It has nearly everything I was looking for:
- smallish
- waterproof
But it is solar-powered, which I really dig. Watches are perfect for solar power. The trouble? Finding a solar watch with a light, not just glow paint. Plus, I like having a digital display and analog. This watch has it all! Plus, I've no doubt I can change the band, but I'll give it a shot. Doesn't look bad.
Not an excellent light, but adequate. Classy but functional. Solar-powered so no more batteries-- for a while.
The Casio Ana-Digi Tough Solar Power AWS90D 1AV. According to Amazon it costs less than $50 too.
Now, obviously I had to make compromises. If what the FabLabbers say is true, in X years I should be able to roll my own custom watch, right? Specialized items like solar cells could still be rigged up, glass cut, plastic formed, metal and chips electrochemically and mechanically created in a digital foundry.
What would be cool is a series of bake-offs, based on a specific endpoint, mimicking consumer devices. So, start with a simple radio. Focus on the design, novelty being the goal. Move on through an MP3 player, a digital camera, a watch, a cell phone. Of course, you increasingly get into ever more-specialized components and services that you can't decipher without special chips and agreements.
So how far are we willing to go in consumer-fabbed products? All I want is a watch...
Wednesday, February 28, 2007
Friday, February 23, 2007
Apple needs to love the Cisco
http://www.cnn.com/2007/TECH/biztech/02/23/cisco.apple.ap/index.html
Interesting analysis. Now I want you kids to play nice. We all know someone else really makes Apple's Airport Extreme Base Station (to the extreeeeeme-- except data transfer rates or QOS, naturally). So please, Apple, if you give a damn about quality over polish, or if you'd like to have both, let Cisco build the guts of your base stations. Hell, let 'em put their product in all your networking geegaws. I've always been impressed with Cisco's smaller fare (never mind the big stuff). We got a Cisco wireless router at my old job that went through walls of concrete and steel, hundreds of feet-- literally where no router had gone before.
C'mon Apple, remember when you used to care about quality? Before you started making keyboards that sucked (you know how the letters rub off after a week?), plastics that REALLY suck (yes, I know the difference between polycarbonates-- my dad works in the biz), and sourced cheapo components that would make a Dell supplier blush?
Interesting analysis. Now I want you kids to play nice. We all know someone else really makes Apple's Airport Extreme Base Station (to the extreeeeeme-- except data transfer rates or QOS, naturally). So please, Apple, if you give a damn about quality over polish, or if you'd like to have both, let Cisco build the guts of your base stations. Hell, let 'em put their product in all your networking geegaws. I've always been impressed with Cisco's smaller fare (never mind the big stuff). We got a Cisco wireless router at my old job that went through walls of concrete and steel, hundreds of feet-- literally where no router had gone before.
C'mon Apple, remember when you used to care about quality? Before you started making keyboards that sucked (you know how the letters rub off after a week?), plastics that REALLY suck (yes, I know the difference between polycarbonates-- my dad works in the biz), and sourced cheapo components that would make a Dell supplier blush?
Thursday, February 22, 2007
Fixing health care
One of the coolest bloggers around, Willy Volk, recently said in an interview that he'd blog full-time IF he could still get health insurance. Oh sure, he can get *private* insurance, but we all know how expensive that is (well I do, as I've got friends on it). So my wife and I got to talking last night about this mess... Make no mistake, it IS a mess. Why is your insurance tied to your place of employment? This seems really arbitrary considering how often we all change jobs nowadays. Also, I think it is safe to say many Americans feel shackled by jobs they've taken "just for insurance." And don't forget the upward-spiraling cost of said group coverage...
Well, I can't do much about the increasing costs. That is something that would indeed involve a modicum of reform and government oversight. Personally the idea of a sort of "Federal Trade Board" makes sense-- a body of experts who can evaluate and promote medical solutions objectively. As objectively as possible, anyway. But that isn't something I can speak to, because there are a myriad of reasons for increasing costs, some of which seem blatantly abusive, and some which are subtle in their intricacies.
