tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-69840352011-11-27T15:50:20.708-08:00Observations and Opinions About Coping with ChangeJohnnoreply@blogger.comBlogger961100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6984035.post-80406655930528850412010-02-07T08:49:00.000-08:002010-02-07T08:55:07.259-08:00

This blog has moved to www.maturetechnology.wordpress.comAfter struggling with basic text formatting in Blogger for a long time, I finally got fed up and decided to upgrade to WordPress. Please update your feeds accordingly.Thanks, John

Johnnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6984035.post-90605040056468817282009-12-17T22:03:00.000-08:002009-12-17T22:06:39.935-08:00

I know I’ve mentioned Pandora before but here is my trick to pipe internet radio music into my garage without carrying my laptop out there.Like many people, I had an old stereo receiver that was gathering dust. It is now set up in the garage and I sometimes listen to FM stations (less and less), or plug my iPod in and listen to podcasts or music while working on some project. I think I bought

Johnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6984035.post-60119574288311078782009-11-20T11:23:00.000-08:002009-11-20T11:26:31.671-08:00

When Wired magazine first came out I was entranced. Finally there was a magazine for me, one dedicated to feed my technology appetite. I subscribed immediately and looked forward to every issue. I also subscribed to other magazines for a year or two here and there, but always renewed my subscription to Wired. It remained top priority among magazines I read.The last few years though I have become

Johnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6984035.post-60235846113364895152009-11-16T11:14:00.000-08:002009-11-16T11:23:28.326-08:00

I’m not going to apologize to all my loyal readers for failing to post for so long since I probably don’t have many loyal readers, maybe a few stumblers. I have been way too busy to think about writing humorous or not so humorous comments about the constantly changing technology landscape. C’est la vie. But today I feel I need to take some time and speak out.Like millions of other people, I have

Johnnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6984035.post-79244473074758574782009-03-23T15:42:00.000-07:002009-03-23T15:45:25.787-07:00

I’m the kind of person who likes to see some order in my life, at least on the most basic level. I can handle all kinds of change and variation, but I like to have at least some continuity that I can hold on to. For this reason, I have always been annoyed that the number of days in a month is constantly changing and that every 4 years an extra day is jammed in at the end of February which shifts

Johnnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6984035.post-16382157833256105822009-02-28T13:50:00.000-08:002009-02-28T13:54:20.565-08:00

I just learned that there are quite a few small business owners who have revenue in the 1 to 2 million range, maybe more, and they don’t even have email. This really shocks me. I guess it’s naive of me, but knowing how easy and cheap it is to set up a website and an email account, I am really surprised that there are still businesses that don’t avail themselves of this basic business tool. For $5

Johnnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6984035.post-28485603092592472692009-02-20T10:21:00.000-08:002009-02-21T12:37:05.194-08:00

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Johnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6984035.post-65123843194649878972008-11-26T11:42:00.000-08:002008-11-26T11:52:35.129-08:00

On this blog I often complain about products that don’t work, or about whole segements of consumer products that I think are technologically impaired. Today however, I will take the opposite approach and recommend a product that I have come across that I think is really well designed and explain why.The item is a tea infuser. For those unfamiliar with the term, it allows you to make one or two

Johnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6984035.post-57039772207823441512008-10-23T19:25:00.000-07:002008-10-23T19:34:38.254-07:00

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Johnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6984035.post-2249132335855505172008-09-12T17:58:00.000-07:002008-09-12T18:23:37.544-07:00

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Johnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6984035.post-76343507501861576592008-09-07T19:36:00.000-07:002008-09-11T06:56:27.441-07:00

As someone who was trained in school to appreciate the scientific method, I naturally question issues that are promoted with extreme passion in the media and presented in such a way that you are expected to just accept the premise without question. The conclusion that human-produced CO2 is the overwhelming cause of global warming clearly falls in this category for me.In the first place, a

Johnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6984035.post-18549778571532616862008-08-12T16:07:00.000-07:002008-08-12T18:15:59.657-07:00

I sent my friend Eric a recent ad from Amazon about the Kindle electronic book. His reply was “Solution for a problem that didn’t exist?” I totally understand his reaction and have been on the same page for many years (sorry, couldn't resist the pun). But I suspect this is probably like the DVR, something you didn't think you needed until you tried it. I have a DVR that I got through Dish

Johnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6984035.post-47410267394195267362008-08-08T20:59:00.000-07:002008-09-26T09:31:30.200-07:00

I think it’s high time we moved away from the antiquated low tech way we have of identifying vehicles on the road. I’m talking about the dumb metal plate with letters and numbers embossed on it that we call tags or plates. We now have the technology today to do much better. As has been done in the UK and other places, it is time we switched to RFID license plates. The new plate would be made of

Johnnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6984035.post-78479776601738723882008-07-22T18:09:00.000-07:002008-07-25T18:24:00.091-07:00

A couple of weeks ago a friend suggested I read a book by don Miguel Ruiz called “The Four Agreements.” It is a simple book with a powerful message. Briefly, the four principles that he presents are the following. I’ve re-worded them slightly for my own use. Be Honest in Everything You Do - Your character is your most valuable possesion and integrity is its foundation.

Johnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6984035.post-56686970018326195812008-06-20T21:36:00.000-07:002008-06-20T21:37:25.810-07:00

I just spent 20 minutes outside in my driveway sweating in the front seat of my wife’s car trying to set the damn clock on her new car stereo. Unbelievable!!! Sometimes I can’t believe how little we have progressed toward making technology easy to use. It feels like we are going backwards in time. This is from an engineer with the manual open in front of him. I did exactly what they tell you

Johnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6984035.post-48433493617586030962008-06-05T19:41:00.000-07:002008-06-05T20:10:48.137-07:00

Call me pretentious but I want to start a trend. The trend I want to start is for all you designers of electronic items to pay more attention to how the new customer sees your product. Test the product on neophytes and then redesign the product and retest ad infinitum until you are satisfied that everyone gets the value from your product that you are promising.After many frustrating experiences

Johnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6984035.post-1634518413205900342008-06-04T11:12:00.000-07:002008-06-04T11:13:37.649-07:00

With all the renewed interest in PV technology (photovoltaic) I am revisiting some thoughts I’ve had over the years about the viability of putting one of these solar panels on my roof. After some brief checking, it seems that the price of residential systems for a medium size tract home is still too high for the average family and the payoff would take something like 15-20 years even if you live

Johnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6984035.post-80631679367230438422008-06-04T11:02:00.000-07:002008-06-04T11:03:34.843-07:00

Around October 2006 I had an attack of sciatica down my left leg, a common byproduct of sitting at a desk for 10-12 hours a day. For anyone unfamiliar, it’s usually caused by a pinched or inflamed nerve that can get so bad it gives you pain 24 hours a day. For whatever reason, my pain was in my left hip radiating down my thigh. Readjusting my postion sometimes helped for a while but that was

Johnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6984035.post-58723678023357604872008-05-22T09:47:00.000-07:002008-05-22T09:53:38.612-07:00

Maybe we should rename faucets like the one in the picture “One Armed Bandits.” Think about it. Every time you turn on the faucet to wash off your hands or rinse out a glass before putting it in the dishwasher, you are drawing hot water from your water heater half way across the house. That hot water travels ten or twenty feet or all the way to your faucet and mixes with the cold water because

Johnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6984035.post-31059890969616754562007-08-03T21:44:00.000-07:002007-08-03T21:49:57.443-07:00

As you can tell, writing this blog has not been a priority for quite some time. I started it simply as a new mode of expression. It was not intended for a large audience. In fact, I was surprised that I found an audience at all. I was mainly interested in exercising my few remaining brain cells – writing is good exercise. I was also interested in the process of publishing with no particular

Johnnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6984035.post-1155317348681568142006-08-11T10:24:00.000-07:002006-08-11T10:29:08.726-07:00

Fool that I am, I have taken my own advice and stolen some time to write a new post to this blog. The subject today is the latest catalog from “The Quintessential Source For Overpriced Stuff You Don’t Need” store. Some call it The Sharper Image. Every time I look through one of their catalogs, I’m struck with the amazing array of expensive products that replace simple manual devices. Many claim

Johnnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6984035.post-1154909254239805772006-08-06T17:06:00.000-07:002006-08-06T17:09:19.536-07:00

For those who come here and are disappointed in not seeing anything recently published, my apologies. I guess it is some combination of writer’s block, lack of time, and just plain laziness. In my defense, I am trying to start up a small manufacturing business that has sucked up pretty much all of my time and creative juices, leaving precious little for blogging. I know, sorry excuse but there it

Johnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6984035.post-1142796610974444282006-03-19T11:29:00.000-08:002006-03-19T11:30:10.986-08:00

What do you do when you’re thinking about buying a new car or appliance or some new gadget? Do you jump in the car and spend hours or days going around to various stores and asking salesmen their “honest” opinion about their products? I can’t remember when I stopped doing that – probably shortly after I was able to get on the internet. Truth is, a big percentage of people now go online to do

Johnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6984035.post-1141844184570637172006-03-08T10:53:00.000-08:002006-03-08T10:56:24.583-08:00

Letter to Sandy and Dave Waks who publish http://bbhcentral.com/index.html Hello Sandy and Dave, I enjoy receiving your newsletter. It is informative but with a personal touch. Your “adventures” in getting an array of different products to work together is one of my biggest complaints with the current state of consumer electronics. Fact is, the lack of leadership in trying to simplify the

Johnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6984035.post-1141083113982767332006-02-27T14:55:00.000-08:002006-02-27T15:31:54.026-08:00

I've been thinking again about RFID tags because one of my clients is producing a very large line of collectible "urban vinyl" items. I suggested to them that it might be interesting to imbed an RFID tag into each one so they can be authenticated. Not sure whether it is necessary to serialize each product, but I'm sure it would be cheaper to just create a passive tag with the company ID on it and

Johnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6984035.post-1138388476937868082006-01-27T11:01:00.000-08:002006-01-27T11:01:16.943-08:00

