Back in the Game!
December 17, 2009
Now that the Post’er app is available for my new-ish Palm Pre, I expect to resume blogging once again!
If only I can add photos via Post’er …
Greater Access to San Francisco: Tweeting Complaints
June 2, 2009
San Francisco continues to keep up its uber-geek credo: it will now accept complaints from people via Twitter. Just follow @SF311. Can even post photos via TwitPic.
Damn. This is terrific for deaf folks living in or visiting San Francisco. Hope Frederick, Maryland will do the same soon. I do know that several city and county commissioners in and around Frederick, MD are tweeting via Twitter. But an official Twitter account like @SF311? Priceless.
Any other towns / cities / counties accepting complaints via Twitter?
(Thanks, TechCrunch)
Gmail Tasks Has A Direct Link
March 17, 2009
Stumbled upon a direct link that pulls up Gmail Tasks onto its own page. Worked on Google Chrome Beta 2.0, so I wonder if it works on other browsers as well.
Here’s the link:
http://mail.google.com/tasks/ig
If you’re using Google Apps for your domain, here’s another link:
http://mail.google.com/tasks/a/YOURDOMAIN.COM/ig
(Substitute “YOURDOMAIN.COM” with the correct Google Apps domain)
Barnes and Noble Acquires Ereader.com and Fictionwise
March 6, 2009
Barnes and Noble has acquired Fictionwise, which owns Ereader.com. The acquisition is part of Barnes and Noble’s strategy to open an e-Bookstore later this year.
This looks like an attempt to fend off Amazon.com’s Kindle-inspired expansion into the possibly lucrative e-book market. Amazon.com has been selling Kindle hand-held electronic readers to sync and read electronic books, and recently unveiled an iPhone version which should prove to be hugely popular.
I have been purchasing e-books from Ereader.com for several years now — heck, I *ONLY* read e-books nowadays. People may think I’m crazy for reading e-books on my comparatively tiny Palm Treo 755p screen, but believe me, once you get used to it, it’s hard to live without it! I read in the elevator, I read while walking to a restaurant near work, I read on the train, I read in bed, I read while standing in line … I read so much that if I had paper copies of all the books I’ve read over the past several years, I would have filled up a small library! Ereader.com carries a good number of new releases, plus books written by some of my favorite authors. Hard for me to run out of what to read from ereader.com.
However, I’d begun to be unhappy with ereader.com. Despite the addition of a new (but slow!) mobile site and a iPhone app, the site had been stagnating. I’m hoping that the Barnes and Noble acquisition will give it a much-needed boost, and that it will serve as a viable competitor to Amazon’s Kindle bookstore. Especially since ereader.com’s e-books can be read on a wider variety of smartphones than Amazon.com’s e-books.
Good move, Barnes and Noble. Now, start advertising — you need to overtake Amazon.com’s headstart!
Strange Maps: Canada extends as far south as California
March 4, 2009
A long time ago, I heard a joke:
What do you call someone who knows three languages?
Trilingual.
What do you call someone who knows two languages?
Bilingual.
What do you call someone who knows one language?
An American.
The punchline holds true when it comes to geography. Most Americans think of Canada as cold, remote, barren. California? Ah, southern, verdant, sunny, palm trees …
Most Americans would be amazed to learn that Canada actually extends further south than the northern border of California!
Pelee Island, Ontario is the largest island in Lake Erie. Although its location is close to chilly Detroit, the lake effect gives it a milder climate than nearby mainland cities. Its climate is similar to North / South Carolina, and wine is actually grown there. It lies south of Latitude 42° N, which serves as the northern border of California. (Incidentally, the 42nd also serves as most of the northern border of Pennsylvania.)
Middle Island, Ontario is actually further south in Lake Erie than Pelee Island and is officially the southernmost point of Canada. No permanent settlements are present, however, since it is a conservation area.
“Wait a minute,” you may be saying. “These are islands. So does that mean the Canadian mainland doesn’t extend as far south as California?” Hold your Canadian Mounties horses, willya?
Point Pelee, Ontario and the hamlet of Colchester, Ontario are both on the Canadian mainland. Both also lie south of Latitude 42° N.
Consider this part of the education of us Americans so that we will no longer be the punchline of (as many) jokes. I actually didn’t know this until Guy commented on this. Thanks, Guy.
Ciao!
Strange Maps: Beebe Plain, Vermont, no, Quebec, uh …
March 3, 2009
Can you imagine crossing the street into another country just to ask for sugar? That’s what neighbors along a street in Beebe Plain, VT / Quebec can do! The USA / Canada border literally runs along Canusa Avenue and splits a small village named Beebe Plain in two.
