Gadget Girl

Dear Santa - My Ideal Tablet

2011-11-21T06:15:00.000-08:00

I have been resisting buying an iPad for close to 2 years, and my resolve in beginning to weaken. I am an ideal candidate for tablet - I was using tablets 8 years ago. But none have quite hit my wishlist. For the ideal tablet I would happily plunk down some iPad level bucks.

I just can't stand doing it for a tablet I know doesn't hit the mark.

So if Santa and elves can make it happen, here is what I want in a tablet.

3G - or a case with a pouch for my Mifi
7-8 in screen size - I want it to fit in one hand. The Kindle Fire and Galaxy Tab both nail this one
Streaming video - that works. Not like the Fire. More like the iPad.
Great App Store - like the iPad. I am under-whelmed by the crippled app stores on the Android tablets.
Front and rear camera
Bluetooth - for keyboard and drive mapping
SD slot - for viewing pictures, and transferring information
Long Battery (over 12 hrs)
Lightweight (less than a pound)

And Santa - make it around $300. In case it isn't in my stocking.

We didn't start the Fire

2011-11-21T05:59:00.000-08:00

Apologies for the lame Billy Joel reference, but I couldn't resist the pun.

I really, really want to like the Fire. But even for only $200, I still am not sure it is a must have table

Things I love about the Fire:

Streaming video from Amazon Prime
Android Apps - chord bot and Quick office were my first.
Web browsing - Total Web access
The size - I LOVE a smaller tablet. The iPad is too big to hold in one hand

Things I hate about the Fire:

No 3G - Wifi only is so lame. No card slot to add it is even lamer. Using my Mifi defeats the small form factor, because now I need a case to hold both.
Streaming video - works about a third of the time, and is choppy
Navigation - If my documents aren't going to be in "Docs" (the logical place), then I need access to the file system. Maybe I can find a nice app for this - and Quick office is NOT it.
No camera - front OR back. I want both
No SD slot - even my Kindle had this
No Bluetooth - so no external keyboard or wireless document/music transfer

The longer I have it, the more I like it. I find it handy for quick access to the web instead of hauling a laptop, and struggling with a tiny screen on a phone. Most people I know with iPads end up using it mainly as a handy $600 web browser. Two hundred bucks is still pricey for a handy web browser, but better than six hundred.

So what I am finding is I definitely want a tablet. Most of the tablets are too high-priced for my budget. I may keep the Fire until something better comes along.

Kindle Touch is better than expected

2011-11-21T05:36:00.000-08:00

My Kindle Fire and Touch and both arrived. Between the two of them, there is one excellent device. But not all in one package.

Things I love about the Touch:

3G connection - Wifi only is for the birds, and I don't mean Angry Birds. I want 3G in the Fire
Battery life - a week or more is awesome
Weight - less than a paperback book, barely as much as a magazine. Totally portable as something to throw in your bag as an after thought. (like extra reading material that doesn't take up space
Black and white screen - still the greatest for serious reading
Audible Books!

Things I hate about the Touch

Finding the menu button(s) - totally non-intuitive to push this grid looking thing on the bottom bezel (Even describing it is confusing!)
Navigation - I want to look for my books so many more ways than they provide. I need more search options, and list options. Also ways to look at summaries of the books. For example, a list of authors that will expand to show their books so I can skim the list.
Resetting furthest page read - I re-read my favorite books. I have had a Kindle for 3 years. I want a re-start or re-read option that will keep my "new" place in the book.

So, because of what I love, I am seriously considering keeping my Kindle Touch as well as the Fire. In fact, it may the Fire that goes back. (See Fire review)

Start the kindle fire

2011-09-28T13:37:00.000-07:00

While browsing the Amazon site this morning I noticed a little blurb at the top of the page about the new Kindle family. Family? I clicked the button to be one of the first to see the new color Kindle Fire media tablet.