After a long hiatus, I’m back. Don’t know how often I will be able to pontificate thusly, but I will try to do better this year. Call it a new year’s resolution. No don’t, that will jinx it.This morning I was taking a shower and noticed for the second time in two days a strange background noise over the shower. I stopped for a moment to listen carefully and it seemed like some sort of really low

Johnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6984035.post-1132425026845304322005-11-19T10:29:00.000-08:002005-11-19T10:30:26.856-08:00

In a desperate move to maintain their ad revenues, the big networks just released “research” that claims that the impact of DVR’s is much less than earlier forecast. By using the fact, probably true, that people tend to watch more TV when they have a DVR, they postulate that they will also watch more ads. They even found three people who say they like watching the commercials and rarely skip over

Johnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6984035.post-1131597972494515632005-11-09T20:40:00.000-08:002005-11-09T21:34:36.773-08:00

Among my many neurotic behaviors, I get really annoyed when people use the restroom and don’t wash their hands. The thought of grabbing the door handle after the last guy who shook himself off and didn’t wash up, really turns me off. I start thinking how brainless the people are who design restrooms with doors that swing inward requiring a handle. At least if the door pushes outward, you can use

Johnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6984035.post-1130981218622206812005-11-02T17:20:00.000-08:002005-11-02T17:26:58.640-08:00

How come my phone still has the IQ of a tree stump? All it has are the same basic functions that a phone had 20 years ago, but with a built in answering machine that is digital rather than the magnetic tape variety of old. Yes it is wireless so you can carry it around, but that doesn’t make it any smarter, just a little more convenient. Yes it has an intercom function, but that’s not exactly

Johnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6984035.post-1128540743027497462005-10-05T12:31:00.000-07:002005-10-05T12:32:23.033-07:00

Today I read about Google’s collaboration with Sun with some foggy details about their intention to put out a free version of Office that would reside on the internet, not on your PC. Sounds like a good idea to me if you have a big enough internet pipe going into your house or business.I applaud Google’s efforts to drive Microsoft crazy any chance they get. I love it, in fact. Microsoft has

Johnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6984035.post-1128313211426811932005-10-02T21:13:00.000-07:002005-10-02T21:20:11.433-07:00

I'm herewith limiting comments to registered users. Hope that stops all the spam comments I have been receiving over the last week. If not, then I may have resort to something more odious.My apologies to the few legit commentors.....

Johnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6984035.post-1126500877408514402005-09-11T21:51:00.000-07:002005-09-11T21:54:37.416-07:00

In spite of my attraction to technology and deep seated love of tools and gadgets, I occasionally come across a new item that brings forth the sarcastic alter-ego that I try to suppress. Apparently there are quite a few people working on boosting the IQ of dumb objects around the house – i.e. making them smarter. One is a light bulb that notifies you when it has burned out by sending an SMS

Johnnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6984035.post-1123696643988285742005-08-10T10:55:00.000-07:002005-09-08T17:38:39.716-07:00

This morning while eating breakfast I was watching the Today show for a few minutes. They were interviewing a doctor who was discussing a disorder called BDD, short for Body Dismorphic Disorder. Apparently it has similar characteristics to OCD and can be treated with either AD drugs or by administering CBT. Never mind what these terms mean, I’m beginning to think that the medical profession

Johnnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6984035.post-1123208479386805012005-08-04T19:12:00.000-07:002005-08-04T19:21:19.390-07:00

Maybe it's the season, or maybe misalignment of the planets, but I obviously have prioritized the writing of this blog somewhere below the threshold of actually getting to it . I have recently gotten deeply involved in a work project and never seem to have any extra time or extra brain power to write.Not a good admission for someone who claims to be a writer, but then you gotta pay the bills

Johnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6984035.post-1120774777117866262005-07-07T15:17:00.000-07:002005-07-07T15:19:37.126-07:00

The subject today is about science, not technology. You see, I recently read State of Fear by Michael Crichton, and am feeling somewhat vindicated. Based on my analytical nature, together with a healthy dose of skepticism, I have long questioned all the doom and gloom pseudo-science about global warming from our news media, especially when they predict global catastrophes like the state of

Johnnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6984035.post-1118335936064338612005-06-09T09:51:00.000-07:002005-06-11T18:49:41.686-07:00

Approximately 3 1/2 months ago, I received an automated e-mail message from Vonage stating that my adapter did not respond correctly to an automated software upgrade. I checked and discovered I had no dialtone. The instructions told me to try to reset my adapter, and if unsuccesful, reply to the e-mail and a replacement would be sent "immediately" along with a one month credit on my next billing

Johnnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6984035.post-1117564167698354212005-05-31T11:28:00.000-07:002005-05-31T11:29:27.706-07:00

To my 3 loyal readers, sorry for the long delay in posting. I just returned from an 18-day holiday in France, driving around the countryside trying very hard to avoid getting killed by crazy French drivers.As I mentioned previously, my daughter has been studying in Paris under the study abroad program so we decided to join her at the end of the semester and tour the countryside for a couple of

Johnnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6984035.post-1115079208018155882005-05-02T17:12:00.000-07:002005-05-02T17:13:28.020-07:00