Residents along the south side of Canusa Avenue (get the pun in the name? HA!) live in the USA, while residents of the north side live in Canada. Doesn’t look like one needs to go through an International checkpoint just to cross the street, although I wonder if there’s one just south of the village.
According to the Wikipedia entry of the Quebec side, Canusa Avenue lies entirely in Canada, and the border runs through the front lawns of the houses along the south side. So, these houses are in the USA and most of their driveways are in Canada.
The border even runs through a tool-and-die factory and at least one house. Imagine cooking a meal in one country, walking down the hall, and serving it in another country! Let’s hope that family doesn’t need to go through an International checkpoint just to get something from upstairs.
(Thanks to commentator Anman for this gem!)
Ritz Camera Declares Bankruptcy
February 24, 2009
Ritz Camera has declared bankruptcy.
Why do I care? Ah, let me tell you.
I wanted a high-quality camera. After shopping around at various stores, both big-box and small, I bought a Nikon D40 camera with two lenses (18-55 and 55-200 VR) from Ritz Camera last summer. What won me over was Ritz Camera’s package pricing, customer service, and exceptional warranty.
I paid extra so that if the camera gets broken or dirty, Ritz would clean or replace it free of (additional) charge. Insurance, ya know, in case a bouncing ball hits my camera while I’m focusing on it. Happened to a friend of mine, who got a set of replacement lenses from Ritz. Free and without fuss.
And now Ritz Camera has declared bankruptcy. Argh.
Silver lining? Ritz Camera “plans” to continue operation, despite the bankruptcy filing. Nonetheless, time to be extra-careful of my camera.
(Thanks, I think, to DCist for the news.)
VPAD+ Accessories
February 23, 2009
Now you’ve got your uber-cool VPAD+ from Viable. Now you’ve got to put it someplace!
Clear View Innovations — otherwise known as CVI Gear — has three mounts and stands for the VPAD+ which may help you decide. All three are useful for freeing up space on your desk or counter, and for raising the VPAD+ to eye level.
The CVI Flexarm Mount is a doo-hickey that clamps to the edge of a kitchen counter or desk, and has a flexible arm that can be bent one way or another.
The CVI Pivot Mount is similar to the Flexarm Mount in that it clamps to the edge of your kitchen counter or desk. It has a longer and straight arm that has a 360 degrees pivot for eye-level communications.
The CVI Table Stand can be put onto a table without having to clamp it to an edge. And you can quickly move the VPAD+ and stand to another location.
All three products are made to order. So if you want to hang your VPAD+ from up high, say from the top edge of your armoire or bookshelf, the manufacturer can make a “reverse” mount to make this easier for you. All three products are $99.99.
New Laptop, and Dang
February 20, 2009
My HP’s graphics card recently blew up, and so I had to buy a new laptop. Because I mainly use it for digital scrapbooking and browsing the Internet, I decided not to buy a top-of-the-line laptop this time. So, I bought myself a Gateway MD2614u with lots of bells and whistles for a cheap cheap price of $549 from Best Buy. Awesome bargain.
And then I came across Laptop Logic, a website that evaluates and lists top laptops and news. Dang, wish I saw this before I bought my new laptop! Good thing it gave my new laptop’s series a good review. Still, after seeing this list, I would’ve considered Lenovo and a couple other brands that I had previously ignored.
And Laptop Logic has several interesting articles, like this one on the World’s Largest WebPage — which has a staggering 8.1 nonillion pixels. I didn’t even know nonillion is a word (but interestingly enough, nonillion is still smaller than a googol).
I’m definitely checking Laptop Logic next time I (or a friend) plans on buying a laptop.
300 More Starbucks Stores Closing
January 28, 2009
CompUSA stores all closed? Good riddance. Circuit City stores all closing? Doesn’t bother me – much. (If Best Buy all closed, now that would make me sweat.) Home Depot’s EXPO stores closing down? Ok, that disturbs me a bit, but I’m okay as long as HGTV is still broadcasting.
But Starbucks closing 300 more stores, on top of the 600 stores it already has closed? Something is terribly, terribly wrong. *Gulp*
These stores will be closed by the end of the 2009 fiscal year. No word where Starbucks plan to close stores. Starbucks also plans on cutting back the number of stores it opens across the USA and internationally.
Stay tuned for a complete list of all 300 stores.
Now I gotta go and stock my bomb shelter with even more frap bottles. The end of the world is coming … (Not!)
(Thanks, Starbucks Gossip. May you blog on!)
