Showing posts with label technology. Show all posts
Showing posts with label technology. Show all posts
Thursday, November 20, 2008
A cool science moment (aren't they all?)
Today in WaPo was a really interesting article about how a bunch of scientists are reconstructing the genome of the woolly mammoth using samples from 20,000-year-old and 65,000-year-old specimens. They are 2/3s done & it seems that this genome varies from modern elephants on by 0.6%, which is approximately half of the genetic difference between humans & chimpanzees. This is a fascinating concept because although mammoths lived in very cold climates, elephants live in very warm climates. So...what were the adaptations to enable this switch? Anyhoo, it's nice to hear of these findings because they raise further inquiry/research & potentially, render profound discoveries that advance our knowledge of life.
Friday, October 05, 2007
Treo "premium" hard case
A month and a half ago, I ordered a metallic red hard case cover for my Treo 680 to protect it from the "ravages" of my purse/satchel. Initially, the cover looked sharp, seemed secure and was very reasonably priced ($4.95 plus shipping); however, after using it under normal conditions (not extreme, didn't drop it or throw it around) for a month and a half, the case is crumbling at the connect points, making it useless. Not only that, but the red coating has been chipping off around the edges and at the stylus insertion site for a while. I contacted the vendor, Accessory Export, and they said they have a 30-day return/exchange policy and but that they have no control over normal wear and tear. After this unacceptable response and a shoddy product that lasted 1.5 months, I will not buy anything more from this vendor & will certainly not replace this case with another of the same product. Caveat emptor!
Monday, October 01, 2007
Treo 680 learning curve...
...getting shallower! I recently loaded "Documents to Go," cut-down, PDA friendly versions of Word, Excel & Acrobat that came with the Treo, onto my desk-top.
As you know, I have a sucky class schedule, especially on Tuesdays, that involves my shuttling and metro-ing back and forth between apt and school, essentially wasting a lot of time. Well, in my unending quest to make this time somewhat productive, I started using the Word application on my Treo and guess what? I did most of a critical review on my tiny superphone! Wahoo! Then when I got home, all I had to do to transfer the file to my desk-top was synchronize the Treo (which is a good idea to do regularly anyway, to back up your calendar and contact updates).
Oh, did I mention that you can attach photos to your contact list entries? That's a cool feature. But not as cool as using some otherwise deadtime to actually produce do homework...or craft blog entries...or...
Enough already, I must sleep!
As you know, I have a sucky class schedule, especially on Tuesdays, that involves my shuttling and metro-ing back and forth between apt and school, essentially wasting a lot of time. Well, in my unending quest to make this time somewhat productive, I started using the Word application on my Treo and guess what? I did most of a critical review on my tiny superphone! Wahoo! Then when I got home, all I had to do to transfer the file to my desk-top was synchronize the Treo (which is a good idea to do regularly anyway, to back up your calendar and contact updates).
Oh, did I mention that you can attach photos to your contact list entries? That's a cool feature. But not as cool as using some otherwise deadtime to actually produce do homework...or craft blog entries...or...
Enough already, I must sleep!
Saturday, September 15, 2007
Treo 680: friend or foe, revisited
Ok, there's one really irritating thing about the Treo 680, but as I understand, it's not only the Treo but all PDA-type superphones: their batteries run down super-quick, so one must essentially re-charge every day. And it takes a while to re-charge. Blah - that's a hassle!
Wednesday, September 05, 2007
Treo 680: friend or foe?
Well, except for the price tag and the "New AT&T," mostly friend. For instance, in the calendar function you can color code your appointments and have different views of your calendar (daily, weekly, monthly), which means I can code my workouts and see at a glance how I'm doing that week. Yeh, it's OCD, but it's meaningful to me.
Also, it has cool built-in ring tones that you can assign variously to your contact list (or even unknown callers). DH Jeff has his own special one, and there's an inoffensive flute-like one I use for general callers. And it always asks you if you want to include the "unknown" phone number in your contact list.
And, of course, being able to read my email wherever is cool. Although answering via the tiny keyboard takes a bit of practice.
Ok, that's the update.
Also, it has cool built-in ring tones that you can assign variously to your contact list (or even unknown callers). DH Jeff has his own special one, and there's an inoffensive flute-like one I use for general callers. And it always asks you if you want to include the "unknown" phone number in your contact list.
And, of course, being able to read my email wherever is cool. Although answering via the tiny keyboard takes a bit of practice.
Ok, that's the update.