I ordered mine at 11 AM. I couldn't order the purple case I wanted until later because the link for purple gave me brown instead. Turns out I was 2 hours before the official announcement and had caught the webmasters as they were updating the content.

Ordered a Kindle Touch, also, with 3G.

Almost went for the brand new $79 Kindle simplified, but when I saw it did not support Audible books, it was a deal-breaker. Even after ordering 2 versions of the device I still spent less than iPad 1 16 G Wifi tablet. (available used on Ebay and Cowboom)

The only bad part is I have to wait til November to see it.

Scoblelizer don't Know My Momma

2011-07-02T19:01:00.000-07:00

Just read a post about Robert Scoble on Google+ that disrepects my Momma. As you may have noticed in my profile, my love of all things tech and gadget is genetic - from the distaff side. So, Robert, maybe your Momma can only spell Facebook, but mine can handle Google+.

Bet your dad belongs on Facebook, too.

My next tablet

2011-06-30T19:17:00.000-07:00

I've been borrowing an iPad to use from time to time, and I love. I really do. But I don't know if I need it. It's great for quick browsing, or portable Internet, but I can use my iPhone for that. And the iPhone fits in my pocket.

On the other hand, I just bought a Windows 7 tablet called the Acer Iconia W500. It isn't my first tablet purchase - as you can see from the blog tablets come in and tablets go out. But this one . . . I find myself reaching for it instead of my laptop and liking it.

It's not as light as the iPad, or Android tablets, but it has a touchscreen interface. And the touchscreen does not suck. Instead of trying to find Android or iOS versions of applications to do my normal tasks, I just use the Windows version that I already own.

If I wanted a cool tablet for play, viewing movies, etc., I would still get an iPad. But having a touchscreen with the power of my netbook, and an attachable keyboard with USB ports and an Ethernet port . . . I am loving this. Using the onboard Bluetooth I can hook this to my MiFi and I have Internet anywhere.

Did I mention it was cheaper than an iPad, even before you add in the keyboard? This might be the tablet that finally stays for the duration.

Korg Mini-Controller

2010-12-13T06:21:00.000-08:00

If you like to use your computer to make music, this seems like a cool idea. And this Korg controller is available many places. A midi controller is essentially a keyboard (as in piano keyboard, not a computer keyboard) that allows you to input to your computer. Many music-writing software programs allow a midi controller to input sounds. I've wanted one for years, and the price has finally gotten low enough.

But it took me all of twenty minutes to know this would not do the the job. The key action is too clumsy to feel like a piano. The time lag between key press and the note playing on the computer was 3-5 seconds. This was a total deal-breaker for me.

Gadget Girl says: It goes. Try the Aiwas LPK instead
Technology Showcase

Print your blog into a Book

2010-12-12T05:43:00.000-08:00

These days more and more information is moving onto the web. But what happens when you want to save that information in a more permanent form? I saw the movies "Julie and Julia" and the first thing I thought about was how she reformatted that blog into the bigger version of book.

I have experimented with exporting a blog, then writing programs to reformat it. It was possible, but not very entertaining. I kept wanting more features, like text-only, or only certain posts on a topic on certain dates. Essentially I wanted to be able to query my blog for content and then print it.

Writing a book little by little, like a blog is such a great technique for breaking the task into small pieces. For travel blogs, with experiences for each day, the blog is great for creating, but so slow when you want quickly review the whole experience. So I was excited to see Blog2Print

I could see this as a great way to turn an online baby album into something that could be saved in a more permanent form.

Earbuds with bling

2010-12-11T05:13:00.000-08:00

Crystal Earbuds - Headphones that sparkle, like Gadget Girl! Seriously, these are cute for girls of all ages who like a little bling. PBteen has a set for $20, and Neiman-Marcus ups the ante with retractable cord for $40. I got my pink pair from Amazon for $20.