In the human body, the half-life of most tissues is around two weeks. That is, it takes about two weeks for half of the molecules of a particular kind to be replaced. Some last longer, like calcium in bones, some much shorter. For instance, three million red blood cells die and are replaced every second. So naturally, being an engineer, I started wondering what is the half-life of an electronic

Johnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6984035.post-1113524175555790132005-04-14T17:12:00.000-07:002005-04-14T17:18:23.006-07:00

The following dyslectic paragraph appeared in my e-mail today:“I cdnuolt blveiee taht I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd waht I was rdanieg The phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan mnid, aoccdrnig to rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer inwaht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoatnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you

Johnnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6984035.post-1113156777573619262005-04-10T11:08:00.000-07:002005-04-10T11:12:57.576-07:00

I guess I don’t get an overwhelming amount of junk mail by today’s standards, certainly not as much as my wife does. I think it might be her affinity for online shopping since many of these places tend to “share” e-mail addresses with their “business partners” (i.e. trade their list through a broker).But I do get a certain amount of unsolicited garbage, as do most people. One offers to sell me

Johnnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6984035.post-1112985943316002562005-04-08T11:44:00.000-07:002005-04-08T18:01:42.733-07:00

It’s always sad to see some animated person standing on a street corner waving and hollering to passing cars. You instantly recognize them as having some sort of mental handicap that has gone untreated, a reminder of the thousands of the people in this world who are in serious need of psychological help but cannot afford it.But these days, this condition seems to be infecting people in all walks

Johnnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6984035.post-1112894897593499372005-04-07T10:26:00.000-07:002005-04-07T10:28:17.596-07:00

Are your fingerprints on file somewhere? The answer is yes if you’ve been in the military, ever been arrested, or even recently gotten a driver’s license or had a document notarized. Chances are, in each of these situations they used ink on paper.Not for long though. Indications are that electronic fingerprint readers are going to be everywhere soon. Already being built into laptops and security

Johnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6984035.post-1112469593046734742005-04-02T11:19:00.000-08:002005-04-02T15:06:20.780-08:00

Shortly after Al Gore invented the “information highway” regular people started to find ways to use it. The internet or “world wide web” became a frequent subject of conjecture with people making all sorts of predictions as to it’s potential influence, both good and evil. But notice that recently we don’t seem to hear much about it anymore, at least in general terms. Instead of discussions about

Johnnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6984035.post-1112219691820653682005-03-30T13:48:00.000-08:002005-03-30T13:54:51.823-08:00

This morning I was driving home from getting a haircut; it was a beautiful sunny spring day and there wasn’t much traffic. I had turned up the radio because a song was on with a good beat and I was also thinking about a conversation I had with the lady who cut my hair. I guess I wasn’t really concentrating on my driving when all of a sudden I noticed that I was slowing down for a light that was

Johnnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6984035.post-1112060643079360692005-03-28T17:38:00.000-08:002005-04-01T15:34:22.140-08:00

We are rapidly approaching the point where you will not be able to tell the difference between what is real and what is not, at least when you turn on your TV or your computer. We all know it’s coming, but we don’t really want to think about it.On the Tonight Show, they often show funny videos where they substitute another guy’s head on someone’s body doing something stupid for comic effect,

Johnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6984035.post-1111384845680617842005-03-20T21:53:00.000-08:002005-04-01T15:34:50.506-08:00

Subject: diagnostic computer down at Wal-MartOne day, in line at the company cafeteria, Joe says to Mike, "My elbow hurts like hell. I guess I'd better see a doctor."Listen, you don't have to spend that kind of money," Mike replies. "There's a diagnostic computer down at Wal-Mart. Just give it a urine sample and the computer will tell you what's wrong and what to do about it. It takes ten seconds

Johnnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6984035.post-1110988699042400632005-03-16T07:38:00.000-08:002005-03-16T07:58:19.043-08:00

I suppose some may think that a form of paranoia is overtaking me, or that I am getting more easily annoyed as I get older. Chances are good that both are happening - let me explain. A couple years ago I bought a PVR (aka DVR or Tivo). Mine is from my satellite company, Dish Network. Works fine, never had a problem with it, love it.But recently, I have noticed that the programming is getting out

Johnnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6984035.post-1110927458470162822005-03-15T14:56:00.000-08:002005-03-16T11:07:22.450-08:00

In recent posts I have commented about the growth of free WiFi, how important I think this trend is, and how I strongly feel that public internet access should be free. Well, I just ran across a website where a gifted and generous fellow has put together an entire site dedicated to helping people set up their own WiFi hotspot, include the free software to do it with! To borrow my daughter's

Johnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6984035.post-1110262867278417982005-03-07T22:16:00.000-08:002005-03-07T22:24:58.306-08:00

As an accompanyment to this blog, I am setting up a second discussion to encourage people to submit their ideas on what they would like to see the inventors and engineers of the world work on next. Take a look, think about all the technology in your life that is lacking, or annoying or maybe even infuriating. Then submit a suggestion for how it should be.Go Here

Johnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6984035.post-1109799475695889392005-03-02T13:36:00.000-08:002005-03-04T08:47:09.620-08:00

