Electronic wish list

The other day, I was sitting on the couch watching TV and juggling several nearly identical-looking devices – a cordless landline phone, a cable/TV remote, a Blu-ray remote, and a PDA phone.  As I sat there, trying to change channels with my phone and answer the remote, I wondered whatever became of convergence.

For instance, why has no one invented a cordless landline with an IR radio?  Or a multi-device remote with a built-in phone?  I’d buy a combo cordless phone/multi-remote in a heartbeat.

Come to think of it, why don’t a lot of things do more, especially when they have the computing capability?  Here are a few things I’d like to see improved/invented fast:

A cordless smartphone. I know landline connections are decreasing, but there are still millions who would jump at a base-station (maybe with a built-in modem and router) that came with cordless phones that had wi-fi-enabled iTouch-like capabilities.

A 21st century clock radio.  I don’t need a clock radio anymore – my PDA phone, which charges next to my bed, tells time, sounds alarms, and plays music and radio just fine.  But, if someone invented something “smarter” with a screen, email/web access, wi-fi, streaming media, and a landline phone, I’d buy it tomorrow.

Video books.  I love the way ebooks turn into audio books at the press of a button.  Now give me video books, depicting scenes from the book, when I press a button. (Think how much more interesting textbooks would become…)

A smarter car.  Cars can call for help, tune themselves, and track GPS data automatically, so why can’t they download/read my email aloud, recommend stops I should make based on my to-do list, make their own service appointments, register themselves, talk to Napster, and download trip data to my desktop automatically?

More barcode-style scanning technologies.  At my supermarket, I can walk around with a device that scans the UPCs off products I put in my cart, allowing me to avoid check out lines.  Cool.  Now make it even easier, and let me scan using my phone’s camera.  And, coordinate it with my grocery list, so I know if I’ve forgotten anything.  Even better, integrate it with inventories of my cabinets and refrigerator.

Smart wallet.  I carry five cards in my wallet: Driver’s license, insurance card, Amex, debit card, and security key card.  (Sometimes I have a Metro SmartTrip card, too.)  All of these could easily merge into a single, programmable card, or, even better, encrypted data that sits on my PDA phone.

Web tablet reader.  The Crunchpad seems kaput – and the Apple Tablet may have been delayed again – but with the growing popularity of ebook readers and smartphones, how long will it be before someone brings out a magazine-sized multi-purpose device for reading, surfing, notetaking, and basic PIM functions?

Am I the only one who needs these devices?

Back again…and catching up

After a bit of a hiatus over the last few months, I’m back.  Thanks to who have checked in and asked me to restart the blog…your wish is my command.

Since digital tech is changing all the time, I’ll relaunch with a quick rundown of the equipment/approaches I’m using these days.

Computing:

I’m using four different computers daily – main desktop, kitchen desktop, tablet/laptop, and netbook.

I added the netbook (8.5-inch ASUS) over the summer, and I’ve come to love it. Long battery life (5-6 hours) and small size means it goes everywhere with me.

On the main computer, I’ve added a fourth monitor. I’m thinking about adding a fifth next year, if I can find an external video device at a reasonable price.

Mobile computing:

Late last year, I switched to an HTC Verizon Touch Pro as my PDA phone.  It does most of the things I want, but none of them well. (Not enough RAM or a fast enough processor.) 

After toying with the idea of getting a Mi-Fi last summer, I decided to stick with using my Touch Pro as a wireless hotspot instead. Not as convenient, since I can’t talk and be online simultaneously, but much cheaper. (Free versus $60/month contract.)

Software:

Firefox, Outlook, and OneNote account for probably 99% of my activity these days. Functions associated with all three sync automatically, which makes working on multiple systems seamless.

Over the summer, I made the big shift from MS Money to Quicken.  Switching was brutal – tough to transfer 10 years of data and thousands of transactions, but it had to happen. I’m still not a fan of Quicken, though.

I also upgraded to PaperPort Pro 12 recently.  Not worth the money – stick with 11.

Home video/entertainment:

Replaced all four TVs with HDs this year, which prompted a switch from my beloved Tivos to Comcast’s DVR boxes. The Comcast DVR service can’t hold a candle to Tivo, but it wins on economics: While Comcast’s $9.95/month per box is $3 more than Tivo, I don’t have to spend $2,400 to buy four HD Tivos.

I’m still toying with switching to Verizon FIOS, although Verizon’s failure to be able to answer some of my basic questions about installation have made me wary.  Given Comcast’s continued bad and expensive service, though, it’s tempting.

I also traded my Slingbox Pro for a Slingbox Pro HD.  Streaming in HD is great – an excellent device.