What I can speak of is using technology to provide coverage for most Americans at an affordable rate, independent of their jobs. Think about that for a moment. If you could buy into affordable group health insurance, yet remain a "free agent," what would that do for our economy? I think a great outpouring of entrepreneurship would occur. We would literally set free the pent-up dreams and ambitions of thousands, if not millions, of Americans who otherwise took jobs for the insurance. It would revitalize the economy, it would make people happier, and it would spur innovation and productivity like the world has never seen. So how do we do it? Technology has the answer!
If there's one thing we've learned about the web, it's that the real power is in connecting dots that would have previously sat isolated. Take ebay, linking up oddball sci-fi toy collectors and grandmas cleaning out dusty garages for over 10 years. Before, geographic proximity was the limiting factor for collectors, but ebay has removed that obstacle. Well, how about doing this for health care? I'm in my 30's, quite healthy, and I lead a "safe" lifestyle... Why not use the power of the interwebs to put me in a similar group for healthcare? It's like LinkedIn for group health-- except you need an intermediary. So you build a website that serves as a nexus for patients seeking group coverage (and matching them up in groups), and doctors looking to serve this clientele. Doctors would finally play a part in the cost equation, as their willingness to take a deep-fried Twinkie-eating smoker aged 40 would really have a cost associated with the risk. The company handling all this would take patient info, evaluate the risk, and assign groups and match up doctors. It's so simple! Why can't there be a Progressive insurance for health?
Now what about fraud? Obviously this could be a problem. Again, technology to the rescue. Develop devices that allow you to monitor vitals and push that info to your provider via the web. An e-checkup? Sure, why not? Or build kiosks to do this. Also, once someone is caught being fraudulent (like saying they don't smoke but winding up with emphysema a week) you just cut them off. Fraud would not be tolerated, just like car insurance or at a bank. I already monitor my heart rate when I jog-- I'd be happy to pass this along to my doc.
So that's it-- affordable medical coverage for most Americans is within reach. We still need some reforms, we still need some government oversight, but just handing the keys to the Feds, if history proves anything, would be a disaster. Keep it private, but keep it quality. You only buy what you need, and insurance would finally have to make real decisions for the betterment of their customers. I think it's a win/win/win for patients, doctors and the insurance companies. Never mind the aforementioned surge in productivity (and reduction in stress) we'd see in the country as a whole.
Well, I can't do much about the increasing costs. That is something that would indeed involve a modicum of reform and government oversight. Personally the idea of a sort of "Federal Trade Board" makes sense-- a body of experts who can evaluate and promote medical solutions objectively. As objectively as possible, anyway. But that isn't something I can speak to, because there are a myriad of reasons for increasing costs, some of which seem blatantly abusive, and some which are subtle in their intricacies.
What I can speak of is using technology to provide coverage for most Americans at an affordable rate, independent of their jobs. Think about that for a moment. If you could buy into affordable group health insurance, yet remain a "free agent," what would that do for our economy? I think a great outpouring of entrepreneurship would occur. We would literally set free the pent-up dreams and ambitions of thousands, if not millions, of Americans who otherwise took jobs for the insurance. It would revitalize the economy, it would make people happier, and it would spur innovation and productivity like the world has never seen. So how do we do it? Technology has the answer!
If there's one thing we've learned about the web, it's that the real power is in connecting dots that would have previously sat isolated. Take ebay, linking up oddball sci-fi toy collectors and grandmas cleaning out dusty garages for over 10 years. Before, geographic proximity was the limiting factor for collectors, but ebay has removed that obstacle. Well, how about doing this for health care? I'm in my 30's, quite healthy, and I lead a "safe" lifestyle... Why not use the power of the interwebs to put me in a similar group for healthcare? It's like LinkedIn for group health-- except you need an intermediary. So you build a website that serves as a nexus for patients seeking group coverage (and matching them up in groups), and doctors looking to serve this clientele. Doctors would finally play a part in the cost equation, as their willingness to take a deep-fried Twinkie-eating smoker aged 40 would really have a cost associated with the risk. The company handling all this would take patient info, evaluate the risk, and assign groups and match up doctors. It's so simple! Why can't there be a Progressive insurance for health?