I love the sparkle, and the retractable cord keeps me from spending the best year of my life untangling earbuds so that I can listen to music. I'm waiting for phone and portable audio designers to finally come up with a good place to stash the earphones. Until then the wind-up cord gets me part of the way.

Crystal Speakers for portable audio

2010-12-06T08:50:00.000-08:00

Once you are rocking the crystal earbuds, the next obvious addition is speakers to match. Though not the slimmest alternative, these pink sparkly speakers will make a statement.

At $20, they make a nice stocking stuffer for the girly girl on your list. I may have to get multiples to keep them from fighting over them.

Top Electronic Accessories

2010-12-04T05:33:00.000-08:00

Some years I don't add any major technology, but just upgrade or accessorize what I already have. Here are the things I would like Santa to bring in this category. I think this list will keep growing, but here is a start.

Crystal Earbuds
Crystal Speakers
Video and Audio output cord for iPhone and iTouch
Portable Projector - Brightbox
Network Attached Storage 1 Terabyte

These little electronic add-ons help me back up my computer files, rock my tunes, and share video with a group. I'm planning to hook my iPhone to the TV and share movies when we travel instead of paying hotel prices for movie rental.

Barnes and Noble Color Nook

2010-12-01T14:03:00.000-08:00

Last year I was eager to get my hands on the first generation Nook e-reader. It was such a hit that it was sold out til mid-January for those, unlike me, who did not order fast.

This year's edition is significantly improved with it's color screen. In fact B&N and various other retailers are selling the two versions of the Nook, but the color version is only at B&N.

So what do I think? The interface design is much improved. The controls are easier to find, and there is a handy button that takes you immediately to the book you are currently reading. The screen is no longer e-ink, but back-lit. The display is crisp and pleasing to the eye, and the pages turn faster. (I am a fast reader, so I notice)

There is also a full color web browser, that is manipulated from the touch screen. I love the web browser, but the touchscreen not so much. Any screen that only does what I want one out of three times is not for me. The back-lit screen can be read in the dark, but consumes battery faster. The battery lasts 8 hours instead of 5 days.

The connection to the Internet is only on wi-fi, so you can't buy a book from just anywhere. That means when I am sitting on the plane, or somewhere the Internet is ridiculously expensive, I can't buy a book. Or I had to plan ahead to load my books ahead of time. For me accessibility anywhere is a must-have for an ebook reader.

So the bottom line is - great e-book reader plus slow touchscreen minus 3G access and long battery life adds up to a gadget I don't need. If I didn't already have a Kindle, and a significant library there, I would be thinking harder of about keeping it. So if this is your first ebook reader, I would consider this.

But I will be waiting for the next version.

Gadget Girl Says: It goes. Reluctantly.

Technology Showcase

Insignia Internet Viewer - a must for your list

2010-11-27T10:04:00.000-08:00

The name of this device doesn't even begin to communicate what it does. If I hadn't been following the rise of "Internet appliances" through the more technical literature I would have missed it. Fortunately for me, Best Buy put it on sale for Black Friday, and most people did not know what it was. So when I came later in the day, this little gem was still available.

I think of it as a the all purpose kitchen counter Internet connection. It's something families have wanted since they realized how much information was out there, and how hard it was to get to it quickly. It has "apps" that allow you to quickly answer those questions you ask every morning. You can see headlines, your calendar for the day and week, and play the radio. My must-haves:

Weather in the morning - I'll never forgive our local provider for cutting out "Local on the 8s" from their programming, but this compensates.

Pandora Internet radio - radio stations that play only music I like with no commercials

Headlines - Sports, news, finance, fashion news items that I can scroll through, or drill down into

Calendar - even my Google calendar so I can see what is ahead for the day

Photos - Gadgets that show Facebook photos, Flickr and Picasa albums, and pictures from the thousands stored on my home network.

There are 1500 apps available for this including recipes, YouTube,and many others. This "chumby" platform is open to new apps being developed, and these keep appearing. Most of all - the apps are free. Not 99 cents or a few dollars, but free.

