to boil water for their precious beverage and for soup. This is where the novel idea from Zojirushi comes in. The i-Pot is connected to Japan's NTT DoPa network. Whenever the pot is used for brewing tea and such, information is sent to the wireless network about it. And then the people authorized to receive such notices are alerted. There would usually be a habitual pattern that will emerge, so if the pot is not used for some time, then the family member or neighbor can call and ask how things are. Nifty idea, isn't it?

The pots are on a rental basis. The hotline service costs 3,000 yen monthly (about US$30) with a one time fee of 5,000 yen (around US$45). This is available only in Japan.

Blackberry Storm

Whenever the phrase "contender to the iPhone" comes up, two phones come to mind: The Blackberry Storm and the Palm Pre. I was awed when I first saw the Blackberry Storm. It looked cool, with its black casing and black buttons... somehow things dressed in black look rough and cool, and things dressed in white look sleek and classy. Which makes the name of this Blackberry phone rather appropriate.

The Storm, however, had turned on RIM (the manufacturer) as reviewers did not give glowing reviews; their tests were not exactly smooth sailing. The phone would hang one too many times. The SurePress feature, while intriguing (you can actually feel like you are pressing actual buttons on its touch screen) is not as intuitive as expected. Plus, the current model lacks wifi capability (although a future model is rumored to have this feature).

That said, being considered a contender to the iPhone is quite an achievement by itself. They just need the Storm to blow the competition away. Huff and puff.

iPod Shuffle

Apple has released a new version of the iPod Shuffle. And by new, I mean new. It looks unlike any other previous Shuffle products. It's a small, thin, rectangular piece of work on metallic gray. It's so small, in fact, that there are no controls on the device itself. Instead, these have been moved to the remote.

A rather unique feature of this iPod Shuffle is a voice-activated feature. At the touch of a button, a voice system is activated which recites the name of the song currently being played, the artist, and even your playlists. You can then navigate your way around the shuffle using this voice system.

Yep, Apple is at it again: going 10 steps ahead of its competitor. After the ridiculously successful touch screen interface of the iPod Touch and the iPhone with other companies scrambling to get their versions out in the market, Apple releases another breakthrough, this time without the need for a touch screen, or even a screen for that matter!

I have a bit of a problem with the controls being on the headset, though. I remember the headset of my iPhone as it went missing one afternoon. My knees got all week when I realized I have just lost my headset and I retraced my steps in case I can still get it back. Tough luck. I was never able to replace it because it was ridiculously expensive.

Plus, I have this mutant ability to damage headsets well before they reach their maximum usability age. Which means that I will be truly hesitant to buy this new iPod Shuffle. Too much of a gamble for me. It will be fun to see reviews about the iPod's new voice technology, though, and I expect it will be used in other applications too. On its computers coupled with the remote, perhaps.

Pocket Projectors

One thing I love about technology is that there is something always new that will never fail to amaze you. Some ideas may be a "rehash" of an older concept, but the way it is redone suddenly makes it become the topic of the day.

Take for example, the case of the projectors. I still remember the mid-90s when I worked with a Systems Integrator company in the Philippines. We bought an LCD projector which was a huge leap from the transparency projector at that time. We loved using it. However, it was also bulky, so much so that it had its own suitcase with wheels, much like luggage used for long trips abroad. So whenever we had a presentation for a client, we looked like we were going away for a couple of days.

Now, thanks to man's incessant need to make all things as portable as possible, we now enter the age of pocket projectors. Projectors that... umm... fit in your pocket! These projectors use an LED for the light source and some truly miniaturized DLP components to make everything fit into a palm-sized container. Of course, you cannot expect to make a presentation or show a movie in front of, say, 50 people, but for a small business meeting or even with friends, this gadget can definitely impress!

I tried a quick Google on pocket projectors and came up with some:

Toshiba LED Pico Projector from ComputerWorld blogs
(http://blogs.computerworld.com/toshibas_amazing_pocket_projector_quietly_demonstrated)
3M also has a surprise up its sleeves (from popsci.com: http://www.popsci.com/gear-%2526-gadgets/article/2008-09/3m-launches-first-pocket-projector)
Optoma Pico Pocket Projector (http://www.optoma.co.uk/optomapico/index.aspx)

I'm sure there are still others out there. And being new toys, I'm quite positive that they also carry quite a hefty price tag. I hope that a lot more companies will be producing such devices and that the demand will increase, so that the price will eventually drop. Think of the many applications such a gadget can allow!

iPhone headset wierdness

It was a sad day when I lost my iPhone headset a couple of months ago. Inspite of the fact that I knew it was an expensive loss, I tried to look at it on the bright side, because my ears will have some respite from being plugged into the iPhone mornings and evenings.

