This idea has been promoted many times by James Kendrick (as has the importance of searchable text in ink blogs). Not sure if he's mentioned this particular product, but here it is straight from the latest Wired Magazine.
[Scan --Samsung a940 | Scanner | Use the camera to photograph that super-hot honey's business card. Through the magic of optical character recognition, the letters are transformed into text data that's then transferred to the phone's contact list. It's the ultimate address book for the terminally lazy.]
What baffles me is that I've seen ads for this phone and never saw anything about this. Seriously, this is such a pimp feature; they really should play it up.
BTW, I scanned this using my new HP 4670 vertical Scanjet. I took it off its stand, placed it flat on the magazine, and saw what I was scanning. Definitely worth the super discounted price I paid.
I've been using iTunes 6 with no problem for a while. Haven't downloaded any videos since my test run but I bought quite a few songs. But now the Music Store refuses to connect. Tried reinstalling it. Tried shutting down the firewall. Tried connecting from home, on the road, and at a hotspot. Nothing worked. Then I downloaded the latest version and that made things worse, knocking out podcast and radio connectivity. So I reverted back, but still no access to the Music Store. However, my wife's computer, running nearly all the same software, same version of iTunes, and the same Internet connection, can access the music store just fine. [Solved]Between this and the incompatibility of my CD burner with the new iTunes, I am at the point where I can only get content through Tanya's computer. I may have to set her PC up as a media server. Either that or hope I get a media center for Christmas.[\Solved]
Well, since I'm thinking about it, I might as well mention some of the gear on my wish list. Ideally, I'd like to get a smart-phone, but more realistically I'd like a multi function PDA for mobile music, quick notes, appointments, and voice recording. I have all that on my Tablet, but I can't exactly strap it to my arm. A more ideal solution though might be a Bluetouth headset and BT adapters for my Tablet and wireless Internet card. Then I could walk around and have access to my music and the phone capability of my Internet card. But if I'm not plugged in, all that wireless transmission will burn through even my Electrovaya battery fairly quickly. Thus, I've been thinking about an external battery from batterygeek.net. Yeah, it seems slightly traitorous to not opt for an Electrovaya PowerPak, but the "geek" batteries are cheaper and more flexible, useful when I eventually get a new Tablet. Plus, it can function as an AC adapter, which is very useful for mobile tech users, as described on a Mobile Tech Roundup podcast, Other than that, I don't have any specific gadget wishes. Certainly I would love an iPod, PSP, multifunction phone or any one of a hundred other mobile devices, but as far as specifically desired gear goes, there's my list.
Perhaps, but I would consider that to be as negative as having too much sex with my wife or having too much food on Thanksgiving. In other words: Pretty damn great! So what are all these tech upgrades? Well, it started with that digital camera I found, which is still coming up empty with the lost & found notices I posted. Will give it at least through Christmas before I start shopping for adapters.
The big upgrade came on Thanksgiving when Tanya's uncle Mickey gave us his "old" IBM desktop. I have been computing entirely on my Tablet for the last year, which I greatly enjoyed, but I've contemplated the value of adding a desktop for media, document storage, and heavy lifting. Now the pondering is over and the implementation stage will begin. The machine is a few years old but still fast enough for multimedia and server functions.
Finally, I hit one of the doorbuster sales yesterday. Not Best Buy or CompUSA or any place "cool" like that. Instead, I shot over to Staples for the "Doorbuster for Dorks" sale, only twenty other dorks in front of me at 15 to opening. Much better than the hundred in line at Best Buy. Anyway, my shopping spree there was purely personal (did actual holiday shopping afterwards). Picked up a dual layer DVD burner for $20 after $20 rebate and the HP 4670 Vertical Scanner for under $40. Been eyeing this scanner for months, looking at refurbs on eBay for under $50. No way I could pass up this deal for a new one. And the burner is just something I need for storage, copying home movies, and ripping DVDs to my Tablet. Conveniently, these things will work perfectly with my new desktop set-up. So now I have a solid home system to support my mobile one.