This device is not perfect. Like most computers, easy things are easy to do, and more complicated things are harder. It took me a few hours to figure out how to make the viewer see my photos on my home network. Looking at photos on Flickr, Picasa or Facebook was a snap. Streaming my iTunes library through the device is taking a little more configuration.

If you don't have much patience with configuring devices to talk to wireless, or connect to the Internet accounts for social network, email, calendar, etc., you might want to get some help from someone who is Internet-savvy like Momisageek. An experienced expert can zoom through those tasks that might take you hours to research and complete.

Did I mention the touchscreen? The fast response? The great-sounding audio audio? The crisp clean display? The alarm clock? The $99-169 price?

For me, this is the biggest hit of the Christmas gadgets for 2010. I've already bought two, and am shopping for more. You can find these at Best Buy branded as the Insignia Internet Viewer and as the Sony Dash Internet viewer

No matter what room of the house you put it in, it will be a hit.

Gadget Girl says: It stays. And it is my top pick to gift this Christmas.

Nextbook Android Tablet

2010-11-25T21:36:00.000-08:00

My quest for an affordable tablet has begun. Today's review is for the Nextbook Next2.

The Nextbook Next2 is available from HSN at a very reasonable $199. Though advertised as a tablet, it really is basically a Borders-branded ebook reader. Some Android apps are available through the market, but not all Android apps.

Especially not the Kindle app.

That alone was a deal-breaker for me. Beside this very big drawback of reduced access to the Android apps, the device itself has some problems. For me, the touchscreen isn't responsive enough. Anytime I am scrolling through a list, it seems the scrolling doesn't move at all - or not without multiple attempts. The buttons are slow, but fairly consistent.

The screen is criap and easy to read, and the device is light and convenient. If you want an Borders only ebook reader and a browser, and a few app like email, calculator, YouTube, etc., it does the job. It just doesn't provide enough functionality for me to either replace one of my current devices, or bother to carry it.

It frustrates me to have a deliberately crippled device. I wouldn't accept a Windows device that only allowed me to install and load a subset of Windows programs. As time goes on this may change, or not. Without control over the apps, the likelihood of going out-of-date increases.

Gadget Girsl says: It goes as fast as I can pack it up.

Technology Showcase

Technology Showcase for 2010

2010-11-20T09:05:00.000-08:00

Want to know about the latest gadgets before you go Chirstmas shopping. Gadget Girl is out there trying the latest and greatest and letting you know what is worth it.
Here is what is on our Christmas evaluation list.

E-book readers and Android
1. Nextbook Next Tablet
2. Pandigital Color Ebook reader
3. Barnes and Noble Color Nook
Photos
5. Eye-Fi geo-taging SD card for photos
6. Kodak Pulse digital photo frame with email address
7. Internet viewers (chumby-based)

Music
7. Korg mini Midi controller Keyboard
8. Aiwa LPK75 Midi controller
9. Aptek Midi controller keyboard

Keep watching our posts for what Gadget Girl thought was worth keeping.

Blogher Bound

2010-08-02T10:45:00.000-07:00

My packs are bagged - no, that's not right. Well momisageek and I are bound for the big city in a car supplied by Chevrolet. Our car is the first one from the left in the picture above.
It's a Traverse crossover vehicle with Onstar and Bluetooth and loads of trunk space.
I can be a very bad packer.

iFail 4 - the iphone is returneth-ed

2010-07-31T10:49:00.000-07:00

The magical and mystical iPhone 4 is now on its way to someone who will appreciate it more than me

The last straw was having to cut bigger holes on my favorite leather case to accommodate the camera - and destroying the integrity of the case in the process. It's not that I'm not willing to buy a new one - they just don't have enough choices available. Even the free case doesn't do it for me.