Now what about fraud? Obviously this could be a problem. Again, technology to the rescue. Develop devices that allow you to monitor vitals and push that info to your provider via the web. An e-checkup? Sure, why not? Or build kiosks to do this. Also, once someone is caught being fraudulent (like saying they don't smoke but winding up with emphysema a week) you just cut them off. Fraud would not be tolerated, just like car insurance or at a bank. I already monitor my heart rate when I jog-- I'd be happy to pass this along to my doc.
So that's it-- affordable medical coverage for most Americans is within reach. We still need some reforms, we still need some government oversight, but just handing the keys to the Feds, if history proves anything, would be a disaster. Keep it private, but keep it quality. You only buy what you need, and insurance would finally have to make real decisions for the betterment of their customers. I think it's a win/win/win for patients, doctors and the insurance companies. Never mind the aforementioned surge in productivity (and reduction in stress) we'd see in the country as a whole.
Saturday, February 17, 2007
Behind the curve...
Sometimes it is nice to be behind the curve. When it comes to gadgets and tech, I've always tried to at least dabble in the cutting edge. Rarely have I passed up an opportunity to at least observe the new and untested. I have my brother (an OS X beta kid) and dad (who bought an Apple ][ in 1977) to thank for this... And the legions of more-fortunate around me who bought the latest geegaw, or had the cajones to download some Strange New Thing.
But I have little love for the cell phone industry in this country. To me, they are a bunch of greedy, twisted old farts who twirl their mustaches and squeeze the earnings out of the poor and stupid. The rich and stupid too, but I shake my head when I see some farmer sitting at one of those kiosks being sold a line of crap...
Anyway, we decided to stick with the same carrier we've had for the past 4 years: US Cellular. They ain't the brightest crayon in the box, but they are coming around. Three years ago I asked them about Bluetooth. The dude on the phone said, "it isn't compatible with our network." I was like, "uh, CDMA and Bluetooth really aren't related..." And guess what? They listened. Today US Cellular has a little bit of everything, including BlackBerries.
The clincher is their service. We went in to get RAZR phones (2 for $50 after rebates, naturally)-- yes, I know I'm late to that party. We walked out with 2 new phones and a slightly better deal on our service! Now, US Cellular won't let me put Gmail on my phone, but they do provide an "unlimited" data plan and the Nweb browser (yes, I know it sucks in comparison). Those two items, plus AIM Mobile, cost less than other carriers' data plans in general. Very nice. And honestly, I don't have time for a bunch of crazy apps on my phone. I need a little email (via Nweb), and a little IM. Some easy-to-access data comes through the pre-fed Nweb links, which is also quite handy.
Sometimes LESS is MORE. Of course, if I had more money, I would have waited for the iPhone. But by the time my contract is up with US Cell, I'll get to grab an iPhone without the 1st-gen bugs in it...
But I have little love for the cell phone industry in this country. To me, they are a bunch of greedy, twisted old farts who twirl their mustaches and squeeze the earnings out of the poor and stupid. The rich and stupid too, but I shake my head when I see some farmer sitting at one of those kiosks being sold a line of crap...
Anyway, we decided to stick with the same carrier we've had for the past 4 years: US Cellular. They ain't the brightest crayon in the box, but they are coming around. Three years ago I asked them about Bluetooth. The dude on the phone said, "it isn't compatible with our network." I was like, "uh, CDMA and Bluetooth really aren't related..." And guess what? They listened. Today US Cellular has a little bit of everything, including BlackBerries.
The clincher is their service. We went in to get RAZR phones (2 for $50 after rebates, naturally)-- yes, I know I'm late to that party. We walked out with 2 new phones and a slightly better deal on our service! Now, US Cellular won't let me put Gmail on my phone, but they do provide an "unlimited" data plan and the Nweb browser (yes, I know it sucks in comparison). Those two items, plus AIM Mobile, cost less than other carriers' data plans in general. Very nice. And honestly, I don't have time for a bunch of crazy apps on my phone. I need a little email (via Nweb), and a little IM. Some easy-to-access data comes through the pre-fed Nweb links, which is also quite handy.
Sometimes LESS is MORE. Of course, if I had more money, I would have waited for the iPhone. But by the time my contract is up with US Cell, I'll get to grab an iPhone without the 1st-gen bugs in it...
