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Growing Evidence of Football Causing Brain Damage

Microsoft Is Killing the Windows Live Brand

Facebook To Go Public On Friday, May 18

Space:  Moon closest to Earth Saturday… just like every year…

US Senate Sergeant at Arms listens to Real Tech…  or at least checks on websites that quote Senators.

Picks:

Tony – Hyperjuice Mini
Steve – Juice Defender – http://www.juicedefender.com/

Steve’s info: [blog] http://theprofessornotes.com [twitter] @scmprofessor

Tony’s info: [blog] http://getthenext.com [twitter] @tonypittman

Click Here to listen to Real Tech 111

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NEWS:

AND… GOOGLE DRIVE is official.  Is it a “Wow!” or an “Uh?”

TIPS/SUGGESTIONS:

Google Searches made easier:  A couple “quick hits.”  Want to search using speech? Simply click on the microphone and talk (assuming you have a microphone).  Want to find where an image came from?  Go to the “images” tab, and copy and paste a URL into it.  OR–find out what other images your image looks like:just drag your image from your computer into the image search block.

Virtual Disks “In the Cloud” – Gladinet. Gladinet lets you map your existing cloud storage sites as if they are drives on your machine.  Now you can edit Word, Excel, or other documents right in the cloud, and not take up space on your hard disk.  Of course, you have to be connected to the internet.  Possible sites to use include Google Docs, PicasaWeb, Amazon S3, Microsoft’s Live Storage, and much much more.  The free version only connects to one, but there are other options as well.

Managing your PDFs: This one can be a real challenge.  You have hundreds (maybe thousands?) of PDFs on your computer, but do you a) know what you have, and b) know how to get to the one you want?  Enter a few choices, courtesy of this article from Digital Inspiration.  I personally prefer Mendeley (these are windows choices) because it is specifically designed for PDFs.  Even still, I would like something with a little more “intelligence” that can sort the files for me based on general content anaylsis.

PAMFAX:  A new problem these days is “How to send a fax from home, when you don’t have POTS any more?”  Well, I have settled on a solution that works for me.  Pamfax.  It’s made by the same people that make the call recorder application for Skype, “Pamela Recorder.” It’s not free, but it is affordable.

“The House approved Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act with a 248 to 168 vote today. CISPA allows internet service providers to share Internet ‘threat’ information with government agencies, including DHS and NSA, without having to protect any personally identifying data of its customers, without a court order. It effectively immunizes ISPs from privacy lawsuits for disclosing customer information, grants them anti-trust protection on colluding on cybersecurity issues and allows them to bypass privacy laws when sharing data with each other.”

PICKS:

Steve: Paper Camera for Android
Tony: Nike Fuel Band

Steve’s info: [blog] http://theprofessornotes.com [twitter] @scmprofessor

Tony’s info: [blog] http://getthenext.com [twitter] @tonypittman

Click Here to listen to Real Tech 110

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Steve’s info: [blog] http://theprofessornotes.com [twitter] @scmprofessor

Tony’s info: [blog] http://getthenext.com [twitter] @tonypittman

Click Here to listen to Real Tech 109

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The Amiga returns….for over $2k.  Are you Serious?

Problems dealing with $100B in cash.  AAPL…are you serious?

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Steve’s info: [blog] http://theprofessornotes.com[twitter] @scmprofessor

Tony’s info: [blog] http://getthenext.com [twitter] @tonypittman

Click Here to listen to Real Tech 108

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Has the internet now crushed all business models that depend on for-pay content?

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Steve’s info: [blog] http://theprofessornotes.com[twitter] @scmprofessor

Tony’s info: [blog] http://getthenext.com [twitter] @tonypittman

Click Here to listen to Real Tech 106

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Steve’s info: [blog] http://theprofessornotes.com[twitter] @scmprofessor

Tony’s info: [blog] http://getthenext.com [twitter] @tonypittman

Click Here to listen to Real Tech 102

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Steve’s info: [blog] http://theprofessornotes.com[twitter] @scmprofessor

Tony’s info: [blog] http://getthenext.com [twitter] @tonypittman

Click Here to listen to Real Tech 101

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USB and Electrical Outlet : Two 10 volt USB ports AND two regular power outlets. Or, you can make your own (USB only) wall outlet.