Friday, August 24, 2007
The gift that keeps on giving
Otherwise known as “the smartphone saga continued.” Last Friday I finally received the prepaid return label from “The New AT&T” to return the defective smartphone for credit. Ironically, that morning I had mailed the phone back after getting account credit for mailing it myself. I looked at the postmark. It said August 15th – which was a full week AFTER my first call to customer service about the return. So they waited for a full week to mail the thing. Why? My guess is that they could have more time with my money – see I was charged for BOTH phones until I returned the defective one for credit. Now, there could be other explanations why the label wasn’t mailed immediately. Incompetence comes to mind. What do you think? Did they think I would just forget about this if enough time elapsed? Just keep the defective phone?
I mailed the phone UPS two-day so I could track it. Now the thing MUST have been received by now (I’ll have to track) and yet my bill still reflects the replacement phone charge. How do I know this? There’s a feature on my new phone in which I can get the up-to-the minute balance on my account. The irony just kills me. {Sigh} I guess I’ll have follow-up with ANOTHER phone call to customer service to 1) confirm that they’ve received the blasted thing and 2) inquire about exactly when I’ll be credited for the returned phone…hopefully before my bill is due!
Gentle readers, there could actually be more to this story yet! Stay tuned.
Update 8/25/07: I called The New AT&T today, after confirming with UPS that the returns center had in fact received the defective phone, in order to find out when my account would be credited. I suspected I wouldn't like the answer and I was right: the credit will show up on my NEXT bill. This means that I'll have to pay $483 on this bill and have to wait ANOTHER MONTH-PLUS for the actual credit. The customer service person had the nerve to say "we appreciate your business." Of course you do, dear, you're making out like a bandit on me!
I mailed the phone UPS two-day so I could track it. Now the thing MUST have been received by now (I’ll have to track) and yet my bill still reflects the replacement phone charge. How do I know this? There’s a feature on my new phone in which I can get the up-to-the minute balance on my account. The irony just kills me. {Sigh} I guess I’ll have follow-up with ANOTHER phone call to customer service to 1) confirm that they’ve received the blasted thing and 2) inquire about exactly when I’ll be credited for the returned phone…hopefully before my bill is due!
Gentle readers, there could actually be more to this story yet! Stay tuned.
Update 8/25/07: I called The New AT&T today, after confirming with UPS that the returns center had in fact received the defective phone, in order to find out when my account would be credited. I suspected I wouldn't like the answer and I was right: the credit will show up on my NEXT bill. This means that I'll have to pay $483 on this bill and have to wait ANOTHER MONTH-PLUS for the actual credit. The customer service person had the nerve to say "we appreciate your business." Of course you do, dear, you're making out like a bandit on me!
Sunday, August 12, 2007
The smartphone saga
Well, my current cell phone was crashing and I thought, I'll upgrade. Thinking that it would be nice to have more functionality on my phone (email, PDA, with a complete keyboard, etc), I decided to buy a Treo 680 - expensive at over 400 clams, but then there was a rebate included for $200. Still expensive, but I thought, I'm making an investment that's going to make my life easier. Or so I thought.
Well, the first phone arrived and I tried to activate, per instructions, on the web. Mind you, I went thru my existing AT&T/Cingular account online to order the upgrade in the first place, so theoretically I'd just follow instructions and my phone would be activated. But no. So I called the customer service activation line and the helpful person stated that no, in fact, the new upgraded phone wasn't even associated with my account and they would have to associate it and activate it. Fine, do that.
Oh, but that wouldn't be the end of it. I couldn't access any of the menus on the phone, at all, or make calls, so I called them again. The woman tried to assess the problem and concluded that the unit I had was defective, and that I should return it. Ok. But that meant I had to also get a replacement. So the next day I called their Online Sales Dept to discuss return and replacement. The guy was exceeding nice and helpful, ordered the replacement and requested that a prepaid return label be sent to me. Now, mind you, the new phone is charged to me until the old phone is returned and credited. They use two-day delivery for the phone, but regular snail-mail for the return address label. I rec'd the phone yesterday. The label hasn't yet arrived.
So, I go online to activate the new phone. I get an error message that says that all phones associated with my account are activated and if I think this is in error, I should call a number. By that time it's late & I figure I'll just call today. I called a few minutes ago only to get the message that the customer service function is not open, that I should call back during regular business hours. At this point I'm in the possession of two hideously expensive paperweights.
But the story gets better: you know that $200 rebate I mentioned? Well, I read the fine print and in addition to buying the the phone at full price, I also must sign up for what amounts to service (voice & data) plans costing $80 per month! I pay $30 and change for my existing phone plan and I knew I would be spending a bit more per month, but $80? Oh, and that's not including taxes.
At this point, I'm ready to return both phones and order the cheapest upgrade phone I can get. All thanks to the "New AT&T"! Thanks guys!