So off it goes for resale . . . and it looks like I will get more for it than I paid for it. Hmmm, I think that means I have some cash for a new gadget. Maybe the Kindle 3rd generation is in my future

If you want it, you got it - the underwhelming iPhone 4

2010-07-28T18:24:00.000-07:00

Well my iPhone arrived. And I am so underwhelmed, that I am ready to pack it up and send it back.

It isn't the antenna problem. I always have mine in a case, so that was a non-issue. It's that the jump from 3gs with ios 4.01 to the iPhone 4.0 equipment is so small I am looking to un-spend my upgrade money.

It has a front-facing camera. So did my Verizon phone - in 2006.

You can video chat - with other iPhone 4 users on wireless. No one else in my family has the techno-love and the bucks for an iPhone. They are all using Verizon freebie phones.

The improved camera - sorry, can't see it yet. Extra mega-pixels not obvious in my snapshots

HD video - still not doing it for me. No zoom means I still do the human zoom cha-cha when I video.

Better battery? Well the battery life was atrocious, so I always carry an external battery which will recharge the phone 3 times. I think the battery life has improved to terrible, so I still carry the external to get through the day

Less dropped calls - hmmm, the jury is still out. I still have dead spots in my house.

Reading this I am think I am more than underwhelmed. I think I am downright disappointed.

Iphone 4 troubles brewing

2010-07-09T15:34:00.000-07:00

Bad press for the iphone 4 is now making me happy mine is delayed. By the time it arrives I may no longer want it - or they may have fixed the issues.

Of course I NEVER use mine without a case. I don't know anyone who does, because the phone is so slippery it squirts out of your hand like a wet bar of soap.

Waiting for iPhone 4

2010-07-06T15:32:00.000-07:00

Looks like I will be waiting 3 weeks for my instant gratification of iPhone 4 upgrade. I can't believe people spent all day trying to get into Apple's servers to order on the first day.

Of course they get their phones a week later . . .

iphone 4

2010-06-29T15:29:00.000-07:00

First I couldn't stop mocking the functionality-crippled iPhone. Now I have one, and I want the latest and greatest.

The improvements on iPhone4 are all in the part of the phone I use the most - the camera and screen display.

Looks like ebay for my 3GS - or gazellit.

The Graveyard of Out-of-Support Toys

2010-06-16T15:16:00.000-07:00

Last night at dinner I got into a spirited discussion with my table mates about all gadgets in our closets gathering dust. It was like taking a trip down the memory lane of personal information management (PIM) devices.

Casio Boss anyone? It is interesting how much the iPhone now resembles my decade-old HP Jornada pocket PC.

The iPhone loometh

2009-06-12T09:55:00.000-07:00

Finally, a version of the iPhone worth the hype? In spite of my aversion to all things Apple, I have succumbed to the iPhone 3Gs.

The first version of the iPhone did not tempt me at all. It was over-priced and under-featured. But the latest version has finally left my Chocolate and Blackberry in the the dust. Two days with the iPhone and I was hooked.

What I love about the iPhone is the interaction with the Internet, and the ability to carry less devices. Ihe browser and screen are actually functional enough

Now if they would only improve the camera (flash and zoom, please!), the audio player (fast-forward, anyone?), and the phone speaker (Can you hear now? Of course, not) then this device would rule the world. Oh yes, and battery life would be nice, though I carry my Juice Pack with me all the time.

The iPhone cometh

2009-05-19T05:11:00.000-07:00

My family can't believe it, but I bought an iPhone. My college-age daughter spotted the signature line on an email "sent from my iPhone" and immediately sent her condolences. I assured her I had not been brainwashed, or turned into an Apple zombie.

You see, I have carried a Blackberry for over four years. I loved being able to get my email, and to connect to servers at work to do urgent problem solving. There was, and is a browser available on the Blackberry. Somehow, it didn't quite put the Internet in my pocket.

