The fine folks at Forbes raised an interesting question this week: are eBooks really books? Their take is that eBooks are more like software, due to their digital nature. And yes, they are looking specifically at the education markets. But this touches on a larger debate, one that comes up quite often. Opponents of eBooks [...]
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Neil Gaiman’s NeverWhere Radio Drama and Mobile Listening
Cast of BBC4 radio play of Neil Gaiman’s “NeverWhere” (Image courtesy of RadioTimes) I quite literally just took my headphones off after listening to a broadcast–and believe me, the word “broad” is appropriate here–of the first episode of a radio play of Neil Gaiman’s (absolutely wonderful–buy it immediately) book “Neverwhere”. I jumped right on WordPress [...]
Is Customer Service the Key to Killing Showrooming?
Moving requires Sarah and me to be good little consumers and spend money. It’s inevitable that there are household items that need to be purchased or upgraded, and we have countless lists of “to buy”. We’re trying hard to watch our bottom line, and yes, we’ve definitely engaged in what has been called “showrooming”, or [...]
SXSW Interactive: First Fumbling Steps
South by Southwest Interactive (SXSWi)–my first foray into trade show/events in a while I don’t go to many trade shows or other events. Gear Diary’s editors, such as Judie, Dan, or CarlyZ, are usually the ones who take on that burden/honor. It’s not that I don’t want to; I rarely have the opportunity. But Chevy [...]
Unlocking Cell Phones and the White House Petition
It used to be that the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) had an exception which allowed unlocking cellphones (i.e., unlocking the phone from carrier exclusivity through the use of an unlock code — purchased from a third-party or obtained directly from the carrier). However, in October of 2012, the Librarian of Congress decided that this exception [...]
Have Electric Cars Become Practical Yet?
One of the things I have been thinking about since the eruption of the Tesla/New York Times feud, is whether electric cars are truly practical yet for the average family. I’m not talking about a $100,000 Tesla S, or taking a road trip up the Mid-Atlantic coast in the middle of a harsh winter; I’m talking [...]
Is Nokia Dumping Samsung for Copying Their Technology?
I have been critical or at least suspicious of Samsung for many years for simple reasons: I find that they employ an ‘end justifies the means’ mentality, paired with a ‘fast follower’ technical approach, that allows them to overtake competitors with solid products that too-closely resemble the competition. Micron was the leading memory company in [...]
Utilizing Smartphones in School
When I began teaching, no students and few teachers had cell phones. Most of the classrooms did not even have internet and everything was accomplished with books, pen and paper. Of course, as of late, every student has a phone. In fact, in my current classes, every student but one has either an iPhone or [...]
Windows 8 Upgrade Odyssey – When the Poop Hits the Fan!
I have to give you a disclaimer right up front: So far, BOTH computers I have that run Windows 8 have required a complete re-installation of Windows 8. I do not find the OS to be inherently stable, and if you are buying a new computer or tablet that runs Windows 8, I would encourage [...]
Microsoft Surface and Windows RT: Playing in the Windows 8 Sandbox
A Little History… A while back I took the plunge and made the shift from an iPhone to a Windows phone, first with a Nokia 900 and later with a 920. It was an interesting exercise. I learned a lot, discovered some new ways of working, and learned to make some compromises. I even learned [...]
Smartphone Cameras Change Everything: Winter Storm Nemo vs Blizzard of ’78
This week marked the 35th anniversary of the Blizzard of ’78, and as a result we have seen some of the iconic images from that storm on web sites and social media. I have a few pictures that I’ll share here. The other day it was snowing – pretty snow floating to the ground and [...]
USPS Saturday Service Cut: The Revolution Will Not Be Sitting in Your Saturday Mailbox
For as long as anyone alive can remember, the mail has come on Saturday. Since 1863 the mail service has offered delivery six days a week, through rain, snow, sleet or hail! Well, that last bit has softened, and we have already missed one day this winter since our local carrier couldn’t get into our [...]
Bar Mitzvah VINvite – Technology Meets Tradition as Bar Mitzvah Invitations Get Streamed
Back in the fall of 2009, Judie wrote a post entitled Technology Meets Tradition: And a Kindle Shall Lead Them. It discussed my use of a Kindle DX on the bimah (pulpit) during the Jewish High Holy Days. Some thought my use of an eBook reader was a bit odd, but for me it was [...]
2013, A Windows “Upgrade” Odyssey – Part One Preparation & Installation
When Windows 8 was first coming out, I knew I wouldn’t like the Metro IU very much on a desktop computer and so I never even considered “upgrading” my desktop. A surprising set of circumstances brought me a Windows 8 tablet, and that was my first experience hands-on with the new OS. I can say [...]
Why ChromeOS Is Positioned to Attack Windows 8, and Windows 8 Deserves It
I have something of a unique perspective on ChromeOS. See, one day in December 2010, I came home to find a mystery package on my doorstep from Google. It turned out the “Sure, I’d like to beta test a Chromebook” form I’d filled out netted me a CR-48, one of the original beta Chromebooks. So [...]
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