How Publishers Are Cutting Their Own Throats With eBook DRM

LEDs in Contact Lenses

PICKS:

Steve: Lapse It! Time Lapse photography for your Android. Supports front and rear facing cameras, as well as numerous other features. Just remember, for long duration shots, keep it charging.
Tony: Living Earth World Time and Weather 

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Steve’s info: [blog] http://theprofessornotes.com[twitter] @scmprofessor

Tony’s info: [blog] http://getthenext.com [twitter] @tonypittman

Click Here to listen to Real Tech 100

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PICKS OF THE WEEK:

Steve: CamCard for scanning Business Cards. QUITE good OCR, and can assign to categories. I used it to put different cards in groups in Google Contacts.

Tony: Logon changer for Windows 7 

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Steve’s info: [blog] http://theprofessornotes.com[twitter] @scmprofessor

Tony’s info: [blog] http://getthenext.com [twitter] @tonypittman

Click Here to listen to Real Tech 99

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Steve’s info: [blog] http://theprofessornotes.com[twitter] @scmprofessor

Tony’s info: [blog] http://getthenext.com [twitter] @tonypittman

Click Here to listen to Real Tech 98

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Steve’s info: [blog] http://theprofessornotes.com[twitter] @scmprofessor

Tony’s info: [blog] http://getthenext.com [twitter] @tonypittman

Click Here to listen to Real Tech 97

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Is hope lost at Best Buy?

An iPad surprise?

TIPS

IF THIS THEN THAT. http://ifttt.com Define your social interactions on the ‘net in terms of what you could do…

DLVR.ithttp://dlvr.it/  Distribute your blog to twitter, facebook and more. Actually, works with ANY RSS feed–including Google+

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Steve’s info: [blog] http://theprofessornotes.com[twitter] @scmprofessor

Tony’s info: [blog] http://getthenext.com [twitter] @tonypittman

Chris’s info: [blog] http://targuman.org  @targuman

Click Here to listen to Real Tech 96

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PICKS:

Tony: Motor Trend Magazine App

Steve: Galaxy Tab 10.1. Yup–Jenni has hers. And loves it. Of course this is as much an endorsement of Android honeycomb 3.1 as it is the hardware. Of course, the hardware is a beautiful device as well.

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Steve’s info: [blog] http://theprofessornotes.com[twitter] @scmprofessor

Tony’s info: [blog] http://getthenext.com [twitter] @tonypittman

Click Here to listen to Real Tech 95

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Google gets more focused.

Solid State Drives – Worth it! 

Excel: Have multiple sheets and Windows Open.  http://www.howtogeek.com/forum/topic/open-spreadsheets-in-completely-separate-windows

PICKS:

Tony: Aperture 3 Slide Shows 

Steve: WinDirStat (http://windirstat.info/) WinDirStat is a disk usage statistics viewer and cleanup tool for Microsoft Windows

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Steve’s info: [blog] http://theprofessornotes.com[twitter] @scmprofessor

Tony’s info: [blog] http://getthenext.com [twitter] @tonypittman

Click Here to listen to Real Tech 94

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PICKS:

Tony: Slickdeals.net

Steve: DoubleTwist AirSync

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Steve’s info: [blog] http://theprofessornotes.com[twitter] @scmprofessor

Tony’s info: [blog] http://getthenext.com [twitter] @tonypittman

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Goalkeepers: Brad Guzan (Aston Villa, England), Marcus Hahnemann (Wolverhampton, England), Tim Howard (Everton, England).

Defenders: Carlos Bocanegra (Rennes, France), Jonathan Bornstein (Chivas USA), Steve Cherundolo (Hannover, Germany), Jay DeMerit (Watford, England), Clarence Goodson (IK Start, Norway), Oguchi Onyewu (AC Milan, Italy), Jonathan Spector (West Ham, England).

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Forwards: Jozy Altidore (Hull, England), Edson Buddle (Los Angeles), Robbie Findley (Salt Lake), Herculez Gomez (Puebla, Mexico).

On April 17, 2010, This Week in Tech chief, Leo Laporte expressed  concerns about colleague, and friend, Jason Calacanis’ push to rapidly develop and grow his own podcast network site, titled “This Week In”.   Leo runs a very successful podcasting network, based on the flagship show entitled “This Week in Tech”.  The address for the network’s website is http://TWIT.TV .  Jason has been a guest on Leo’s network many times.  In fact, I hadn’t even heard of Jason Calacanis until he started appearing on TWiT.