More on this as the story develops...
UPDATE 8/13/07: I called AT&T this morning and a very nice customer service person walked me thru activation (both of the phone & SIM card). The phone still said No Service. She advised me to go to a specific store and have the SIM card replaced because it must be that the SIM card was defective. I thanked her (while starting a whole new frustration) and hung up. I conveyed this to DH Jeff & he said let me look at it, whereby he popped out the battery & put it back in. And guess what? I now have a useable phone. Yippee! Now all I have to do is choose an appropriate plan, sync the bluetooth and set up Palm OS and all will be well. I'll still have to suck up the full cost of the thing, probably, because I don't want to pay $80 a month.
UPDATE 8/15/07: I checked the data plans available and got one that suits for $15/month for messaging and internet, to be added to my existing voice plan for which I pay $30/month (and don't even use all the minutes), for a reasonable total of $45/month. Now, with their "great deal," I would have paid $220 MORE for the first year WITH the $200 rebate, as compared to the plan arrangement I chose WITHOUT the phone rebate. What a rip-off. And did I mention that I haven’t received the pre-paid return address label to return the defective phone? If I haven’t received it by the time I get home this evening, I’m going to have to call AGAIN to see what’s up. I mean snail-mail doesn’t take a week for a damned label!
Talking to a coworker recently, I discovered that she had had a very similar experience with AT&T/Cingular. Word to the wise out there – read everything and ask questions before buying and signing up for anything, especially with the “New AT&T”; evidently, it’s all about getting you to pay the highest possible price before you realize what you’re getting into!
UPDATE 8/16/07: Last evening I had NOT received the dang return label for the defective phone. So, I called this morning and now I have an address where I can send the phone & a credit on my account for the postage. A little victory.
Well, the first phone arrived and I tried to activate, per instructions, on the web. Mind you, I went thru my existing AT&T/Cingular account online to order the upgrade in the first place, so theoretically I'd just follow instructions and my phone would be activated. But no. So I called the customer service activation line and the helpful person stated that no, in fact, the new upgraded phone wasn't even associated with my account and they would have to associate it and activate it. Fine, do that.
Oh, but that wouldn't be the end of it. I couldn't access any of the menus on the phone, at all, or make calls, so I called them again. The woman tried to assess the problem and concluded that the unit I had was defective, and that I should return it. Ok. But that meant I had to also get a replacement. So the next day I called their Online Sales Dept to discuss return and replacement. The guy was exceeding nice and helpful, ordered the replacement and requested that a prepaid return label be sent to me. Now, mind you, the new phone is charged to me until the old phone is returned and credited. They use two-day delivery for the phone, but regular snail-mail for the return address label. I rec'd the phone yesterday. The label hasn't yet arrived.
So, I go online to activate the new phone. I get an error message that says that all phones associated with my account are activated and if I think this is in error, I should call a number. By that time it's late & I figure I'll just call today. I called a few minutes ago only to get the message that the customer service function is not open, that I should call back during regular business hours. At this point I'm in the possession of two hideously expensive paperweights.
But the story gets better: you know that $200 rebate I mentioned? Well, I read the fine print and in addition to buying the the phone at full price, I also must sign up for what amounts to service (voice & data) plans costing $80 per month! I pay $30 and change for my existing phone plan and I knew I would be spending a bit more per month, but $80? Oh, and that's not including taxes.
At this point, I'm ready to return both phones and order the cheapest upgrade phone I can get. All thanks to the "New AT&T"! Thanks guys!
More on this as the story develops...
UPDATE 8/13/07: I called AT&T this morning and a very nice customer service person walked me thru activation (both of the phone & SIM card). The phone still said No Service. She advised me to go to a specific store and have the SIM card replaced because it must be that the SIM card was defective. I thanked her (while starting a whole new frustration) and hung up. I conveyed this to DH Jeff & he said let me look at it, whereby he popped out the battery & put it back in. And guess what? I now have a useable phone. Yippee! Now all I have to do is choose an appropriate plan, sync the bluetooth and set up Palm OS and all will be well. I'll still have to suck up the full cost of the thing, probably, because I don't want to pay $80 a month.
UPDATE 8/15/07: I checked the data plans available and got one that suits for $15/month for messaging and internet, to be added to my existing voice plan for which I pay $30/month (and don't even use all the minutes), for a reasonable total of $45/month. Now, with their "great deal," I would have paid $220 MORE for the first year WITH the $200 rebate, as compared to the plan arrangement I chose WITHOUT the phone rebate. What a rip-off. And did I mention that I haven’t received the pre-paid return address label to return the defective phone? If I haven’t received it by the time I get home this evening, I’m going to have to call AGAIN to see what’s up. I mean snail-mail doesn’t take a week for a damned label!
