Recently in technology Category

I am T-Mobile Sidekick II user since October 2004, my productivity with pager has become weaken, lose my motivation caused by problems on carrier signal and email outrage. It is time for me to get new pager which fit my needs. I have been keeping an eye of narrow choices for two devices: Apple iPhone [specs] and Blackberry Curve 8330 [specs]. Those two are one of most critical decision for my time in one month before. I am digging out the information about two devices making the right choice to pick one out of two devices:

Price (As of May 2008)
Curve 8330: $599.99 MSRP
Apple iPhone: $399 for 8 GB, $499 for 16 GB

iPhone and Curve includes two-year activation agreement, plus activation fee, appx $40. If you order Curve 8330 through www.sprintrelay.com, you could get mail-in rebate to save $499.99 (final pay: $100). Rumors flying around here that AT&T might provide $200 after rebate for iPhone, still unofficial.

Monthly Data-Only (As of May 2008)
Curve 8330: $29.99
Apple iPhone: $40.00 (for TAP disability only)

Curve 8330 cost annually $359.88, compare to iPhone's $480 for TAP customers with disabilities only. That's $120.12 huge difference. For iPhone, you need to get $40 TAP data plan instead $60, you need to check with doctor for a note to prove that you're deaf customer.

Reference via: deafmac.org

Display
Curve 8330: 2.2 inches 320-by-240 pixel resolution, 65K Color
Apple iPhone: 3.5-inch (diagonal) widescreen, 480-by-320-pixel resolution at 163 ppi

iPhone is eye-candy big screen and slick interface perspective over Curve 8330, make me drooling. The reason why I like Apple.

Internal & Expandable Capacity
Curve 8330: 96 MB Flash memory, microSD card
Apple iPhone: 8GB or 16GB flash drive, no exandable

For Curve, you need to purchase microSD or microSDHC flash card for addition of applications and data storage, available in capacities from 64MB to 8GB. The cost? $59.99 is the highest point for microSDHC 8GB flash card, according pricewatch.com (May 16, 2008)

Data Input / Navigation
Curve 8330: Trackball, QWERTY keyboard, several buttons
Apple iPhone: one button, touch-screen display few buttons

My simple favor: I want a keypad that's easier and faster. The troubling part: QWERTY keypad interface on iPhone touch-screen display, you are required to have a visual on keypad display to type due communication needs for Deaf to type on touch-screen. I believe inputting the physical keypad on Curve is more productive and speedier WPM than iPhone. Using physical keypad for communications such as Instant Messaging and email, handles like a champ. I must admit that I drive and text a lot, but could lead to higher risk to involved into automobile accident.

Media Output
Curve 8330: 2MP camera with flash, Video Recording
Apple iPhone: 2MP Camera, Possible Video Recording

Apple iPhone is more likely to include video recording, if they provided by third-party applications or firmware updates in future. I expect both devices for stand-still image have much less quality than my current line of Canon digital cameras.

Reference via: Engadget

Notification
Curve 8330: Vibrate mode, LED indicator, MP3 & Polyphonic/MIDI ringtones
Apple iPhone: Vibrate mode, ringtones

Curve has more vibration options/customizable for different applications like ring tones over iPhone, however iPhone lacks the limited options. Notification is my top priority to receive new message coming in.

Reference via: deafmac.org

Wireless Networking/Data
Curve 8330: Dual-band 800/1900 Mhz CDMA2000 1X Ev-DO networks, Bluetooth 2.0, GPS
Apple iPhone: Wi-Fi (802.11b/g), EDGE, Bluetooth 2.0+EDR

Curve 8330 model does not support Wi-Fi. 3G, it lacks the downloading timing content in web browser in Curve. I believe next-generation of iPhone will include 3G and GPS. Signal over my local area is the extreme important for me to keep me busy. The browser is awfully slow loading on both devices.

Application Software
iPhone and Curve 8330 have dozens list of applications included, also can download 1st-party and 3rd-party applications to boost my productivity. My favorite sync application, Google Calendar and 'Remember the Milk' supports both and could be very productive my organize tasks.

Conclusion
I spend most of time playing around with iPhone demonstration at Apple store local area and gotten word-of-mouth from my deaf friends about Curve 8330. As I know there will be an announcement for next generation of iPhone at Apple conference on June 9th 2008, and Blackberry Bold 9000 coming out in summer by first AT&T provider.