Not many would argue that “This Week in…” prompts those in the technology media space to think of Leo’s flagship show and his network.  Still, Leo did acknowledge that he does not own the “This Week In” trademark.  In fact, he has made reference to “borrowing” it from a show about baseball.

So, when Jason, a friend and colleague of Leo, came and asked about doing some shows that carried the title “This Week In…” in front of them, Leo allegedly said “yes”.  I believe Jason started out doing “This Week in Startups”, a show about how to start up new tech ventures – a topic not too similar to what is normally covered on Leo’s TWiT network. So, things were going swimmingly, it seems, until Jason took things too far and started launching This Week In shows that got more and more similar top topics covered by Leo, including “This Week In Android”, “This Week In iPad”, and “This Week In Gadgets”.

To me, the analogy  is like a good friend or relative asking if they can borrow your car.  In most cases, the answer would be “yes”.  But, if a friend was to ask me to borrow the car, and then take my “yes” as clearance for them to drive it on a 3,000 mile cross-country excursion (taking advantage of my openness and trust), then I would have a major issue.

So, I feel for Leo in this situation.  Does Jason have the legal right to do what he did?  It appears so.  Should he have done it? I don’t think so.  Personally, I don’t think he should have even asked Leo about the use of “This Week In”, putting Leo in the position of having to tell a friend and colleague “no, don’t do that”.

Disclaimer: I don’t know Leo or Jason personally.  This position is based entirely on outside observation. Jason defends his position here.

By: Tony Pittman [ tony@getthenext.com ]

Apple’s iPad arrived, as planned, on April 3, 2010. Some analysts estimate that as many as 700,000 iPads were delivered to customers on launch day, making iPad one of the most successfully launched consumer products of all time. Prior to launch, some pundits panned the iPad, calling it nothing more than an overgrown iPhone, without the phone.  Well, in some respects they turned out to be correct.  iPad is larger than iPhone.  iPad can’t make phone calls.  But, wow…it can sure do a lot of things well.

First, the most unexpected surprise: iPad’s speaker.  I wasn’t expecting much in this department.  I figured that Apple would include the obligatory speaker – a plain, unimpressive component that would just be enough to get by with.  Wow, was I wrong.  iPad’s speaker is very robust for its size.  I was honestly astounded by the loud, clear, and dynamic sound.

Next, you’ll be amazed by iPad’s battery life.  By making the device so much bigger than iPhone, Apple was able to do wonders with battery life.  So far, I have no reason to doubt Apple’s claim of 10+ hours of continuous use on one charge.  After a day of hard use, I’ve hardly been able to make a dent.  The battery life is impressive, to say the least.

The on-screen keyboard exceeded my expectations. I was mentally prepared for a new experience, remembering what is was like the first time I used an iPhone keyboard.  iPad’s keyboard does not disappoint, especially in landscape mode.  Granted, I wouldn’t want to use it to write a novel, so I did pick up one of Apple’s $69 bluetooth keyboards.  But, for short bursts of text, the on-screen keyboard is more than adequate.

Finally, the muli-touch IPS display is nothing short of mind-blowing. Prior to iPad’s launch, I was thinking more and more about how great it would be to be able to use my Kindle DX as a truly connected, dynamic device.  I found myself wanting to touch the Kindle’s display and try to manipulate the connected internet world.  But, everything was just beyond my, and the Kindle’s, grasp.  Well, no more.  iPad’s multi-touch display not only produced brilliant images, but it’s responsiveness is off the charts.  It responds to your touches instantly, allowing you to truly escape into a world that I thought to still be years and years away.  Many had said that you can’t appreciate iPad until you have a chance to hold it in your hands and feel how it works.  They were right.

]]> http://getthenext.com/archives/479/feed 0 http://getthenext.com/archives/425 http://getthenext.com/archives/425#comments Mon, 01 Feb 2010 19:14:12 +0000 Tony http://getthenext.com/?p=425

(Image courtesy of www.redmondpie.com)

No matter what you think of the recently announced Apple iPad, it’s clear that no other company gets the attention Apple gets when announcing a new product.  For Apple, this is generally a good thing.  But, they need to make sure they get everything right: the product itself as well as the product positioning.

When it comes to the iPad, they got the product right, but they botched the positioning a bit.