Got the new SI catalog in the mail yesterday and I couldn’t resist commenting on a cool new gadget they feature on the front cover.It is the amazing “Treat and Train” Professional Dog Training System. Basically, it’s a whole system that includes a training manual, DVD, and here’s the best part: a small remote-controlled dog-treat dispenser that plugs into the wall in the room where your dog does

Johnnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6984035.post-1109225779058821092005-02-23T22:05:00.000-08:002005-02-23T22:20:44.763-08:00

According to recent reports, the town of Sutter California is simply not ready for the Twenty First century – one wonders if some of the more vocal inhabitants there were even comfortable with the Twentieth. This small town surrounded by farms about an hour north of Sacramento made it onto the map recently when parents rose up to shield their town from a new fangled technology in the form of high

Johnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6984035.post-1109092330432510642005-02-22T09:11:00.000-08:002005-02-22T09:12:10.433-08:00

Ever since Tivo hit the market in 1999, it has been a tough uphill battle for them to achieve their growth goals. Some said that their problem was that the were trying to sell a product that came across as a very expensive VCR. Others said that you really had to have one in your home for a week or so before you appreciated how cool it was. Still others claimed that the idea of Tivo suggesting

Johnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6984035.post-1107989376666065812005-02-09T14:48:00.000-08:002005-02-09T14:49:36.666-08:00

I’ve commented a couple of times on the emergence of free WiFi in various places, but it seems to be growing faster than I expected. The number of places offering free wireless internet connections is apparently growing exponentially. There are even whole commercial zones set up as hot spots, to encourage people to shop and dine there. I live near Long Beach California where in their downtown

Johnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6984035.post-1107409429291958132005-02-02T21:41:00.000-08:002005-02-02T21:44:45.643-08:00

A lot is being made about “video on the go” technologies at the recent CES show in Las Vegas. Several newsletters seem to view this as a big new thing worthy of shouting about. For me, it is nothing more than an interesting technology to watch- one of those long term evolutionary processes that are constantly struggling for traction. Nothing revolutionary about it at all, just the slow natural

Johnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6984035.post-1106418758046036982005-01-22T10:28:00.000-08:002005-02-02T21:18:59.283-08:00

My daughter has settled in Paris for the spring semester, arriving two weeks ago. She is staying in a lovely private home arranged by the American University there as a part of an exchange program with U.C. Berkeley. What an experience for her - I’m envious! So what does this have to do with a blog on technology? Read on. In preparation for her trip there, we tried to find out if she would have

Johnnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6984035.post-1106346344554228312005-01-21T14:23:00.000-08:002005-01-21T14:25:44.556-08:00

I confess - I’m guilty of it just like many other people. What I’m talking about is the state of mind that people fall into when they start to think that the rest of the country is just like them, with the same problems and the same choices. The actual truth is a lot different, and for me it takes a regular Whack on the Side the Head (to borrow a phrase from Roger von Oech) to keep me from

Johnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6984035.post-1104451789117783342004-12-30T16:08:00.000-08:002004-12-30T16:09:49.116-08:00

A few weeks ago my wife and I drove up to northern California to visit my daughter at Berkeley. Since # 2 daughter likes to think she is descended from royalty (must be several generations back), she insisted that the next morning we go to a little French restaurant called Le Bateau Ivre for breakfast. Although the service was pretty slow, the food was excellent and reasonable so they got two out

Johnnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6984035.post-1102312403893061052004-12-05T21:52:00.000-08:002004-12-14T19:47:31.666-08:00

Our family has had Earthlink DSL service for several years now and for the most part it works fine. However, occasionally it seems to get really flaky and goes down for several hours, or even the better part of a day. Furthermore, I’m still paying the same $50/month that I paid a couple years ago which I think is too much. So the other day I asked myself, “what would happen if I finally got fed

Johnnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6984035.post-1101938144796742402004-12-01T13:51:00.000-08:002004-12-01T15:49:18.776-08:00

This one comes under the heading, “Ain’t technology great!” Since video and computer games have for a long time now, offered people the opportunity to engage in the fantasy of playing Rambo or James Bond with a full arsenal of weapons at their disposal, it comes as no surprise that someone is taking the whole shooting experience to a new level.<?xml:namespace prefix = o /> I just discovered that

Johnnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6984035.post-1101326508850668142004-11-24T11:56:00.000-08:002004-12-01T12:27:37.616-08:00

Although this blog is not about previewing the latest new gadgets - there are plenty of other blogs that do this quite well - I couldn’t resist commenting on several items that caught my eye in the December issue of Wired Magazine. Trimtac Security Tag: Amazingly, this is almost exactly the device we were just talking about in relation to the proposal to track your car for road tax purposes. It

Johnnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6984035.post-1101163471029391152004-11-22T14:43:00.000-08:002004-11-30T10:17:14.846-08:00

Unbeknownst to the general population, GPS technology is steadily and quietly growing all around us. Once strictly limited to military and marine use, it is rapidly finding its way onto every small plane and boat, luxury car, even handheld units for hikers and bikers. Large trucking companies have them on their entire fleet, tracking them wherever they are on the continent, and farmers use them

Johnnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6984035.post-1100830690810541472004-11-18T18:15:00.000-08:002004-11-30T10:31:12.116-08:00

Today I was waiting in line to buy gas when my daughter pointed out a guy in the car to the right in an odd pose. With his hands out in front of him like he was holding two revolvers, this guy was obviously looking up a number from the PDA in his right hand, and then thumbing in the number in the cellphone held in his left. Although it wasn’t all that remarkable a feat, it was amusing to watch.

Johnnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6984035.post-1100809845092626962004-11-18T13:23:00.000-08:002004-11-30T10:52:07.666-08:00

Today I’m half-heartedly paging through some of the pile of catalogs that appear in our mail around this time of year. One that always catches my eye is the one from Sharper Image. This is an interesting company, and I must admit that I’m attracted to their beautiful catalogs and their overall sense of good design aesthetics. However, several years ago I started a practice of trying to come up

Johnnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6984035.post-1100721010645654672004-11-17T11:44:00.000-08:002004-11-17T11:50:10.646-08:00

I read an interesting article in the LA Times yesterday about a subject that I wrote about in July; namely, installing a tracking device on every car that feeds information to the DMV (Department of Motor Vehicles) regarding where you’re driving, or how many miles you’re driving. Believe it or not, the new DMV director that Arnold just appointed is claiming that California is not getting enough

Johnnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6984035.post-1100479358893575302004-11-14T16:34:00.000-08:002004-11-14T16:42:38.893-08:00

I decided to change the title of my modest outreach experiment here to something more descriptive. The new title feels like it fits better with my interest in how technology affects our daily lives and I think is easier to remember. My apologies to any who may have to change the link description on their sites. Just remember, Change is Good.....

Johnnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6984035.post-1100298428866380422004-11-12T14:25:00.000-08:002004-11-12T14:30:57.193-08:00

I was just checking out the new Tissot watches that have a touch screen and vibration feedback feature for reading and setting the watch. Pretty amazing and very innovative; perfect thing if you’re visually impaired, or maybe if you’re a deep-cover operative meeting your contact in the dark and don’t want to give away your position prematurely.<?xml:namespace prefix = o /> Of course, I

Johnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6984035.post-1100207850621277242004-11-11T13:13:00.000-08:002004-11-11T13:17:30.623-08:00

Today I noticed that Apple is expanding their iPod functionality to allow you to store pictures. Maybe they are actually realizing that $400 is a lot to pay for just being able to listen to music on the train home, or that most people don’t even have 2,000 songs they like, much less 10,000. So why have they upped the price for the picture version to $500 (40Gb) and $600 (60Gb)? Obviously I’m

Johnnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6984035.post-1100105094596679132004-11-10T08:43:00.000-08:002004-11-10T08:44:54.596-08:00

Although this blog is ostensibly about technology, I sometimes run across a scientific article that I just have to comment about. This one is from USA today dated 11/8/04 entitled “Global warming blamed for huge western USA wildfires.” These academic yahoos are actually spending grant money to arrive at the conclusion that multi-year drought conditions and forests that have been artificially

Johnnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6984035.post-1099979245695102552004-11-08T21:42:00.000-08:002004-11-08T21:47:25.696-08:00

I signed up for a fairly simple webhosting contract about 6 months ago with 1and1.com and happily they have steadily increased the webspace and bandwidth of my package since then. As I’m still in the stumble and recover stage when it comes to actually setting up and maintaining a website, maybe I’m easily impressed. For $10/month I get 3 domain names, 2GB of webspace, 50GB of traffic, 200

Johnnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6984035.post-1099886105579696172004-11-07T19:50:00.000-08:002004-11-07T19:55:05.580-08:00

Today I was thinking about how vulnerable we are becoming to technology that is intentionally disruptive, and I’m not talking about identity theft and credit card scams. For example, there was an article in the LA Times a week or so ago that described how an inventor came up with a universal keychain remote who’s only purpose is to turn off TVs, any TV. People are buying these zappers who

Johnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6984035.post-1099688530306381052004-11-05T13:53:00.000-08:002004-11-07T20:57:23.956-08:00

Do you consider yourself to be an early adopter? Do you salivate when you dream about adding a media PC to your A/V system in the family room that the rest of you family already can’t operate? Did you spend last summer crawling in the attic and under the house to run high-speed ethernet wiring all over your house so you can automate everything under the sun? If so, then my hat’s off to you. You

Johnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6984035.post-1098985149098633482004-10-28T10:32:00.000-07:002004-10-31T17:54:19.956-08:00

This morning I noticed a curious episode in the ongoing saga of “Man against Machine” or in this case woman against machine. It demonstrates how much people distrust even the most mundane everyday mechanical and electrical systems that we encounter. This happened after I dropped my daughter off at work, and drove through the parking lot to get back on the main drag where naturally I just

Johnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6984035.post-1098922622821272082004-10-27T17:13:00.000-07:002004-10-30T19:55:30.476-07:00