Also I have read the reviewers opinions (1) and (2) about Curve 8330 vs iPhone. I have no choice to wait - I decide to purse deaf-friendly, finance reason after getting rid of my suffering T-Mobile Sidekick II. I'm leaning toward the Blackberry Curve 8330.

Also I am in luck here - my good deaf friend in our local area will purchase second generation of iPhone, I could get more taste on this to learn its advantages and disadvantages. Also when my two-year contract expires in 2010 for Curve, I could come back to check out improving future generations of iPhone. Speaking of technology life cycle.

I lived with Canon PowerShot S2 IS since November 2005, and I am happy with this result. My only expectation: this camera is too bigger, badder and fatter (not always) for me to carry all the times, giving me more work and also cannot fit in my pocket.

My dream is to own pocket sized, dwarf digial camera that I can live everyday. Today, my dream is now reality. Canon PowerShot SD890 IS, my third-generation digital camera, played around with few new features on SD890 IS: time lapse, bigger space (SDHC can hold up to 32 GB, compare to limit 2 GB SD card), widescreen, improved macro mode, longer recording clips, and.. and what can I say more? Click right after break to see my Flickr gallery taken by my SD890 IS.

I learned something in my lesson about what happened with my USB storage device (or USB drive) as I lost the few files.

One time when working on photo files, I downloaded the photo files out from my digital camera, and erased the photos from digital camera. Then, I was about to copy the photos to different directory path in my Windows XP platform to edit the photos.

Usually, My habit is to use lot of keyboard shortcuts such as COPY (ctrl + C), CUT (ctrl + X) and PASTE (ctrl + V).

I copied few photos to different directory path in Windows XP with keyboard shortcuts, and realized that I moved into wrong path - photos in USB drive path. I chose myself to delete the photos in USB drive, and went back to original directory path where I downloaded the photos from digital camera to copy the files to correct path.

Until I realized that few photos are gone in original path. I must have mistaken (should I say typo?) that I have used keyboard shortcut, CUT instead COPY. Now, I have to find out the way to recover the lost photo files, I went back to recycle bin in Windows XP - the photos are not in there. Surprised. Then, I tried to 'redo' to bring the lost photo files back, and it does not work. Hmmm.

Does the external storage devices such as USB drive put the limitations on XP operating system that cannot recover the lost files? I tried an experiment with USB drive on two operating systems - Windows Vista and Apple OS X 10.5. Vista have same situation with XP but OS X can manage to undo the deleted files.

Interesting, Apple doesn't allow me to click 'delete' button on physical keyboard to erase the file in Finder, (my assumption is that OS X disabled it). Instead of that, I had to click arrow point to file path with CTRL to open the sub-menu selections - to click 'Move to Trash', or drag the file to Trash icon in Dock.

XP and Vista can follow 'delete' button on keyboard to wipe off the file from external storage for good.

Well, Apple Mac wins.

This is my first try. Honestly. Can you?

Via mamamusings

Take a look the least 4 minute video clip what iCommunicator can do for deaf and hard-of-hearing:

Is iCommunicator worth or not? I have seen this display through my eyes before at our corporation meeting for disabilities a year ago in 2006. This software device looks very nice, but I came up in my mind the software have several disadvantages hit hard:

Speech to Text: It lacks translates in real-time, having recognition errors from speech recognition into Text if there’s disturbed noise. Another problem is you have to persuade people to wear the microphone to have conservation. Using speech recognition can be very tiring and irritating.

Speech/Text to Video Sign Language: The videos are then played one by one, without any further sentence prosody. Even worse, it does not sign pure ASL, but Signed Exact English (SEE) at best. Also I believe this doesn’t account for context, could lead to isolation without grammar including facial expression. Like I said above, you can afford to lose the people’s affection by using communicate between iCommunicator software tools.

Ultra expensive: $6,499 per software kit. However, EnableMart sells the advised training for an additional $125 an hour. Of course, it is not free, not being having easy money to spend. Unfortunately, iCommunicator business case may actually rest sales to hearing people in corporation or organizations who wish to reduce or entirely avoid the cost of interpreters for the Deaf workers.

Morgan Greene’s last words in this video clip:

Before, I knew I would not have much of a chance to get a higher job. So, I was majoring in a lower job, like mechanics. But now, I have been majoring for a higher job like computer programming and the computer field because now I know I have more chances. iCommunicator has helped me a lot!

What a hall of shame.

As first time I saw two monitors connected to single computer at my old college computer lab, I tried this out for my project homework, and I fell in love with this. I can have more productive with my projects, multitasking on the applications (three screen programs separate in same desktop.)