The iPad is a Kindle killer, no doubt about it.  In June, 2009, I paid $489 for my Kindle Dx.  The Kindle Dx is roughly the same formfactor as the iPad, which starts at $499 .  However, the Kindle Dx can’t hold a candle to the iPad.  The Kindle can’t play video, doesn’t have a color screen, can’t run apps, and can barely (and I mean BARELY) browse the web. No bones about it, Apple did just as Steve jobs said in his presentation. They stood on Amazon’s shoulders and took the Kindle Dx form factor to much higher heights.  Had Apple stuck with this positioning, is there any way the iPad could lose? Now, the Kindle does come with always-on 3G and no monthly fee.  But, for $629 and $14.99/month, most prospective iPad users would still say there is no competition; the iPad is the better play.

The mistake Apple made: asserting that geeks will be able to replace their netbooks with iPads.  This is clearly not going to happen. This assertion reminded me of when Steve said he replaced his high-end audio system with the failed Apple Hi-Fi.  No way.  Netbooks are cheaper, they run Windows, Linux, and some even run Max OSX illegally.  Users can choose what apps run on them, and they can multi-task, though usually to their detriment.  Why fight this battle?  Let the netbooks run their course.

So, the bottom line is pretty clear.  Apple should have positioned the iPad as a revolutionary device that builds in the initial success of the base eReader.  It adds rich multi-media capabilities, gaming, app-store access, and it can even help you get work done in a pinch.  For some, with the added keyboard dock, it can even serve as their complete mobile computing solution.

Strangely, I have not heard anyone complain about the fact that the Kindle Dx can not multi-task, has a worthless browser, and can only run apps that Amazon allows it to run.  Apple is re-discovering that it’s tough to be on top.  Shouldn’t they have learned this from their 1980′s experience?

]]> http://getthenext.com/archives/425/feed 2 http://getthenext.com/archives/386 http://getthenext.com/archives/386#comments Thu, 07 Jan 2010 22:00:05 +0000 Tony http://getthenext.com/?p=386 Is it the end of the decade, or not? Seems to be a big debate.  I THINK the decade ends after 2010, not 2009.

What gives?

iPhone 3G and 3GS Scosche Charging Adapters

]]> http://getthenext.com/archives/343/feed 1 http://getthenext.com/archives/286 http://getthenext.com/archives/286#comments Tue, 27 Oct 2009 03:04:36 +0000 Tony http://getthenext.com/?p=286 The recent financial crisis gave rise to the phrase “too big to fail”, which is now used to describe the status of many large, but struggling companies. GM, AIG, and others come to mind. These companies go so big that we could not have easily recovered as a nation had they failed. The question is: why did we allow them to survive and grow to be so big in the first place, given that their business practices were so poor?

So, here is a new phrase: “too big and too poor to ignore”. I use it to describe big companies that are on their way toward joining the “too big to fail” club if something isn’t done. Basically, we can’t continue to avoid companies that are this bad, or else we will pay a much bigger price down the road. As consumers, we have a responsibility to stand up. One of those companies is: DIRECTV.

Certainly you have heard of DIRECTV.  It’s a big company.  You can look up the facts.  Their main competitors are DISH Network and your local cable company (Comcast or Time Warner, most likely).  With 2008 revenues approaching $20B, DIRECTV is nearly twice the size of DISH, it’s other competitor in the satellite entertainment space. Clearly, DIRECTV is big.  But, what makes them too poor to ignore?  The answer, customer service.  Quite frankly, their customer service is just plain horrible.  Bad.  Really bad.

I have been a DIRECTV customer for the last 7+ years.  I subscribe to all of their big pay packages, including the premium movie channels and their flagship product, NFL Sunday Ticket.  When I call in for help, they review my file and always thank me for being a loyal, long-time customer.  That is, after I spend about 10 minutes ducking and dodging the many voice prompts, verifications, and “did you know about directv.com” messages designed to keep me from getting to talk to an actual human.

So, what happens when one of my DIRECTV High Definition Digital Video Recorders goes bad over the weekend?  Well, I call them on Monday, of course. I expect them to either give me a technical solution over the phone or have a replacement receiver in my hands ASAP (24-48 hours seems reasonable, right?).  Well, after I give the technical service rep the error code produced by the receiver (code 15-369), I am told that I should have a replacement receiver by Friday.  Yes, FRIDAY!

Are you kidding me?

An entire business week to get me a receiver?  My goodness! I recently had a washing machine go bad and Sears got me a replacement within 2 days.  Now, DIRECTV is telling me it will take them until the end of the week to get me a @#! @!@# satellite receiver?  How can this be?