Enter the iPhone. I checked out the first generation, and promptly flunked it on price and functionality. Instead I went with the LG Chocolate, as I mentioned in this post. I was very happy with my Chocolate, considering I still had to carry the Blackberry for work, and could occastionally venture out with just the Chocolate.

Then circumstances changed. I could now choose what phone I wanted to carry for both personal cals and email. I decided to check out the iPhone. (Not that there hasn't been sufficient press on the features) Looking at the 3G, I was impressed by the screen response, and the browser. I was horrified at the thought of losing a quick video camera, cut and paste, and multi-media messages. Yes, as inferior as my Chocolate was to the mighty iPhone, those features were all standard.

Enter the 3Gs. While I still had my phone on the trial period, the 3Gs with its GPS features, improved response, and video was announced. I traded my 3G for the 3Gs. Finally an iPhone with enough features to make me keep it.

At least until Droid hits.

2009-01-03T21:39:00.000-08:00

Music for the holiday. See Santa take a swim.

Holiday sites that make me laugh

2008-12-25T21:02:00.000-08:00

Last year I was all about elf yourself. This year large corporations (including the one I work for) have deemed this an inappropriate use of Internet resources and added it to the block list. Apparently humor is bad for business. Or morale. Or something.

Here is another I found entertaining.

And this called make-a-flake. Of course I failed at my first two tries to cut. (must connect the cuts to the outside.)

And if you want to watch Christmas videos - there is this site I couldn't believe how many classics were available, including Rudolph.

USB or not USB - that is my question

2008-09-16T18:32:00.000-07:00

Now that I do podcasting, using Skype, I needed to upgrade my microphone. One of my soundcards can be really unreliable when using the microphone port, so I thought I would try USB.

USB is handy - but it is easier to manipulate two separate ports. Fortunately, I don't have to choose. I got the Logitech folding earphones that have a converter from USB to standard microphone/earphone jacks.

My new phone is not an iPHone - Chocolate 3

2008-07-16T08:39:00.000-07:00

In all the excitement about the iPhone, there were several other phones that came out this week. One is my new phone, the LG Chocolate 3, aka LG VX8650.

My venerable LG VX8100, one of the best phones ever, was started to fade. Text messages did not work. Imagine the frustration of your phone beeping to say "You have a text message" and not be able to read it. Grrr! The camera took pictures occasionally, but made it look like it was bright sun on a cloudy day. (Not a good look)

I went into Verizon thinking I would buy the LG Dare, the Verizon latest version of a touch phone. I hated the touch screen. You have to look at the screen to use, and screen, like the iPhone, was not nearly sensitve enough to meet my standards. (My standard - work the first time I touch the screen, not the 2nd or 3rd) So I thought I would consider the Voyager. It did not have the cool advanced camera of the Dare, but the keys worked well, and there were keys to move the cursor around the screen instead of fat-fingered pointing. And it was big and only came in ugly black.

So on decision day, coincidentally the same weekend the iPhone dropped, I went into my Verizon store and found LG Chocolate 3. It was a gorgeous aqua, it was slimmer than my current phone with a bigger screen. The salesperson assured me it was feature rich, and she was right.

a better camera (3 levels of resoltution, 2 MP instead of 1.3)
ability to do video capture for as long as I had storage for (instead of 15 sec)
click wheel to control the music player on the front
support for external micro-SD with storage up to 8 gig
3.5 mm jack instead of that 2.5 that only works on phone headsets. This means I can use any set of earphones to listen to my music. This is HUGE!
a faster camera (instead of waiting 5 sec for a picture)
an FM transmitter so you can hear radio
Bluetooth stereo
USB charging (one LESS adapter to pack)
Crop images in the phone
flip phone instead of an annoying slider - which kept me away from Chocolate before

So when it came down to it, I opted for the sleek design of the
Chocolate cubed over a bloated Voyager or expensive iPhone. My phone has to be small enough to go everywhere, and serve as my backup camera and Internet connection. And I love a pretty phone. Funny, the male geeks on Gizmodo were not rocking the color.