So, that catches me up on tech.  What’s everyone else using these days?

Another view of electronic magazines

Blogger, GTDer, and digital fellow traveler Howard Robson has posted on his blog a very interesting response to my comments about the end of Mygazines.com.  Howard makes a strong case for why magazine sharing through a site like Mygazines is detrimental to the magazine business even beyond the outright piracy issues, noting that the circulation of these journals can't be audited.  That, in turn, can erode a magazine's advertising base -- and even drive it toward bankruptcy.

He also points out that magazines are different from both time-driven news stories and evergreen music files in that they have a timeliness, but don't last forever.

These are good points, and I'm very sympathetic to the arguments, being a copyright holder and magazine writer myself.  There's no doubt in my mind that copyright violation is wrong, and I have seen firsthand how dwindling ad revenue can break a magazine.

But, as a digital cheerleader, I have to ask: Wouldn't it be smarter for publishers to change their model to meet the needs of the age than for them to protect a dying approach that can't be secured?

Rather than comparing magazines to newspapers or music -- although they obviously share some attributes of both -- I'd argue that a better comparison is with commercial television.  Most magazines -- at least ad-supported ones -- operate much as commercial television does, by presenting a product that attracts and holds a reader's attention long enough to expose them to advertising images.  But, unlike television, magazines charge both the advertiser and the consumer for the service.  Ironically, rather than creating two income streams, this has left magazines doubly vulnerable -- as readers abandon ship for other information and entertainment options, advertisers are willing to pay less to reach smaller audiences. 

My sense is that publishers ultimately will have to choose what business they're in:  Are they creating content that readers value?  If so, they need to find new ways to monetize the value -- and limiting access probably won't work.  Or, are they selling advertising opportunities?  If that's their business line, they face even bigger challenges, since the very platforms where they propose to place the ads are rapidly disappearing.

Tough business to be in, Howard...

Back after a quick refresher...

Heading back to work after giving myself a few days off during the Thanksgiving break.  Well, almost "off"...

• Computer shopping again...Looked at a couple of possible computers to get my mother for Christmas. (Browsed online, of course. Not a chance I'd go near a store during the Black Friday mayhem...)  I haven't found a better buy than the Acer I bought myself last month, so it looks like I'll be getting another. My plan is to get it, load it with the appropriate software, test it, and pre-load it with her files, which I'll snag remotely via Hamachi.  She'll have a computer ready to go, tested, and customized the way she likes it.  (Don't tell!)

 

• TV shopping, too...I also looked at some of the super-cheap flat screen LCDs that are on sale for the holidays, since I'm thinking of getting a new set for the bedroom.  Haven't seen anything I'm ready to jump for yet, but looking at a few models gave me an idea:  I ought to think about getting a set that allows for a computer-in, as well as HD and other TV ports.  With relatively cheap computers available (including those with Media Center options), it might be worthwhile to consider getting a small CPU to stow in the bedroom.  It could replace my Tivo, act as a PVR, run Slingplayer, and extend access to my network, the Internet, and all my media files.   My Tivo already does a lot of that, but this definitely would extend my capability.

 

• TV viewing...Speaking of Tivo, how did I live before I got one?  One of my big projects over the last few days has been forced rest -- no computer, no phone, no errands, no thinking, just vegging out on the couch.  As a result, I've caught up on about 10 weeks of fall shows that I had Tivo'd.  It was less than inspiring, but highly conducive to not thinking.  Best tech on TV:  NCIS and Criminal Minds.  I wish my computers ran that fast...

 

• Slingbox online...Those placeshifting fiends at Sling have launched a new service that looks to me like a big winner: Sling.com, where anyone can watch shows (similar to Hulu) and where Sling users can view their home TVs through a web interface. This second feature is especially interesting -- essentially it puts placeshifting "in the cloud" without any software needed.  Previously, Sling users had to use Slingplayer software to watch their programming remotely.

 

• New PDA phone...Last Wednesday, I bought Verizon's new HTC Touch Pro Windows Mobile phone. After five days of use and tweaking, I've got to say I'm unimpressed and frustrated.  Verizon has crippled the phone -- locked GPS to their fee-based service, removed Internet Connection Sharing, reduced RAM to half the levels of the AT&T and Sprint versions, etc. Very disappointing, because this has the potential to be a GREAT PDA phone, with a form factor smaller than the iPhone.  My hope is that the mad modders at PPCGeeks and XDA-Developers will have this puppy unlocked and re-ROM'ed in the next couple of weeks. If not, I have a decision to make before the 30-day return kicks in:  Do I return the phone and return to using my three-year-old PDA phone until a (hopefully) better choice comes out or live with it.  Watch for more details on modding a "phone for all seasons" over the next few days.