Well, here’s how that can be.  DIRECTV is so big that they just no longer care about customers.  Heck, maybe they never did.  But, I’ve had DVRs go bad before – happens all of the time.  But, it’s never been so difficult to get service.  But, consider the fact that DIRECTV does none of the following:

• Make arrangements with their shipper, FedEx, to allow for immediate, priority delivery of replacement receivers for top tier customers for a fee.
• Make arrangements with local chain retailers to allow customers to pick up a retail replacement without signing a new service contract or incurring a fee.
• Stock their large, contracted installer base with a small number of replacement units that can be hand-delivered in case of device failure.

These are all reasonable things to expect from a $20B company.  So, why don’t they change their ways?  The answer is simple.  They don’t change because consumers let them get away with such poor practices.  Well, not me…not this time.  That’s why I am writing this post. Yeah, they did offer me a $15 credit for the days I would be expected to go without service.  When I escalated the issue, the next rep gave me a $10/month discount for the next 6 months.  Ok, thanks.  But, this isn’t about the $75.  It’s about poor service and a business model that someone in a DIRECTV boardroom somehow deemed “good enough”.

How can this be acceptable to DIRECTV management?  How can you justify keeping my family without service for a week, while at the same time DIRECTV installers are all over our area installing services for new customers, and likely returning to home base each day with several working receivers in their trucks that we could be making use of?  Why would nobody enable either the installers or the local retailers to become part of the needed solution?  The answer – they just plain DO NOT CARE, and if we don’t demand that they change their ways, they never will.  Then, in 20-25 years, our kids will be called on to bail them out.  Difficult to believe?  Well, consider how American car companies and legacy air carriers have failed to respond to fundamental customer complaints in the past. It’s worked out well for them, hasn’t it?    No way.

So, please pass this message on.  If you share these views about DIRECTV, go here and submit a question asking DIRECTV why they don’t do more to provide customers with reasonable service.  Or, call 1-800-531-5000 if you want to speak to someone directly. Or, write DIRECTV at:

DIRECTV Inc.

PO Box 6550

Greenwood Village, CO 80155-6550

LATEST UPDATE: When I got my DVR replacement order confirmation, I discovered that my account was being charged a $19.95 “handling fee” as part of the replacement process. Seriously?  I was never told about that fee during my support calls with three different representatives, including the supervisor. Very broken service model.

Thanks for reading.

Feedback: email: tony@getthenext.com or twitter: @tonypittman  (twitter.com/tonypittman).

Stop the madness, DIRECTV!!!

]]> http://getthenext.com/archives/239/feed 0 http://getthenext.com/archives/229 http://getthenext.com/archives/229#comments Wed, 09 Sep 2009 03:56:42 +0000 Tony http://getthenext.com/?p=229 Real Tech Episode 1

In my area there are often stories about one neighbor cutting another neighbor’s tree down and cat owners getting angry about dog attacks in a certain part of town. News flash! Dogs chase cats! I’m glad I have a local news team primed and ready to report this.

My conclusion is that with 24-hour news channels and the internet, local news reports are desperately trying to remain relevant. In my opinion, they are failing miserably. When I see the local news on in my house, I find myself almost immediately reaching for my remote so that I can change the channel. If they are not using inane teases to keep me watching commercials, they are reporting on the most trivial “news” items one can imagine. It is actually very sad.

For example, consider what happens with the weather reports. The weather anchor spends five minutes covering information that I can get almost instantly on my PC or phone. Then he says “stay tuned for your extended local forecast” and I am supposed to sit patiently and listen to a local used-car salesman yell at me about how my trade-in is worth more than ever. “Get in here now!”, he says. Then finally I get to hear my local forecast. Of course, all of this is information that I’ve already gotten to in seconds using the phone in my pocket. Why would I watch this?

Lately, this has become a popular question.  What is going on with Microsoft?  One could argue that it’s been all down hill for Microsoft since Windows 95.  Windows 95 was truly a landmark product.  It vaulted Microsoft to the top of the heap, and the Wintel (Windows/Intel) PC platform still remains dominant.  However, Microsoft may now be in its weakest position since its infancy, with Google and Apple pressing them hard.

The Windows platform has stagnated.  Very few non-Microsoftees would debate this.  More and more, the difficult-to-manage platform relationships (between Microsoft, software developers, and hardware developers) are making PCs too difficult for average users to deal with.  Apple has certainly taken advantage of this dynamic, as they entice users to switch over to their more integrated platform – Apple controls the hardware, operating system, and many other key components of their landscape.