Interestingly, with the potential exception of the camera, all the gear has been stationary. Perhaps it's a balance against my focus on mobility this past year. Or perhaps it's the universe's way of testing my patience given that I have been away from home this weekend and won't be able to spend much time with my new gear for a while. Oh well, perhaps I'll get back on the mobile track on or after Christmas.
Probably should have snuck in a quick note yesterday but I wasn't really feeling the urge. Got sidetracked with a new idea and cooking. Went to Tanya's Uncle's house for TG with his wife and daughter and Tanya's mother. Today we are headed to Tanya's grandfather's place, where we will be spending a couple of nights. Managed to get in a good nap before writing this: one benefit of my mother-in-law's insistence of driving
As part of my ongoing effort to streamline my blog process, I am testing go@blogger.com. I had tried emailing to my blog before, but it would not post images. go@blogger.com, however, does. The only issue I see is image quality. Here's hoping a smaller original will result in a sharper conversion.
Don't know if there is a shield in this area or what, but I'm in some sort of dead spot with my T-Mobile wireless Internet connection. I've got four bars on my console but the connect won't go. It worked less than a mile away at Wegman's on Friday, but indoors, outdoors, it won't work here. And of course there's no hotspot nearby. Oh well. At least it gives me time to write a few blog entries.
Well, technically Tanya found it. Wandered across it while walking back to the car after lunch following the Anime USA convention. Posted notices on the Anime USA forum (http://www.animeusa.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=789) and on Craigslist (http://washingtondc.craigslist.org/laf/112661444.html). First time I've ever visited the list. Funny how I've heard enough about it to know to post there without having seen it before. Anyway, it's a pretty nice camera. Photos are on the card but no id. Be interesting to see if the list works. [+/-] Hide/Show Text [+/-] Hide/Show Text
Well, couldn't find the new Fandom but clearly they weren't the same guys or they would have stuck out like a sore thumb. Lots of cosplay and plenty of great costumes, Retailer area was a disappointment - too much of the same, not nearly enough Transformers stuff. Tanya got tired of it pretty quickly; you need to be a hardcore fun to get the most out of it. Fun but I think I had my fill.
Tanya and I will be attending the Anime USA convention today in Tyson's Corner. I went to another anime convention a couple years ago, chaperoning a friend's son. Told Tanya she'd find it interesting, so when she saw the Anime USA flyer at the Digital Edge expo, she told me to sign us up. I'm not a big anime fan but I do enjoy it well enough and my RPG of choice, Exalted, is anime-based. Should be fun,
In the debate over Not-so Intelligent Design, ID conspirators insist that life is too complex to have occurred by chance. In the past I have questioned our complexity, wondering if life is truly complex or if our minds are too simple to understand that it is not complex. However, what if we really are complex, does that mean we must be the product of an intelligent design? Does complexity denote intelligence? To some extent, yes. But to our perceived extent, no and here's why. From LiveScience.com [screen capture] I blogged about this study a few weeks ago. Basically, it states that clear, concise, easily read writing is perceived as being more intelligent. On the flipside, excessive complexity is perceived as being less intelligent. Let's take that and mash it into Intelligent Design. A genetic code packed with filler and disease, vestigial body parts, not very simple, not-so intelligent.
Scoped out the vendor list for the anime convention I'm attending tomorrow (more on that later). Found this little tidbit. [screen capture] I used to work for Fandom until the company melted down. So are these guys following in the (failed) footsteps of the old company or are they just using the same name? I will investigate.
Just flashed a few messages across the crowded theatre to Tanya. Confirmed that I will be headed to the upper level to save seats. Can't do that on a PDA.
So I was all set to burn a "happy" hour before joining my wife at HP4 (that's what the kids call the fourth Harry Potter story). However, happy hour plans seem to have fallen through or perhaps I missed it. Regardless, I now find myself standing in line to see the movie, which is fortunate since it means I will be able to save us some good seats, what with me being here thirty minutes before the previous showing lets out. Fortunately I was smart enough to bring my Tablet so I'm not bored for an hour.