This is my dream list I want to have this, but the problem it comes pricey that I need powerful graphics, additional monitor and more memory. My estimate this could bring almost $1,000 between $500 and $700.

A recent New York Times article, adding an extra monitor will give your output a considerable boost - 20 percent to 30 precent. Additionally, Microsoft Research shows that a larger screen can improve productivity nearly 44 percent.

Via Somewhat Frank

My 2002 Canon PowerShot S330 has been become aged for 3 years and half today. Lagging shutter and cycle times. The longevity for the Lihon batteries has deceased - least two hours to use. It's time for me to look the new digital camera. Here are feature list I would like to see:

• excellent battery
• no shutter lag
• high-end digital
• Canon brand name
• Reasonable price

I have been watching this model for four months to research all over the most trusted reviews for PowerShot S2 IS:
Digital Camera Resource Page
Imaging Resource
Digital Photography Review
Lets Go Digital
Megapixel.net
Steve's DigiCams

Also, the most important thing for me to watch: S2 IS uses AA batteries. The reviewer said the 2000 mAh NiMH rechargeable batteries can run up to eight hours. 2500 mAh can live up to 10 hours. Impressive. This is the reviewer's choice. Made in Japan.

I made my decision: I bought PowerShot S2 IS yesterday. I toyed and experiment around with this new camera, and posted some of them in my Flickr. I am very satisfied with this. It's just one day, kid!

The price of gas is going up, and up, most likely 4 dollars per gallon anytime very soon, maybe tomorrow? Fill your car up FULL quickly as possible, because there is another natual disaster coming - Hurricane Rita, it will impact the oil economy if it hits Texas or New Orleans.

Think of hybrid car? I have been wanting this one, and have been thinking about this for long, long time.. if my decision is tough and good, and probably I will look at this next year.

The digital cable box requires to have component (YPbPr) cable attached to HDTV to create a high performance picture. The regular/analog closed captioned (CC) will not shown up on TV when having HD cable box attached to TV. Most of newer digital cable box have built in digital captioned, I have to set the digital capiton to turn it on for HDTV to view the caption performance on HDTV.

Also my Toshiba HDTV supports picture format of 480i, 480p, 720i, 720p and 1080i. The "p" stands for progressive, every pixel on the screen is refeshed simultaneously, like 60 frames per second (fps). "i" stands for interflanced method involves refershing pixels in alternation - first the odd lines and then the even lines, like least 30 fps. This digital cable box supports all picture formats as well. I chose to use 720p or 1080i on my HDTV.

I have watched some HDTV programs only with full widescreen 16:9 format. Some HD channels does not support, they use pillarbox format (4:3, black on both sides.) They also use high quality pictures to watch.

Yesterday I watched Monday Night Football with HDTV 16:9, and I am totally die for that - awestruck, my eyes are glued on HDTV and am in heaven to see ultra clear, life-like picture on TV. That make me feel like I am already in there.

Can't wait to watch Monday Night Football: Steelers versus New England Patriots in Heinz Field on 9/25/2005... it's going to be much fun to watch. And, hopefully to have HDTV for NHL Pittsburgh Penguins hockey game to watch Mario Lemieux and Sidney Crosby playing.

I had my personal old TV for more than ten years for broadcast cable and gaming. Also my old TV includes the internal VCR, to watch rental VCR movies on my TV. Five years forwarded in 2000, I bought Sony PlayStation 2 (PS2) and connected with my TV, and for ultimate experience gaming and anticipated to watch DVD movie from my PS2 video game system. Until I learned that there are poor quality of TV screen during playing DVD movie from my PS2 because of copyright infragment - DVD player finds there is another player - internal VCR attached to TV, and DVD prevent from making a copy of the tape from DVD.

My TV is becoming decade old and aged, I have dreamed of getting a new TV since 2000, and during that time I can't afford to buy better, bigger, and bad TV because of - college student and no full-time employee.

Until now, I finally bought a new flat tube TV - Toshiba 30" Diagonal TheaterWide High-Def Television. Stats? 16:9 wide screen Flat Picture Tube, HDTV, V-Chip, Progressive Scan, two jackpacks of S-Video, Audio/Video, Component and one jackpack of HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface) just like DVI (Digital Video Interactive) which I can plug it from my Powerbook G4 dual screen.

That's good enough for me, and this is my long-term goal to have this television for another 10-year until 2015, there will be good deal of 40-60 inches of LCD/plasma flat screen TV for least one thousand dollars.