Why I will not buy an iPod - part 2

2008-06-28T12:30:00.000-07:00

There is a new gadget coming called Castgrabber that might be my replacement for the annoyance of iTunes.

Apparently, you hook it up to your computer once, and use the software to tell it which podcasts you want. From then on, you put your MP3 player in the dock and it will have your podcasts downloaded automatically, and charges your MP3 player. It has to stay plugged into your router with an Ethernet cable.

It looks handy. And it does NOT work on Mac.

All Things Pink

2008-06-27T08:22:00.001-07:00

Like any teleconferencing professional, I spend a lot of time with a Bluetooth headset in my ear. I may look like Seven of Nine on Star Trek Voyager, but I can't give up the convenience. When commuting on bike on in the car, I can't have a phone in my hands.

Then I found out about this Plantronics 950. Love the pink, and the gold is a great neutral that coordinates with most of my jewelry. The picture even show the headset in a jewelry box. The classic lines make the headset blend right in.

The features include a great noise-cancelling capability (see note about commute) and it is very lightweight. It will connect to two phones, so I don't have to carry a headpiece for my work phone, and my personal phone. I immediately put it in my Amazon cart.

Now I just need to decide between the gold and the pink.

Yakitome

2008-06-26T08:01:00.000-07:00

Here's link to something nifty. This site converts documents into an audio recording.

http://www.yakitome.com/

Gadget girl from a gadget family

2008-06-24T10:57:00.000-07:00

My three siblings and I were recently gathered for an event, and the conversation turned to the Amazon Kindle. We had a rollicking discussion of its features, and basically agreed we would buy when the price came down.

My youngest sister said to me later, that such techie conversation was a rarity for her. Most of the people she hangs with wouldn't have heard of Kindle, much less be considering it a must-have device.

We're a gadget family. It's hereditary.

Inbox Zero

2008-06-23T07:59:00.000-07:00

My inbox is always full. I am looking for more ways to clear it, and so I listened to this video. A lot of the things Merlin Mann suggests were obvious - at least to me, because I was already doing them. The concept of touching an email once and then getting rid of it by:

deleting it (my favorite)
doing the action requested, and replying (and deleting, because your Sent Items now contains the history and your reply!)
archiving immediately(and possibly deleting at a later date)
saving (until the a later date when the topic/project is obsolete and deleting!)

You can tell I am focused on the delete if at all possible. I already pitch lots of email, but I do have to keep that CYA trail for work. (Who sent who what and when) Still, I found the discussion interesting.

The coolest thing yet . .

2008-06-22T17:12:00.000-07:00

My fellow girl geeks gave me a great lead on a gadget. I was very excited about Delicious 2 from their description. I read all the great features . Then I found out it only ran on Mac.

So I went looking for a PC equivalent. I found Librarian Pro (Mac and PC) for $80 and, even better Libra (http://www.getlibra.com/) which is free, and only for PCs. Like the specs for Delicious 2, it uses your webcam as a scanner. You point the camera at a barcode, and the software reads it. It looks it up in the Amazon database, and makes an entry for you. If you had entries already in a spreadsheet, you can import the information.

So I downloaded it. Damn if it didn't work just as advertised. Of course you must hold the item you are scanning very still. I can't wait to start getting my book, music, and dvd libraries under control. But that's a post for another day.

OpenID to the rescue

2008-06-20T08:27:00.000-07:00

I hate having to create a new user name and password for every forum, shopping account, etc., that I want to look at on the web.

Looks like OpenId feels my pain. I can use an AOL id or a Blogger id, to name two options, and use the authentication from those original sites. So one less identity to remember online is welcome.

So check it out. OpenID might save me some brain cells to use for more entertaining activities.

Blogging is harder than it looks

2008-06-19T08:41:00.000-07:00

Great article on the skills needed for blogging. I'm pretty sure I won't have to worry about this legal stuff until someone besides me starts reading.