Talking to a coworker recently, I discovered that she had had a very similar experience with AT&T/Cingular. Word to the wise out there – read everything and ask questions before buying and signing up for anything, especially with the “New AT&T”; evidently, it’s all about getting you to pay the highest possible price before you realize what you’re getting into!
UPDATE 8/16/07: Last evening I had NOT received the dang return label for the defective phone. So, I called this morning and now I have an address where I can send the phone & a credit on my account for the postage. A little victory.
Friday, July 07, 2006
On another positive note...
...is a story a few days ago in the Post about diesel car owners who use used vegetable oil from local restaurants and bars in their cars for fuel. Yeah, they have to buy a converter & yeah that can cost a bundle (depending), but the oil burns cleaner and the best part is - it's free. Businesses have to pay to have it hauled away, so they're happy to supply individuals with it free to take it away. I just love situations like this that 1) are eco-sound, 2) creative alternatives to the usual business (esp. the fuel business), 3) community-centered, 4) show that individuals can do the right thing and 5) strengthen my philosophy of/argument for "mutuality" AKA "symbiosis" (not just for lower animals any more!).
Sunday, June 18, 2006
Book Reviews Galore, Part 2
Virus X: Tracking the New Killer Plagues, by Frank Ryan, MD. The book details various epidemics and outbreaks, the known or proposed vectors thereof and efforts of healthcare authorities (local, federal-CDC, and worldwide-WHO) to stop the spread and treat the victims. The topic is right down my alley, but I must say, this was 2/3 of a good book. I enjoyed the epidemiological discussions & the sleuthing aspect of them. I liked the discussion of co-evolution of species – namely that of some diseases and their hosts – to explain micro-outbreaks (e.g., Ebola) in other species and why some species don’t appear to be affected. Also, explaining why some germ hasn’t wiped out our species yet. What I didn’t like was Dr. Ryan’s P.C. treatment of HIV/AIDS and his goofy descriptions of the epidemiological players (researchers, physicians, etc.) – really gaack. He could have cut down the length of the text some too – at times he just went on and on with the tracking down of a virus in nauseating detail, and I just wanted him to come the punchline. I think Dr. Ryan was trying too hard to make the subject matter accessible for the layman, and it wasn’t altogether necessary. That said, for anyone who enjoys reading virus-hunter type stuff, it’s an interesting read.
I read Prey, by Michael Crichton, right after Virus X, and oddly enough, had an interesting connection to X. I’ll get to that. Prey is essentially one of those race to the finish, running out of time to save whomever type books. It’s about a very next-level artificial intelligence experiment and how it got away from its creators. The connection to Virus X was that in discussing the development of behavior in this artificial intelligence, the book made reference to co-evolution and viruses – how cool is that? Also it discussed “emergent behavior” in a programmed entity (or entities) that might follow anticipated activities, but might just surprise the heck out of you. I found it both a good page-turner, metro-appropriate entertainment, yet I learned a few things too.
For a very different read, try The Secret Life of Bees, by Sue Monk Kidd. It’s a bittersweet story of a teenage girl in the civil rights-era South, trying to deal with the mysterious circumstances surrounding her mother’s death. It also deals with personal (as opposed to prescribed) and very interesting interpretations of religion and faith. It also involves a wonderful assortment of characters who this girl encounters on her path to understanding…stuff.
Blowing My Cover – My Life As A CIA Spy, by Lindsay Moran, was a quick, cheap ($6.50) read that we discussed at Book Club (B/C). It details Ms. Moran’s initial attraction to, training for, and ultimate disillusionment with The Company. The author comes across, I’m sorry to say, as a naïve, Peace Corps flaky (redundant?) lefty, who for some reason feels compelled to join the CIA. Well, she believes herself drawn to lying and travel, so she must be perfect for intelligence work! All that said, her observations of the dysfunctional and in various ways outdated (Cold War, anyone?) agency do ring true to someone acquainted with such bureaucracies.
In our B/C, we’ve read a bunch of books that deal with Islam in various aspects and countries. The last one we read was a novel called The Swallows of Kabul, by Yasmina Khadra (a pseudonym – the author is an Algerian army officer). Can I just mention how glad I am to be an American, especially seeing as how I’m a woman? Ok, just thought I’d bring that up. The story is set in Taliban-tormented Kabul. No one is having a good time. Khadra brings it home that life is so depressing and ghastly, so soul-sucking under this regime, that no one in his right mind would volunteer for this “life.” The book involves the lives of several characters – male and female – and how they overlap and intersect. Yes, this book is depressing, but well-written and well-paced, so that you finish it quickly, discuss it with your free compatriots & toast that freedom immediately.