With Bill Gates now gone, Microsoft appears to be somewhat rudderless. They’re inway too many areas, in my opinion – XBOX, Windows, Office, BING, Zune, browsers, etc…  They appear to lack focus, and many are confused with what their strategy really is.  What are they trying to be?

No doubt, Microsoft will not disappear from the landscape any time soon.  They are here to stay.  But, in what form?  Only time will tell.

Perhaps the most troubling issue is that Microsoft may not even know what’s coming.  For example, consider the commentary from noted Windows-ologist Paul Thurrott during this week’s episode of Windows Weekly. During the podcast, host Leo Laporte suggest that Microsoft is headed down the same road as IBM – the once dominant technology leader that still exists as a large company with a known brand, but no longer as a tech platform leader.

Paul’s response – “…but Microsoft is not the same as IBM…IBM didn’t even try.”

This is plainly inaccurate.  IBM certainly did try to stay on top once they had realized they missed the PC boat.  Have we forgotten about the colossal failure of the micro-channel architecture, the PC Junior, and OS2?  IBM certainly did try.  I was there in the mid-1990′s as well as the early 2000′s, and for sure, IBM did try.  But, after a near-death experience, IBM bailed out and morphed itself in to the #1 technology services player on the planet.  So, they still exist, but in not nearly the same form and function that brought them to dominance.  If you ask me, I see Microsoft destined to follow a similar path…which, by the way, isn’t all bad.

What some may fail to realize is that even if Microsoft suddenly wakes up and “gets it”, much of the damage is already done.  They probably can’t recover.  The Microsoft brand is so heavily connected to client-heavy Windows and Office, that it will be difficult for them to overtake Google in the cloud or Apple in creative media integration, just to name a couple of areas.

While Microsoft may emerge as a large player in the business world, their days as the Microsoft we remember may be numbered.

]]> http://getthenext.com/archives/189/feed 1 http://getthenext.com/archives/174 http://getthenext.com/archives/174#comments Tue, 11 Aug 2009 03:20:08 +0000 Tony http://getthenext.com/?p=174

Google Voice Mobile (GV Mobile) is the perfect iPhone companion app for Google Voice.   But wait…you can’t get it anymore?  Nice move, Apple.

Luckily, I got my copy of GV Mobile before Apple banned it from the App Store.  Their claim: GV Mobile duplicates existing phone functionality.  Well, so does the Skype app.  What’s the real reason, Apple?  This is lame.

On July 7, 2009, Google announced its plan to to get into the PC operating system game.  It’s about time!

It’s very clear who Google is aiming at.

Google says that people “… want their computers to always run as fast as when they first bought them.”  Imagine that, Microsoft!

Google also says that people “…don’t want to spend hours configuring their computers to work with every new piece of hardware, or have to worry about constant software updates.”  Again, imagine that!

It’s about time a major technology player took the bull by the horns and addressed many of the Wintel platform shortcomings.  Sure, Apple has made a dent in the Wintel near-monopoly, but now Google is entering the battle as a another pure-play software alternative to Microsoft and the many (failed) Linux-based desktop alternatives.

Can anyone truly make computing easy without having to own the hardware and software platforms together?  Well, if anyone can, maybe it’s Google.  We’ll see.

]]> http://getthenext.com/archives/158/feed 0 http://getthenext.com/archives/149 http://getthenext.com/archives/149#comments Fri, 19 Jun 2009 02:22:20 +0000 Tony http://getthenext.com/?p=149

Amazon recently started shipping the 3rd version of its Kindle book reader, the DX.  The draw: the HUGE 9.7″ screen.  Compared to both the original Kindle and the Kindle 2, the reading experience on the DX is…..”WOW!”.  The DX natively supports .pdf files and it can even read out loud to you using its built in text-to-speech function.  At $489 it’s a bit pricey, but if you love to read, the DX is by far the best Kindle yet.

Battery life is great, and the native .pdf support is a nice feature.  However, I’ve seen the DX behave a little strangely when paging through .pdf files.  In some cases, the device will crash and automatically re-start.  In order to prevent this, I’ve had to remove the problem .pdf.  I hope that this is something Amazon wil be addressing with a soon-to-come software update.

Skype for iPhone is less of a big deal for domestic-to-domestic users in the US because AT&T already allows those calls to take place without depleting minutes (since all US iPhones are running on AT&T’s network – unless you’ve been breaking the rules!).