And so it was just that for some weeks. But then I found that it was difficult hearing the person I'm talking to; must be because I just cut off a portion of the protective cover that came originally with the phone and a slit just exposes the earpiece.

At any rate, I knew I had to get a new headset. But after finding out how expensive the iPhone headsets are, I decided to look for an alternative: just plain headset without the controller and mic.

The furstrating part was, no ordinary plug will fit! The iPhone's plug is lodged way deeper than the regular jack can latch into. Sure, it's a regular 10mm interface, but the iPhone is padded in such a way that an adapter is needed to get regular headsets to work.

I had a feeling that others have experienced the same challenge as I have. And Google confirmed it. Not only that; they have the solution I need!

But a regular headset, cut-off a portion of the protective rubbery coating of the jack, and voila! It will slide right in!

So for this experiment, I bought Philips headsets.


After approximating where I should make the cut, I carefully made the incision around the rubber coating. And it did fit the iPhone!

When you do this, make sure that you cut real carefully. I'm not sure if it's standard with all jacks, but this one had an inner white rubber cladding which protects the thin wiring and keeps it in place. Make sure that you do not apply too much pressure or you'll cut through this and through the wire as well. Just make a shallow cut, and try to pull the black rubber coating away. Chances are it will tear right off.

Now I use my headset for audio, and for making and taking calls (while using the iPhone mic to talk to). Not too bad a compromise, considering I saved thousands for this innovation.

UPDATE: Here's another way to get an iPhone headset without breaking the bank.

The Swiss Army Knife

One very useful tool – and a necessity – in trekking is the good old swiss army knife. With just one compact and handy device, one can have the power to chop veggies, open cans, bend wire, and pick teeth. With the more fancy swiss army knives, one can even saw through wood, have a pair of scissors to cut paper and cardboard with, open a bottle of wine, twist a loose screw into place, and a lot more. This gadget is the ultimate tool for the mobile handyman. In fact, you don’t have to be a mountaineering enthusiast to find the swiss army knife a necessity; you can do lots of things with it even at home.

The Victorinox swiss army knife has even evolved over time, with models featuring thumb drives. Nice, eh?

My Victorinox swiss army knife was a gift from a good friend in the late 90s (around 1997). It has been with me for around 10 years now and when I use the knife, I simply wash it with water and wipe it dry. And the knife is still as sharp as ever! This is a firm testament to the quality of the Victorinox Swiss Army knife for its durability and usefulness. And when I use it, it reminds me of my good friend Bong when he gave it those many years ago. What a wonderful gift!

[cross-posted at tahac.net]

Digital Photo Frame

I got interested in Digital Photo Frames because I am anticipating on going on a long trip pretty soon and I want to bring along photos. Not just a couple but albums of them. But it's going to be bulky bringing physical albums with me. This was actually one reason why I bought my iPhone: to store lots of photos. But it's not exactly meant to be a photo frame because having it turned on for most of the day will result in the battery being drained too soon.

So what's the next option for me? A digital photo frame. I actually got one last December. My colleague Pauline had noticed me eyeing one during those times and she offered to share the cost 50/50 as her Christmas gift to me. Isn't she nice? So I agreed; we split the almost 6,000 pesos cost and went home happy with my new gift.

The one I bought had built-in slots for a multitude of memory card formats. It does not have a built-in memory; the number of photos you can store depends on the file sizes and the memory your card has. Aside from this, you can also play MP3s through it's built-in speakers. It can also play videos in the Quicktime format. It even has a remote, and can display photos while music is being played simultaneously. Nice, huh?

However, one major caveat I experienced with this photo frame is that the image resolution is not so good. Plus, the display is a bit dark. I guess I could have waited for prices to drop and more models and brands to enter the market but at that time, the next option for the DFP is 14,000 pesos! And I never thought that six months down the line, there would be better DFP offers from the likes of Kodak at the price I paid for last December. Darn.

I'm thinking of selling my current DFP at a marked-down rate and buy a better model. Lesson learned: don't be overly eager to buy your gadgets; have it demoed first. That's what we failed to do last December and relied on the brochure and the nice photo on its packaging. Double Darn. And compare prices! Triple Darn. And be patient! Quadruple Darn!