Tech Break - Smart Phone Update

With one mobile phone having been broken in two and my trusty Motorola Q for the past 2. 5years reaching the end (at least in appearance and features) and a store credit from my cell provider it was time to make the switch.

After much research it came down to two devices: Blackberry Storm or iPhone (well for me, ordered another phone for the broken flip-screen)

Note: While they both share touchscreens, these are vastly different devices and serve different markets. No really!

I went with the storm (after much hassle in getting one to actually arrive, will spare you the details). Spent a week and a half with the storm getting it setup and comfortable. Besides e-mail, the most important item for me is an almost real-time sync'ed calendar. The main company i work for does not have a Blackberry Server so the real-time sync was a game stopper. Yes there are work arounds (google calendar, paid services, etc...). None of these felt right to me and after a bad customer experience we elected to downgrade the phone(s) back to what I had prior to the change (at least one of the two phones worked).

Next day bright and early we had two spanking new iPhones and a new carrier (note: was concerned in their coverage compared to what i had across the country for work). So far so good, now on to the details.

Blackberry - Best as a business device and e-mail, if you have a Blackberry Server this is a great device! The latest software release (including the leaked OS's) are making this even better. Pro's: For multiple e-mail accounts they show on the home screen and each new message is indicated to show you which account has the message (or you can view all messages at once). Very nice camera with zoom and personal favorite was landscape mode for typing e-mails, sms, im's, etc.. is awesome. Battery life even more so!

iPhone - What can i say, its a consumer device and popular! There are tons of applications for it (and more everyday) from free to low cost. Cons: Typing for landscape mode in e-mails, sms, ims is not available (there are a few apps to help work around this) but compared to the convenient space of the Storm its a negative. I have been tuning some things down (ex. realtime mail sync and a few more) as the battery has not been lasting for more than a few hours, then again i cannot stay off this device from games, to social networks, web access, not to mention the GPS and recent applications for tying the GPS into Geocaching are making this much more than an iPod with a phone built-in.

What's missing: Bluetooth Stereo (for my headset) and video (added in iPhone v3.0 software)

So for those who have been asking which I liked, why and how its going: If I had a Blackberry Server this would have been different but I am glad to make the switch (and the wife has loved her new phone even more).

Thanks to those who have twittered some great apps to check out during the transition. A few to take note of if you have not yet used them: Twitteriffic, Yelp, Urban Spoon, Shazam, Showtimes, WhitePages, Trace, Pandora, BJCPStyles, Spore, TED, TapDefense, Goecaching, NYtimes, BannerFree, WhiteNoise and Stanza.

Revit Clean Tips Contest... chance to win $$

If you are a Revit user who "cleans" geometry and/or non-graphical data within Revit (Arch, Struc and/or MEP) on a regular basis, at certain key points within a project, deliverable or for analytical needs then this is for you. We are looking for your tips and offering $$ :) If your interested read on below:

With so many great users, project types and expanded uses for Revit in the industry, we are compiling a list of items for a future post (credit given to submitters) of the items that need to be fixed, checked or adjusted at various stages.

Please send your entry/list to us via e-mail with the subject line: Revit Clean. In exchange we have two $100 gift certificates for two (2) randomly selected winners from the entries received. All submittals must be done by 6:00 EST on January 24, 2008. Winners will be notified on January 25, 2008.

Thats it, if we left something out or you need any clarification let us know. :)

Fused - Digital & Home Life Coming Together

With the discussion of personal technology integration over the past few years we have seen ideas like internet enabled refrigerators, smart table top and surface computing, smart home systems and more. While some of these ideas seem a bit far fetched, others are much more of a helpful addition to our current lifestyles.

With Christmas now behind us and everyone I know, including myself, with new electronic goodies I have been giving this a bit more personal reflection. One of these gifts (and my personal favorite) was a Chumby (to be released to the general public in the next few months and more information here about their business strategy here).



More pictures here

Over the last few days of use I have realized how much the idea of integrated devices into our homes are going to fill the unrealized voids within our increasing digital lives pretty quickly.

With links to family and friends around the world via social networks and more digital connections to keep up with news and happenings are becoming more mainstream. Rather than keeping my notebook on while at home and having to open/close, move it upstairs/downstairs, login/out when needed and more "modern inconveniences", I can have a single household device that can move around, if needed, to let me passively retrieve information in the background that I will want to view on my own schedule without the hassles mentioned above. From streaming audio, pictures, social networks and access to most any type of digital information and/or updates I may want.

For anyone who might be interested in tinkering around with this type of device, whether you are a programmer/coder, artist or craftsmen its another platform for you to work within and make your own.... From the developer portion of the website it sums this up pretty well:

Hardware: Ahhh, remember back when the Apple II shipped with complete source code for its BIOS and schematics? We are happy to bring this tradition back to the public.

Software: The chumby client is a Linux-based, open-source platform. As our client evolves, so does our flavor of linux and the specific details associated with its drivers and helper applications.

Flash: Are you a Flash animator? We like to think of a chumby as a Flash showcase and encourage Flash artists to spread their talents through our network.

Crafts: The chumby is designed in a way such that the core electronics can be easily separated from its outerwear, enabling you to create that exact look you want.


So far this has been a great lifestyle unification tool, merging my digital life with my home life in a good balance. So which electronic toys did you get or have you had that you cannot live without, please reply via e-mail or in the comments section below.

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Bonus: If anyone has the Amazon Kindle or Sony Reader let me know (e-mail me) as I am especially interested in this as my next electronic addition and would love to hear your feedback on real usage. :)
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Clarification: the chumby was a gift from my family, not from the manufacturer.

happy fusing...

Micro-Blogging with Twitter

For shorter more frequent posts I am now using Twitter.

If you have a twitter account you can also follow-me here.

This will automatically show in the twitter sidebar of the blog as well as on Facebook.

Motorola Updates

A quick note for any folks with the following hardware:
Motorola Q
Motorola S9

Lets start with the Q noted above, I have had this device for the past year and have been disappointed with one single item: Battery life (especially compared to having to move from my blackberry). Well a few weeks ago I had a friend mention there was a BIOS update for the device that may help. Well after a few tweaks, restarts and activation the Q was updated.... Final report it is finally usable and if you are having the same problem update your BIOS with info from here.

Now on to the S9. I have been wanting to get a wireless bluetooth stereo headset for a few months now and with my battery problems solved above I finally ended up buying one (ok truth be told I ended up with 2 but thats another story). After using this for 2 work days and a weekend at home I have to say I am impressed.

S9 Positives: no wires, decent distance for talking, light and easy to use
S9 Negatives: laying in bed there is no good way to use them (just be warned)

Last item to note if you are looking to buy a S9 make sure you do not get a knock off (especially if purchasing from E-bay sellers).

happy to be mobile and wireless...