I tried it out and was able to have an iPhone to PC conversation with a relative, no problem.  The connection was clear and it sounded just as if I had made  a phone call using the normal dialing method.  So, there is some potential here.  Try it out.  It’s free, after all.

This post by Tony Pittman – tony@getthenext.com

Well, in the world of technology, is it reasonable to expect otherwise?  Real, unbiased news? I don’t think so.

For example, I love what the guys at TWIT.tv are doing.  The TWIT network is probably the biggest, most impactful next-generation “network” online.  But can we say it is unbiased?  Not in my opinion.  But, is that all bad?

Here is one example of why I make this assertion:

In a recent LA Times news post, TWIT founder Leo Laporte shared his thoughts about Twitter, the social media phenomenon.  Author David Sarno writes “The more he [Leo] talked about Twitter on his show, the more followers he accrued — and the more publicity he gave his brand rival.”  Then he quotes Leo as saying ” ‘I thought, jeez, I’m building value in this company that is ultimately vying for my trademark,’ he said recently via phone. ‘So I left.’ ”

So, here is the point.  When we listen to or read news, even tech news, is it reasonable to think we can be getting an unbiased view?  I’m not picking on Leo and TWIT - his position makes a lot of business sense.  But, given such a position, there is clearly bias involved.  In fact, one of the reasons I like TWIT is because I like hearing the contributors voice their biases and have good, solid debate on the tech issues.  Without bias, it would just be boring!

Comments?

This post by Tony Pittman – tony@getthenext.com

On February 26, 2009, I posted about the Twitter uprising here.  Well, as a result of that post, several people  signed up and began using Twitter.  That’s good.  But, because they don’t have many followers, the experience is not what it could be.  Therefore, TweeterGetter becomes essential.

If you are new to Twitter and want to increase the reach of your network, check out this link and follow the instructions.  Once you have a viable list of followers, you should begin to see the value and power of Twitter.  

This post by Tony Pittman – tony@getthenext.com

Today, there is a lot of buzz around Apple’s pending announcement of it’s upcoming iPhone Version 3.0 software.  Some of the rumored new features are long overdue – cut-and-paste for example.  My 3-year-old Blackberry already has cut-and-paste, but only Apple could figure out a way to get positive buzz for finally adding a long overdue feature!

But, other rumors hint at other features that should further distance the iPhone from it’s competition.  For details, you can follow the live action on TUAW at 1PM EASTERN.  Also, check back here post-announce for more on what’s coming for the iPhone.

This post by Tony Pittman  - tony@getthenext.com

Posted with permission from Steve Brady – twitter.com/scmprofessor – http://www.theprofessornotes.com

I have been a user of Grand Central for about a year now, and have loved it. It lets me give out one number, and route calls to any, or all, or my phones simultaneously.  When I answer one phone, it connects the call to that number.

It provided not only a voicemail system, but an opportunity to record a call, and even download the voicemail or recording for later use (even as podcasts!)   Oh, and just like a regular answering machine in your house, there is an option to screen the call, listen as it records the voicemail, and jump in if it is “critical.”

Well, Google bought them (a while ago) and just today announced they are remaking it as “Google Voice.”

I have just converted to the new account, and Aaron over on Twitter (@aaronaiken) politely tested it with me.  He called, and I let it go to voice mail.  

I watched as it first delivered the mail to the webpage inbox, and was immediately available to listen to, and download.

Then, after 2 minutes, provided the coolest new feature:

VOICEMAIL CONVERTED TO TEXT.

Yup, you read that right.  His voicemail was converted to text.  The darker the text in the display, the more confident the automated conversion system was of the words.  Here is a graphic of the actual voicemail.

As you can see it was pretty confident.  And honestly, it should be.  It got most of the grey words correct as well.  I am sure “your mileage may vary” but it was quite good!  Perhaps most interesting, it deleted out all the “verbal pauses.”

I hope to be testing out other features later today–so be on the lookout for a podcast, recorded using Google Voice, and the new “conference Call” feature!

One more thing:  If you haven’t yet, please consider helping my son get to water polo camp.  Even a simple one, or two, dollar donation would be great!

This Post by Steve Brady - Prof @ theprofessornotes.com

Apple just released the third generation of it’s iPod Shuffle.  The iPod Shuffle has always been a bit of a hard sell because it lacks a display.  For some, this means a frustrating experience – how do you know what song you are listening to?  What’s coming next?