Ok, so I was reading the November issue of Fast Company magazine (the paper version -- that’s another subject in itself), and I was reading through their list of the 101 most provocative things that will change our lives in 2005. I come across number 64 which references James Surowiecki’s The Wisdom of Crowds, where he espouses the idea that groups of people can be smarter than the smartest

Johnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6984035.post-1098229519329160932004-10-19T16:39:00.000-07:002004-10-19T16:45:19.330-07:00

What an discouraging weekend! Just got back from the AARP convention in Las Vegas where I was handed free samples of Glucosamine tablets and Metamucil and offered numerous pamphlets describing how to deal with my declining mental capacity. Notwithstanding all the upbeat handouts, I went there to see if any high tech stuff was being designed specifically for seniors, which is something I’ve been

Johnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6984035.post-1097532009168986702004-10-11T14:55:00.000-07:002004-10-30T19:56:23.200-07:00

What with all this talk about home technology taking over our lives, maybe it’s time for a reality check. I just read an article written by John Dvorak, columnist for PC magazine who’s stock-in-trade is the presentation of contrarian viewpoints. His opinion in this 9/29/04 article is that the appeal of all this cool new technology is far overstated and that we really don’t need all these silly

Johnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6984035.post-1097511883255013402004-10-11T09:22:00.000-07:002004-10-30T19:56:52.023-07:00

Just bought a 512mb Compact Flash memory card at Costco for $35. Now, together with the 256mb card I had before (which cost about $55 by the way) and the 64mb one that came with the camera, I can take about 700 medium resolution pictures on a vacation. The only way I could take that many pictures is if I had the camera around my neck 15 hours / day for 3 weeks. Plus, only half of them would be

Johnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6984035.post-1096671023076122962004-10-01T15:42:00.000-07:002004-11-28T12:20:33.166-08:00

Clearly the rapid rise of digital cameras has been restrained by the cost of memory. Once the cost of memory reached some magical level, sales of consumer grade digital cameras started to take off in the marketplace. It is now at a point where digital cameras are threatening to totally displace film. I think I read that sales of new cameras has now tipped the scales toward digital; it would be

Johnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6984035.post-1096391340360588652004-09-27T10:56:00.000-07:002004-10-30T20:00:39.776-07:00

I’m tired of having to pay exorbitant fees for ink and toner. I now have five different devices in my home office that print on paper: inkjet printer, laser printer, copy machine, label printer, and a fax. The last two are thermal, so I just have to buy special paper (haven’t been suckered into buying one of the plain-paper fax machines yet – the old thermal ones still cost a fraction of the cost

Johnnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6984035.post-1095984461339472822004-09-23T17:04:00.000-07:002004-09-23T17:07:41.340-07:00

I just upgraded my Cellphone for the first time in five years. I suppose this puts me really behind in keeping up with technology, but I guess you could call me a selective early adopter. Everyone has different needs and my old phone did virtually everything I needed it for. Yes, today’s models do much more, but my old Qualcomm Thin Phone suited me just fine and I have mixed feelings about

Johnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6984035.post-1095871633436585902004-09-22T09:44:00.000-07:002004-09-22T21:58:09.083-07:00

This blog used to be called "Technology for Seniors." Although I remain interested in the development of products for seniors, I have decided to change the format for this blog and shift it in a slightly broader direction. Whereas products for seniors need to encompass those who are not as technically oriented as the younger generation, my attitude now is that all high-tech products need to be

Johnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6984035.post-1094692425239184812004-09-08T17:50:00.000-07:002004-09-09T14:56:53.486-07:00

Just spent several days and an obscene number of hours trying to get my home network back working normally. Everything deteriorated when I installed Windows XP service pack II upgrade on all three computers in my home. This is supposed to be more secure by virtue of a built-in firewall as well as several improvements to the IE browser, among other things. It also cleans up and integrates dozens

Johnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6984035.post-1093655025980689022004-08-27T17:50:00.000-07:002004-10-30T20:07:55.486-07:00

The microwave oven is easily the most important recent household invention to extend the independence of older people. Why? It saves time in the kitchen, thus making meal preparation less of a chore for people who don’t like to cook, which in turn saves them money. It enables food to be cooked and served in the same container making cleanup easier. It reduces wasted food; especially

Johnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6984035.post-1091216054299141562004-07-30T11:37:00.000-07:002004-08-06T14:52:05.213-07:00

How long will it be before every car has a built-in transponder that transmits the car’s identity to nearby receivers like the ones on toll roads? Then each city will put in readers at intersections and totally put a stop to all those jerks who run red lights to save a few seconds. You can imagine the hew and cry though when people realize that their cars can now be tracked almost everywhere?

Johnnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6984035.post-1091053865757438442004-07-28T15:20:00.000-07:002004-08-06T14:37:26.443-07:00

What if your treadmill could connect through your home network to your PC and the internet? And what if there were attachments you could buy to check in addition to your heart rate, your blood sugar, blood pressure, weight, etc.? And what if the interactive software prompted you to enter in some body measurements and answer some questions about how you feel and other health risks? As an

Johnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6984035.post-1090627825898288002004-07-23T17:09:00.000-07:002004-07-23T17:10:25.896-07:00

A lot has been said and forecast about how we will all have personal robots helping us around the house and in other places, maybe restaurants, stores, etc. This all sounds cool and plausible and almost everyone knows that sooner or later it will happen. However, when most people use the phrase “sooner or later” they mean later. In the case of robots this may be true, although we are already

Johnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6984035.post-1089933155346776642004-07-15T16:10:00.000-07:002004-10-30T20:09:01.676-07:00

In the August issue of Fast Company, Shoshana Zuboff notes “In 1900 there were 13 million people over the age of 45. Now there are nearly 100 million.” She also points out that the average life span is 77 years. The average life span! So if you balance out all those young people whose lives are cut short by accident or illness, that means that a whole heck of a lot of people are living into

Johnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6984035.post-1088795879887440802004-07-02T12:15:00.000-07:002004-07-02T12:17:59.886-07:00

Just read a short article in Wired that mentioned a programmer who outsourced his own job. Given my strong feelings in favor of laissez faire capitalism and strong feelings against short-sighted laws that attempt to hold back the unstoppable globalization of all business, this article instantly caught my attention and made me laugh. Here is a guy who gets paid $67k to write code. In an effort

Johnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6984035.post-1088629345546031932004-06-30T13:49:00.000-07:002004-06-30T14:02:25.546-07:00

Finally a ray of hope for simplifying the AV mess we suffer with. The DLNA (digital living network alliance which consists of the big guys like microsoft, nokia, sony, HP, Phillips, etc.) just announced the release of their first set of guidelines for networked device interoperability. Hopefully this will help drive the convergence of phones, AV systems, home computer networks, and other

Johnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6984035.post-1088529633515061352004-06-29T10:19:00.000-07:002004-06-29T10:20:33.516-07:00

I was talking with a friend and his wife this past weekend and the subject got around to his elderly mother. Alice’s (not her real name) husband died a couple years ago and she is not doing too well living on her own; doesn’t go out much, has very few friends, doesn’t eat well because she doesn’t want to cook, lets things go around the house. She seems to be suffering from loneliness and a mild

Johnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6984035.post-1087755417466474882004-06-20T11:15:00.000-07:002004-06-20T11:16:57.466-07:00

I’ve always been interested in astronomy, so occasionally something happens to make me think about how vast the universe is, and wonder what some other highly advanced civilization would think of our simple technology. When you sit in your backyard in the evening and look up at the stars realizing that the light from that star over there to the left has been traveling toward earth for several

Johnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6984035.post-1087708375551463892004-06-19T21:18:00.000-07:002004-06-19T22:12:55.550-07:00

Why is it taking so long for AV components to be integrated more? Although we see examples in many places of convergence and standards adoption and simplification and integration, it sure does not seem to be happening in home audio/video. Isn't anyone taking a leadership postion on this subject? Maybe there is stuff going on behind the scenes but it sure doesn't seem to be evident in the

Johnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6984035.post-1086913792556861432004-06-10T16:47:00.000-07:002004-06-10T17:31:40.926-07:00

I read several newsletters about the latest in home automation. The articles that interest me are not so much those that go into great depth about some new wireless protocol or a new digital format that DVD players can now support, but rather I look for articles that discuss trends and how new technologies will affect consumers. The latest issue from Home Toys > http://www.hometoys.com/

Johnnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6984035.post-1085442639878035492004-05-24T16:07:00.000-07:002004-05-24T16:50:39.880-07:00

Don't know if someone is already working on this but I haven't seen or heard of it. The other day I was thinking about my older sister and her home computer that wasn't connected to the internet, ostensibly because she is afraid of getting viruses. Now, she certainly isn't unfamiliar with computers since she has been using one for quite a few years at work, but still, she worries about the wild

Johnnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6984035.post-1084985384433829862004-05-18T17:07:00.001-07:002004-05-19T09:49:44.433-07:00

Baby boomers were born between 1946 and 1964. That makes them 40 to 58 years old today. The median age of people in the U.S. has steadily increased from age 20 in the 1800s to 30 between 1940 and 1980, to 35 today. This dramatic shift is due to several factors: the declining number of infant deaths, rapid advances in medical care and especially age-related diseases, and the declining birth rate.

Johnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6984035.post-1084925426996127342004-05-18T17:07:00.000-07:002004-05-18T17:10:26.996-07:00

Everyone has things around their house that they find useful but still very frustrating. For me, the worst offender is the horrible mess that is the modern day audio-video system. You have this eclectic pile of black and silver boxes that are each designed by a different guy which, when wired together generate a regular stream of 4 letter words by every member of the family. In the old days

Johnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6984035.post-1084810785185986482004-05-17T09:06:00.000-07:002004-06-06T12:49:19.573-07:00

Why am I interested in this subject? I suppose because it is one of those looming problems that don't seem to be getting much attention. The leading edge of the Baby Boomer generation is 58 years old now and as most people know, this demographic has had a profound effect on our society as this wave of people started to build in 1946. Now they are approaching the time when their numbers will place

Johnnoreply@blogger.com0