Sunday, February 11, 2007
The perfect watch for under $50?
I'm on the hunt for the perfect watch for under $50... if possible. Right now I'm using a (ladies, hehe) Timex heart rate monitor, the kind with the wireless strap that goes around your chest and beams back heart rate. It's nice, but the clasp is a little blown out, and winds up catching on my long-sleeve tees.
I went from a WristPDA (huge on my svelte wrists) to this tiny thing.
So what I'm looking for is:
1. small
2. waterproof
3. clever clasp (can't get stuck on stuff)
4. comfortable band (won't grab my arm hair-- man I hate that)
5. excellent light (Indiglo or better)
It's a plus if it has some whiz-bang feature, but I know for under $50 that's a stretch. Maybe I should hunt a little on ebay...
I went from a WristPDA (huge on my svelte wrists) to this tiny thing.
So what I'm looking for is:
1. small
2. waterproof
3. clever clasp (can't get stuck on stuff)
4. comfortable band (won't grab my arm hair-- man I hate that)
5. excellent light (Indiglo or better)
It's a plus if it has some whiz-bang feature, but I know for under $50 that's a stretch. Maybe I should hunt a little on ebay...
Friday, February 09, 2007
RTFA RE:DRM
I'm noticing a lot of reaction to Steve Jobs throwing down the gauntlet before the music biz. If you recall, he paints 3 scenarios as we go forward with the digitization of our analog world. The 3rd, his preference, is that we stop all this DRM baloney and just start selling with wild abandon. I think he's ready for the iPod to stand on its own...
But the responses don't appear to acknowledge what Steve is asking for. In fact, many ignore his points altogether, let alone his primary plea: put an end to DRM forever. The RIAA (who missed the cluetrain about a decade ago) thought Steve wanted to license Fairplay DRM (bzzzzt, wrong). Michael Robertson (the Linspire boss) thought Steve said he wants to change formats to MP3 (bzzzzt, again, wrong, AAC is an acoustically superior format). I caught a few more folks blabbing about how they'd love to license Fairplay, etc...
People, please, RTFA. Steve wants DRM gone. For music anyway. More proof that knowing really is half the battle.
But the responses don't appear to acknowledge what Steve is asking for. In fact, many ignore his points altogether, let alone his primary plea: put an end to DRM forever. The RIAA (who missed the cluetrain about a decade ago) thought Steve wanted to license Fairplay DRM (bzzzzt, wrong). Michael Robertson (the Linspire boss) thought Steve said he wants to change formats to MP3 (bzzzzt, again, wrong, AAC is an acoustically superior format). I caught a few more folks blabbing about how they'd love to license Fairplay, etc...
People, please, RTFA. Steve wants DRM gone. For music anyway. More proof that knowing really is half the battle.
If Apple made weapons
Think about the innovation! I'm looking at these pathetic iRobots and thinking, "these are so primitive!" I know the Pentagon is low on style and high on rugged tough looks, but the functionality... won't someone think of the funtionality!
Ah, if we brought that Apple magic to the war machine. They should be building swarms of these lightweight, single-purpose, efficient and sleek instectoid things. Imagine a cross between an iPod and a Wowwee dragonfly... Arm them with stunners (light and sound), controlled in a nice 3/4-view top-down display ala Command & Conquer. Except you're controlling the bees from 720ยบ. Where are all those used Pippins?
Then Steve can say:
BOOM!
Ah, if we brought that Apple magic to the war machine. They should be building swarms of these lightweight, single-purpose, efficient and sleek instectoid things. Imagine a cross between an iPod and a Wowwee dragonfly... Arm them with stunners (light and sound), controlled in a nice 3/4-view top-down display ala Command & Conquer. Except you're controlling the bees from 720ยบ. Where are all those used Pippins?
Then Steve can say:
BOOM!
Thursday, February 08, 2007
Taking the low road
Valleywag has this post that I caught via digg:
Achieving Blog Nirvana
And in predictable Gawker Media form, the advice for absolute perfection and audience-pleasing posting? A magic combo of revenge, perversity, sex and Schadenfreude. Pretty much all the baser levels of discourse, IMHO.