Why i will not buy an iPod

2008-06-10T16:20:00.000-07:00

Every couple years I go out looking for a new portable music player. The features get better. The screens get smaller/bigger/clearer and now are all in color. I go with an open mind, but I never spend my money on an iPod. iPods don't give me the features I want AND they cost more for the same amount of space/functionality. I may be American, but I'm no idiot, to paraphrase Green Day. I don't want to pay more for less.

Yet, the improved features of these alternatives are the best kept secret since the BetaMax. As much as I hear about the ground-breaking oh-so-convenient user interface of iPod, it just isn't convenient for me. How do I know? A trade show gave me a 4 gig Nano. So I thought I would give it a try and see if it was worth it for free.

What I Like

The colors are pretty - my feminine side loves the purple, mint green, fuchsia, aqua and other girlie colors of the rainbow this comes in. Mine is a very neutral silver, but still nice.

The size - even in the case, which is a must if you want to continue to see the content behind the screen instead of a maze of scratches, the size is miniscule.

Accessory selection - if you want a case (see above) there are almost 100 options, and many are stylish and colorful. My case is bronze leather.

Immediate on - click the play button and your content starts up immediately
Bookmarking of audiobooks - of course, it is a pain to get them on through iTunes, so I gave up.

What I don't like

Using Itunes to sync - They just don't give the options I want. For example, - I want the last 3 episodes of one TV show, and the last of another, and all of another. - I want to check the songs or albums I want synched to the ipod without creating a playlist - I want to option to choose which content I want to expire off the iPod - I want the iPod to know what content I have listened to, and offer to expire it. (and I want to tell it only to offer that for Videos of TV, and podcasts, but not for music mixes

AAC format - which also forces me through iTunes. I want to drag and drop content. I want it to play mp3, Audible, and wma. The conversion needed eats up either time (to convert) or disk (to store the conversion)

The click wheel - I know, the greatest invention since sliced bread, and I hate the way it works. I feel I have more control with a slider like Creative Zen, or Sansa. Or a wheel with tactile sections so you can feel how much it has rotated, like Insignia.

The hierarchy - I want to choose the tags I group by, or put things into folders and access the folders. That playlist thing is just bogus. AND, once again, I am fighting with iTunes to see the music the way I want it.

The battery life - two episodes of "Bones" and the player is drained. Even with the nano's tiny screen, the battery will not get me through a normal plane flight, much less an extended one.

The proprietary, and ever-changing transfer/charging port - Haven't they heard of mini-USB? Every iPod re-imagines this interfaces, so you must keep specific docks for each model. Also the accessories then have to be sold to match this everchanging target. Honestly, a little standardization could go a long way.

The missing features -
- FM radio
- recording from line-in or microphone
- Bluetooth headset
- two headphone jacks
- SD card expansion, so I could load content on a card and swap it in, or just increase storage

I just get the feeling that iPod is for people who don't know what they want from a portable music player, and are willing to take what Apple dishes out. So even though the Nano is free, it can't take the place of my Insignia. So I carry it as a spare in case my Insignia runs out of juice. (very rare)<

Ooh, leather . . .

2008-06-05T16:23:00.000-07:00

Just in case you have money to burn, a

leather keyboard(with no key labels)is just the thing.

or even a floral keyboard

I'm a Gadget Girl

2008-06-01T15:20:00.000-07:00

I come by it fair and square. My mom never saw a gadget she didn't like, though there were many she didn't buy. She had the first Mac on the block in a small farming community. Come to think of it, she had her computer before I did.

I'm always on the lookup for the next great thing to make my life easier. And I don't care whether it came from Apple, or IBM, or Timbuktoo -- I'm looking for the gadget with the best features for the best price.

Don't know much about Macs - rarely use them. My personal computers run Windows, so I will tell you about what I know best when it's software. So many gadgets are not software at all, but personal convenience items, so anything goes there.