It occurred to me that I make rather a deal of being a Tablet PC enthusiast, what with the ink blogging and all. However, it strikes me that I haven't really made a big deal of the mobile aspect of my blog. Perhaps if I had a cameraphone or minicam or a camera integrated into my Tablet like Warner had imagined, I could play that up a bit more. Ideally I'd prefer a USB camera that mounted right where it plugged in. I do have a USB camera I could carry but the cord is too long. It would be much nicer to have a camera that plugged in like a flash drive. Anyway, you'll just have to take my word that most of my blog posts are composed away from home, although many are posted when I get home. Maybe if I get a camera I'll do the full moblog thing. For now you'll just have to trust that I'm mobile with my TPC.
Worked 64 hours from Monday to yesterday. If you can't do the math that's 8 hours a day for eight days if evenly distributed. Finally, I have a day of leisure and relaxation, part of which is being spent at the DMV because I still haven't changed my address since my move. Looks like I'll be spending a solid hour here. Plenty of time to catch up on my blog.
Heard Wegman's had the best cake around. Decided to put that to the test when I saw their poundcake. Have to admit, I did enjoy it better than I did the cake from Whole Foods. Moister, softer, and balanced sweetness. Certainly no confusing it with cornbread. Will definitely keep Wegman's in mind for my future poundcake needs. But then again, it's possible a head-to-head contest will be required.
That's the ability to run multiple operating systems at once. News comes to us via NewsFactor. Along with this little gem. Story's been up for 12 hours and this typo is still here and on Yahoo!
Just ran across an article on Slate.com from Paul Boulton re: a method he calls "newsmashing". Basically it's just adding a rebuttal directly on to a web page, which ensures there is no quoting out-of-context or other half citations. While it is not currently possible to add these notes directly on to the source site, with a Tablet PC it would be quite easy to take a screenshot of the source and annotate that. For example... [newsmash] This example was done entirely in ink using a combination of the Snipping Tool to grab the screenshot, Windows Journal to annotate, and the GIMP for the screenshot of the final product (Snipping tool doesn't compress the image well). Once I establish a process, I can add text and arrow boxes like Paul has in his example, but this was just a rough and dirty sample. What I like most about it is that I can easily adapt my blogging procedure to do this. Will definitely give it a try.
Finally read the page where my "scrapbook case study" is posted on the Allegiance Technology Partners web site. Asked John if he could add a link to this blog; there's a link to my vacation blog but I rarely update that (I don't take that many vacations). I notice none of the other contest winners don't have case studies posted. Is that because my idea stands above everyone else's (even though I did not place first)? Or perhaps no one else gave John permission to post theirs? Probably the latter.
Anyway, despite the wealth and fame being a digital scrapbooker has brought me, I'm still not pleased with the label. Perhaps it's because the scrapbooking store in Countryside reminds me of a gingerbread house. Or perhaps it's because scrapbooking is generally seen as "unmanly" and I have a hard enough time explaining how gift-wrapping is a skill that makes use of my spatial talents. Regardless, henceforth I shall, in a blatant swipe from current trendy slang, be known as a photomasher. Spread the word.
Electrovaya is clearing out their stockpile of first generation tablets, which unfortunately did not take off the way Bill Gates had hoped. SC300's are sold out. 500's are $1199 and 800's are still high at $1999 each (must not have too many of them). Prices are lower than they had been, but with the price cuts on the Gateway Convertible dropping it to around $1000 for the Celeron model, I can't imagine this sale making much impact.
It's pretty embarrassing how many key terms I can't find on my blog. The entire blog is composed on an Electrovaya Scribbler and I could not find that phrase using Google. Inexcusable. Btw, it is the SC 500 model, a first-gen, which means it is among the slowest and least sexy of the Tablet PCs. However, it still boasts the longest battery life (newer Scribblers have scaled back) and it is fanless. I am very pleased with it and will keep Electrovaya as a top option when I upgrade.