Well, for this generation, Apple has taken steps to address this major drawback.  This new iPod Shuffle has the ability to TALK to you.  Using the controls integrated into the headphones, you can ask the Shuffle to tell you what song you are listening to or what playlist you are listening to.  Does this completely make up for the fact that there is no display? No, of course not.  But it does make the iPod Shuffle a more compelling product.  For $79, it’s not a bad deal, and you get 4GB of memory – about 1,000 songs.  

And, last of all, it is SMALL, very small.  Your biggest issue might be figuring out how to not lose it!

This post by Tony Pittman – tony@getthenext.com

Stop paying your phone service provider for 411 information! With Google’s new 411 service, you can access directory assistance for free.  And, it’s probably better than what your current provider offers for a fee.  You just dial 1-800-GOOG-411.  Then, you can either say the city & state you need help with, or use your keypad to enter a ZIPcode.  The service can then connect you to the business or individual you are looking to, for free.  Or, you can have the results sent to your phone via text message.  You can EVEN have a Google Map layout of your result sent to you.  Very nice.  Leave it to Google to reinvent yet another stale servicee.  411.  Check it out here.

This post by Tony Pittman – tony@getthenext.com

The Kindle 2 is here.  And, now another great ingredient gets added to the Kindle recipe – Kindle for iPhone.  If you already have Kindle and an iPhone, this free application is a must.  If you have either a Kindle or an iPhone, but not both, you may want to now complete the pairing.  

Kindle for iPhone allows you to buy readable content from the Amazon Kindle store right from your phone.  If you have a Kindle, the app allows you to synch your content across both devices.  Amazon calls it Whispersynch.  And, even better, both devices keep track of pages you have read in your books.  So, if you are standing in line somewhere and have a few minutes to get some reading done on your phone, the next time you fire up your Kindle, it will know what page you left off on.  The reading experience spans both devices very well.  I’ve actually tried it.  It works!

Amazon made a great move allowing the Kindle experience to make it onto the iPhone.  The Kindle is CLEARLY the better device for reading books.  But, adding the iPhone capability to the pie will allow avid readers to enjoy their content even more.  So, in the end, this should give the Kindle even more momentum.  Reading is fundamental…again!

This post by Tony Pittman – tony@getthenext.com

“To Kindle or not to Kindle?” – that is not the question.  The question is: “Is Amazon’s new Kindle (generation 2) the one to get?”

Some, including Leo Laporte, are predicting that the Kindle will do the same thing to hard copy media that the iPod did to music. That is, the Kindle may be a tremendous game changer when it comes to how we consume the written word.  The Kindle is indeed compelling.  It’s not just another e-book reader – the Kindle does much more.  It comes with an embedded wireless connection to Sprint’s wireless network (US Only), and you don’t pay a thing to stay connected. You can then shop either on the device itself or on Amazon’s site.  As you buy books and/or subscribe to newspapers and magazines, your content is sent wirelessly to your Kindle within minutes.  It’s that easy. So, with the Kindle, you can carry around hundreds of your favorite publications in one nice, neat, small package. 

If you are an avid reader, I’d say the Kindle is a must.  The amount you save on book purchases alone will justify the Kindle’s pricetag ($359).  For example, I recently went to a local bookstore to pick up a book on programming.  The price at the store: $44.99.  The price to buy the book on my Kindle: $26.99.  I bought the book on the Kindle.

Now, there are some tradeoffs.  For certain books, it’s great to be able to flip paper pages back and forth quickly, for example.  But, overall, the Kindle seems to win out for me in many cases.  It is just so easy to buy the content, and the reading experience is really very good.

Now, when it comes to Kindle 1 vs. Kindle 2, existing Kindle owners have a question (new owners will have to go with the Kindle 2 unless you can get your hands on a used unit). For me personally, the original Kindle is quite good (not perfect), and while the Kindle 2 offers some enhancements, it may not be worth the full upgrade price.  It has a faster wireless connection.  It’s buttons seem to be better placed (reducing accidental page flips), and Amazon claims better battery life.  Still, I am still very happy with the original Kindle.

The bottom line is: if you like to read books and newspapers, the  Kindle is probably a device you will want to pick up.  The convenience of being able to buy written content quickly and easily is huge.  And, you can carry so much with you at one time – much easier than carrying a stack of books.  Amazon certainly has a winner on its hands with the Kindle platform.

This post by Tony Pittman – tony@getthenext.com