Another in this genre, if you will, is Minaret, by Leila Aboulela (hope I haven’t already reviewed this book here), which we also read for Book Club. It’s about a well-off Sudanese woman who immigrates with her family to Great Britain after a change in government involves the execution of her father. This young woman is university educated, speaks fluent English and very capable, has a mom and relatives who are also educated, and very liberal by Moslem standards, but…that’s really where the story begins. I really enjoyed this book and as a B/C selection is really a stronger choice than Swallows of Kabul. In fact, this last Friday evening, the book came up at dinner with a fellow B/C member and friend – months after we discussed it at B/C – and we had a really good secondary discussion about it. Indicating to both of us, that this was a really good book because it had so many layers and elements to pick apart, if you will. Read it with your own B/C or with a friend and see if it doesn’t provoke some quality discussion and reaction to the characters.
Whew! Ok, that’s it for my book reviews today, but…I’m currently reading Italian journalist Oriana Fallaci’s The Force of Reason. Review to come! Hizzah!
Technorati topics: Book Reviews, Islam, Diseases
I read Prey, by Michael Crichton, right after Virus X, and oddly enough, had an interesting connection to X. I’ll get to that. Prey is essentially one of those race to the finish, running out of time to save whomever type books. It’s about a very next-level artificial intelligence experiment and how it got away from its creators. The connection to Virus X was that in discussing the development of behavior in this artificial intelligence, the book made reference to co-evolution and viruses – how cool is that? Also it discussed “emergent behavior” in a programmed entity (or entities) that might follow anticipated activities, but might just surprise the heck out of you. I found it both a good page-turner, metro-appropriate entertainment, yet I learned a few things too.
For a very different read, try The Secret Life of Bees, by Sue Monk Kidd. It’s a bittersweet story of a teenage girl in the civil rights-era South, trying to deal with the mysterious circumstances surrounding her mother’s death. It also deals with personal (as opposed to prescribed) and very interesting interpretations of religion and faith. It also involves a wonderful assortment of characters who this girl encounters on her path to understanding…stuff.
Blowing My Cover – My Life As A CIA Spy, by Lindsay Moran, was a quick, cheap ($6.50) read that we discussed at Book Club (B/C). It details Ms. Moran’s initial attraction to, training for, and ultimate disillusionment with The Company. The author comes across, I’m sorry to say, as a naïve, Peace Corps flaky (redundant?) lefty, who for some reason feels compelled to join the CIA. Well, she believes herself drawn to lying and travel, so she must be perfect for intelligence work! All that said, her observations of the dysfunctional and in various ways outdated (Cold War, anyone?) agency do ring true to someone acquainted with such bureaucracies.
In our B/C, we’ve read a bunch of books that deal with Islam in various aspects and countries. The last one we read was a novel called The Swallows of Kabul, by Yasmina Khadra (a pseudonym – the author is an Algerian army officer). Can I just mention how glad I am to be an American, especially seeing as how I’m a woman? Ok, just thought I’d bring that up. The story is set in Taliban-tormented Kabul. No one is having a good time. Khadra brings it home that life is so depressing and ghastly, so soul-sucking under this regime, that no one in his right mind would volunteer for this “life.” The book involves the lives of several characters – male and female – and how they overlap and intersect. Yes, this book is depressing, but well-written and well-paced, so that you finish it quickly, discuss it with your free compatriots & toast that freedom immediately.
Another in this genre, if you will, is Minaret, by Leila Aboulela (hope I haven’t already reviewed this book here), which we also read for Book Club. It’s about a well-off Sudanese woman who immigrates with her family to Great Britain after a change in government involves the execution of her father. This young woman is university educated, speaks fluent English and very capable, has a mom and relatives who are also educated, and very liberal by Moslem standards, but…that’s really where the story begins. I really enjoyed this book and as a B/C selection is really a stronger choice than Swallows of Kabul. In fact, this last Friday evening, the book came up at dinner with a fellow B/C member and friend – months after we discussed it at B/C – and we had a really good secondary discussion about it. Indicating to both of us, that this was a really good book because it had so many layers and elements to pick apart, if you will. Read it with your own B/C or with a friend and see if it doesn’t provoke some quality discussion and reaction to the characters.
Whew! Ok, that’s it for my book reviews today, but…I’m currently reading Italian journalist Oriana Fallaci’s The Force of Reason. Review to come! Hizzah!
Technorati topics: Book Reviews, Islam, Diseases
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