Forgot my primary next to the bed, back-up fell out of the slot when I picked up my tablet in the morning. Thus, I spent Wednesday without a stylus. Had to plug in my portable keyboard and go without pointer input. Fortunately, I haven't forgotten how to do that. Reminded me of Warner's comment that I might start shopping for a convertible after playing with his M200. Even though I use a slate, I do not consider myself a "slate Purist". I definitely see and appreciate the value of having a keyboard and touchpad, especially after yesterday. Also, I have an affinity for things that change shape (as my Transformers collection proves). That said, I like hybrids too (such as any wife's Toyota Prius). True, you can't lose the board and pad of a convertible, but I would only use them in an emergency, like yesterday, so integration's not a necessity. Form factor's just not that important to me since I prefer to use my own full-sized gear at home anyway and rely on pen on the road. P.S. Wednesday sucked.
Proving that evolution is not fact, the Kansas Board of Education in a 6-4 decision took a step down the evolutionary ladder by requiring that unscientific ideas be taught alongside scientific theory. Exactly what will be taught is up to the local school boards, but it's pretty sad that anything needs to be taught at all. After all, Einstein's Theory of Relativity is a theory, but no one's pushing to point out that matter and energy might not be the same. (via Life on the Wicked Stage)
Yet another term I need to add to my blog but also a valid question. The general answer is "no" because the ink is not entered directly into my blog interface. Instead, I write the entries in ink locally then export as image and text for uploading. But that raises the question: why does the ink need to be on the blog server? One of the joys of a blog is that you can work on it from any computer with Internet access, But it's not like you can ink from a computer without pen input and I'm more likely to be without Internet access than be without my computer. And if I'm without my computer, it's unlikely I'll be able to blog in ink. On the other hand, if I had a plug-in for Windows Journal that automatically sent entries to my blog in both image and text then I'd be in ink blogging heaven. But would that be considered "true" ink blogging? I don't see why not. And if that's the case, then, yes, I am truly blogging in ink. Not my fault I don't have an application or plug-in that automates the process.
Just did a Google search for this phrase and did not find anything, so I'm fixing that right now. Search for the terms "handwritten blog" and "searchable text" and you'll pull up one of my blog entries. But put them together in quotes? Zilch. Here's another one: ink blog with searchable text. Gotta work on distinguishing my blog now that Tablet PC Blogs is getting closer to ink posts. (via Life on the Wicked Stage)
Been focusing on listening material lately, particularly podcasts, but I was surprised to discover mash-ups were openly available for downloading. For those not in the know, a mash-up as it pertains to music is a mix of two or more songs into one. The best mix songs of different genres into a new and enjoyable fusion. I have been a fan of mixed and fused genres, particularly rap-metal, since high school. Thus, mash-ups really appeal to me. Strangely, even though I've known about them for a while, I never bothered looking for them because I assumed copyright laws applied to them as strongly as to any other form of unauthorized music distribution. Mash-ups, however, fall into that nebulous realm of sampling, which has been performed without permission since the first DJ spun two turntables at the same time. Thus, they can be found all over the Internet from straight downloads to podcasts. Obviously, it is still wrong to download music without giving the creators their due. On the other hand, I believe we are headed to the point when we cannot limit the use and distribution of information as we have in days past. Furthermore, this movement will have far less impact on creators than it will on the distributors who pay artists a fraction of their revenue anyway. Artists who embrace the new age of digital information exchange and ditch the old methods of distribution (i.e., fat corporate backers) may see less money but they will enjoy more artistic freedom and likely see a bigger percentage of the money they do bring in. Furthermore, such a system will protect us against the corruption of broadcast radio that results in air time for crappy songs (sorry J. Lo). But anyway, yeah, I'm really digging mash-ups and I'm glad they are freely available for listening.
This idea has been promoted many times by James Kendrick (as has the importance of searchable text in ink blogs). Not sure if he's mentioned this particular product, but here it is straight from the latest Wired Magazine.