I'm not criticizing Valleywag or Gawker, really. It's a sad commentary on our society. I mean, let's face it, TMZ is making mint on just this exact formula (and more power to them :)
But it's a little depressing when Valleywag is right, for a plethora of reasons I won't go into now ;)
So I leave this with one of my fave Oscar Wilde quotes:
“The public have an insatiable curiosity to know everything. Except what is worth knowing. Journalism, conscious of this, and having tradesman-like habits, supplies their demands.”
Think about this the next time you're reading comments on digg or perusing the muckitymuck of celeb blogs (of which I will admit to partake occassionaly).
Achieving Blog Nirvana
And in predictable Gawker Media form, the advice for absolute perfection and audience-pleasing posting? A magic combo of revenge, perversity, sex and Schadenfreude. Pretty much all the baser levels of discourse, IMHO.
I'm not criticizing Valleywag or Gawker, really. It's a sad commentary on our society. I mean, let's face it, TMZ is making mint on just this exact formula (and more power to them :)
But it's a little depressing when Valleywag is right, for a plethora of reasons I won't go into now ;)
So I leave this with one of my fave Oscar Wilde quotes:
“The public have an insatiable curiosity to know everything. Except what is worth knowing. Journalism, conscious of this, and having tradesman-like habits, supplies their demands.”
Think about this the next time you're reading comments on digg or perusing the muckitymuck of celeb blogs (of which I will admit to partake occassionaly).
Friday, February 02, 2007
Time traveling lameness
I'm certainly not referring to this rad Tardis USB hub. You see, I happened to check my Google customized home page and in the "Technology" feed I've added (which came pre-loaded with content), I see this article on some website called Playfuls. The article in question is about iTunes on Vista not working.
Now never mind Apple issued a fixer app to play your purchased tunes, as TUAW has already reported today. So the article in question is inaccurate, but there's something more... The publish date is set to Feb. 3, at 3 AM! Now, at first I thought I had travelled through time. Then I discovered (I think anyway, the only contact is via email, and there's no "about us") it's a Romanian site.
My only question is how this wound up as some pre-loaded content from Google...
Now never mind Apple issued a fixer app to play your purchased tunes, as TUAW has already reported today. So the article in question is inaccurate, but there's something more... The publish date is set to Feb. 3, at 3 AM! Now, at first I thought I had travelled through time. Then I discovered (I think anyway, the only contact is via email, and there's no "about us") it's a Romanian site.
My only question is how this wound up as some pre-loaded content from Google...
Thursday, February 01, 2007
Slimebucket patrol
Jason Calacanis brought the cockroaches over at PayPerPost out from under the rotted cabinetry quite a while ago. So color me unsurprised to find they have custom-built a crappy little interweb TV show (oh, a "reality show" which must make them think it's more palatable to the TV market-- since they're trying to get picked up).
http://www.rockstartup.com/
Buried as blogspam.
Marked as Super-Lame.
Sad, really.
However, never underestimate the power of the dark side. PPP isn't betting on fools, and certainly not savvy web 2.0 folk. No, PPP is betting that people won't really know what's going on, or understand the rules of the game. Even smart folks, uneducated about the rules, can get lured in. It happens every day, and it's happened to people I know and respect.
Of course, once they learn what is really going on, they pretty much run away in horror. Personally I think even PT Barnum would be a little ashamed of all this.
http://www.rockstartup.com/
Buried as blogspam.
Marked as Super-Lame.
Sad, really.
However, never underestimate the power of the dark side. PPP isn't betting on fools, and certainly not savvy web 2.0 folk. No, PPP is betting that people won't really know what's going on, or understand the rules of the game. Even smart folks, uneducated about the rules, can get lured in. It happens every day, and it's happened to people I know and respect.
Of course, once they learn what is really going on, they pretty much run away in horror. Personally I think even PT Barnum would be a little ashamed of all this.
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About Me
- Victor Agreda, Jr.
- This blog is the blowhole of me, and should not represent the blowhole of any other whale, living, dead or publicly traded on the stock market. Enjoy!