 

• Cranking up the GTD machine again...After a mid-week holiday, I always feel a little confused about "what day it is," so I spent some time this afternoon doing a GTD review to get myself back in fighting trim for the week ahead. (Is it a "review" or a "preview?" Hard to tell sometimes...)  Nothing focuses me better, calms me down more, or reinvigorates my thinking more effectively than doing this.  Tomorrow morning when I sit down at my desk, I'll be able to get right into action: I've already figured out my next actions, loaded them onto my lists, and set myself up for getting stuff done.

 

• And, a thought on goals...CNN founder, entrepreneurial genius, and all-around convention-buster Ted Turner was a guest on this morning's Meet the Press, where he offered some typically unconventional wisdom drawn from his new book.  He attributed his father's suicide to reaching his goals in life too easily:  "He set his goals too low, and he suggested to me that I don't do that.  Set goals high enough so they can't be achieved in your lifetime, then you'll always be motivated to keep working and keep engaged."    I love it -- totally sets all the talk of keeping goals "doable" on its ear.

 

I'm refreshed and ready for the new week.

Another new tool in the digital lifestyle arsenal

As much as I enjoy having a 24/7 system in the kitchen, one thing that has continued to bug me is having my flatscreen sitting on the kitchen table. It's a small table, so even the small monitor took up a lot of room. Plus, it made the kitchen look too "office-y" -- I wasn't going for a second desk, just a way to access electronic data and info instantly.

I found a clamp-on swing-arm for the monitor, but, alas, the 2001-era 15-inch HP flatscreen I was using wasn't VESA compliant, so I wasn't able to attach it to the swing-arm.

Time to give up? Not a chance! Last week, I got a 19-inch Samsung Syncmaster 920NW. Fits great on the swing-arm and the wide screen makes viewing multiple windows (and the Windows Vista Sidebar) much more pleasant. Getting it up off the table also lets me re-claim all the table space, too.

Tonight when I was cleaning up, I snapped a couple of pictures. Here's what it looks like when I have the monitor turned so I can sit at the table and view it:

Here's what it looks like when I push it back to the wall so it's out of the way. (BTW, the cable you see in both pictures is actually a power cable, not anything to do with the monitor. For some reason, the kitchen outlets in this building are all halfway up the wall, rather than in the normal position closer to the floor. All the monitor and system cables are hidden.)

All in all, I'm pretty happy with it. I think I've been able to avoid an "office" look pretty well. What do you all think?

Going digital: Barriers to Entry

I'm always amused to see how people react to the idea of using digital technologies or "going paperless." They all say that it sounds great, shake their head in wonder at the idea of going "off road" from the paper trail, and then say, "But…"

The "buts" are remarkably consistent:

• "I'm not technical, so I don't want a complicated system…"
• "I don't have time to create one…"
• "I need to be able to access info/take a note/enter data quickly…"
• "I don't like reading off a screen…"

The first three are easy to address with a little quick info. Most already have the tools they need to shift most work and processes to digital, so they aren't facing complicated, time-consuming, or tedious processes. In fact, going "digital" usually amounts to expanding and streamlining the processes we're all using already. I find that people are surprised -- and a little skeptical -- when I explain this to them.

The fourth one, "I don't like reading off a screen," is a tougher nut, because it's ostensibly a matter of personal preference -- it's not like you can respond, "Yes, you do!" But, the more I hear it, the more tempted I am to respond just that way.

Take last week, for instance.

One day last week during a long meeting, a colleague sitting next to me leaned over and asked if I had a copy of a document we were discussing. I looked up from my Tablet PC where I was taking notes, clicked on a tab in OneNote where I'd pre-loaded all the documents we'd be using in the meeting, immediately found the info she wanted, and handed her the computer to read it.

Rather than reading it, though, she handed the computer back and said, "Never mind. I don't like reading off a screen."

Now, here's the funny part: She then pulled out her BlackBerry and spent the next four hours reading through emails and who-knows-what-else as the meeting continued.

Later, I asked her if she liked reading stuff on her BlackBerry. She said she did, because it's so convenient and quick. Then, I asked her if it bothered her to read off the BlackBerry's screen. "No," she said, "this isn't really a screen."

Amazing, huh? I think it's telling, too. Looking at something that she knows will give her the information she wants the way she expects it -- on paper or a BlackBerry -- works well. But, looking at a screen that seems more technically complicated or unexpected is undesirable, even if it is aesthetically "equal" to the other options.

I wonder where the tipping point is that makes the fact and experience of reading off a screen invisible.