July 27, 2007

iPhone Lust

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I tried my best to avoid Apple's iPhone, but after playing around with the one my brother-in-law has, I am a fan. It's not all roses though mainly because it doesn't have built in IM (via a web page doesn't count) or support MMS messages without having to go to a web page. I have other missing feature gripes, but other than that the UI is just so slick and makes me forget what features it's missing. Safari works pretty well and the touchscreen is very nice. C'mon Sprint, get these phones (AT&T's Edge Data network sucks)! Or maybe not and save me the $500. temptation and I'll just trudge along with my Treo 650.

Posted by kance at 12:45 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

November 17, 2006

Lexmark E238 and Apple Airport Express

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I picked up this printer at Staples.com a while back for about $80. after a $70. Easy Rebate. I didn't really need a printer, but a laser printer at this price was too tempting. Plus the old Lexmark inkjet printer I had at home ran out of ink and I didn't want to pay $40. for new ink, when for $40. more I could get a new laser printer. My main concern with this printer is if it would work on my wireless network at home (sort of, connected via USB) via Airport Express. After having it for a few months now, I'm glad to report that it works flawlessly. I can both print to it on my wireless network at home on either a Mac or PC. So just for google search sake, I'll repeat that the Lexmark E238 works with the Apple Airport Express. My previous searches for confirmation of this never gave me any concrete answers, so you heard it here first! Oh and the printer is good too, the type isn't as smooth as the HP 4050 we have at the office, but it does the job well enough for a $80. laser printer. Though I wouldn't recommend paying more than $150. for it. (Staples currently has it for $100. after a $50. rebate) Also, kudos to Staples, their Easy Rebate is just that... easy. Probably one of the best rebate experiences I've had.

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October 28, 2006

Sprint you're lagging

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Ever since ESPN decided to not offer SMS score alerts (from what I remember, it was free) to people who signed up for it on their website, I have not been able to stop receiving them. I don't mind receiving scores from the games I selected when the service was working correctly, but it's erratic. Now I regularly receive SMS messages 3-4 hours after the games are already over. Not much of an "alert" if you ask me. This is where Sprint is supposed to come in and save me from this mess. I used to be able to block SMS messages via their website, but now I always just get a message stating that it's currently not working and that I should try again later. Well, after a few months of always trying later it's gotten ridiculous. Why do I pay $80.+ a month to you Sprint? Oh wait, that's right because I love the Treo phones and those damn service "agreements" of yours. No contracts my ass! In any case, I've sent an email to Sprint. Let's see how long it takes them to respond and better yet, fix the problem. I'm guessing 5 business days for a response and 5 weeks for it to be fixed.

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September 08, 2006

How to set up a Nextel i580 with Bluetooth DUN on Mac OS X

I just wanted to post this for anyone who's interested in using their Motorola i580 as a modem since I wasn't able to find anything online. Multiple calls to Nextel support also got me nowhere since they always claimed that Bluetooth DUN with the i580 isn't supported. In any case, you would need to have a data plan activated first with Nextel which I was told is $10. per month unlimited. Just be warned that it took 4-6 hours for the data plan to activate. So anyway, simply create a new network location and set the PPP and Bluetooth windows to the settings shown in the screenshots below. Click Apply Now to save the settings and click on the phone icon on your menu bar to connect.

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Posted by kance at 03:38 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack

December 29, 2005

Officially a Geek | Sony Ericsson HBH-660

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Yes, it's been a while since I blogged. Since it's been a while, I may as well come out and be officially known as a geek now that I own a Bluetooth Headset, which I received for Christmas (Thanks, Sunee!). Yes, I did ask her to get it for me, as it was something I couldn't get myself to buy since I think most people who use 'em look ridiculous. Now when I do have to wear it, I have an excuse. "It's a Christmas gift." Luckily, this particular model comes with a Lanyard which reduces the ridiculous factor by at least 30%, I'd say. In any case, it works well and I'm glad to have it. The lanyard that is! Oh and the caller ID function is pretty cool too.

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July 01, 2005

I took the Sirius plunge...

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After experiencing XM Radio in my friends car, I took the plunge and picked up the StarMate ST-1 from Sirius. I basically picked Sirius mainly because they have better sports coverage compared to XM. So far, I like it. I'm just not sure about all the wiring since it's somewhat of an eyesore on my dashboard. Maybe I'll look into upgrading my stereo in my car sometime. In any case, I like how I can listen to CNN or my favorite kind of music with no commercials almost anywhere I am driving.

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March 02, 2005

Alpine DVA-9965

Droolworthy in my book. HD Radio and iPod connectivity? Way cool.

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February 05, 2005

iPod/Bluetooth Car Stereo

Currently, I only have the stock stereo in my car and I don't plan on upgrading anytime soon. If there was a product out there which would enable me to dock my iPod into it and also has bluetooth controls which I could mount to my steering wheel, that would tempt me to upgrade. For now, I'm content with the stock radio since the controls are mounted to the steering wheel, which for some reason I find really handy. But if a product were to come out which integrated the iPod well and I'm not talking about the lame kind where you stick the iPod in your glove box and plug it in. I'm talking about a dock where the iPod slides in, similar to old cassette tapes. Now THAT would be cool. Oh, and the UI would need to be pretty good too in order to navigate the iPod easily. I think a big dial nob to simulate the iPod scroll wheel would probably be best. My guess is something next year will come out which will be something similar to what I'm looking for. I hope.

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January 24, 2005

Garmin iQue M5 Early Review

I've been wanting a new PDA to replace my old Palm OS based Kyocera 6035 SmartPhone, which I've retired for at least 2 years now. I finally decided on the Garmin iQue M5 which has Bluetooth built-in, is Pocket PC/Windows Mobile 2003 SE based and best of all has GPS navigation built in. So far, it's a nice PDA which unfortunately doesn't have built-in Wi-Fi, but the SanDisk 256MB Wi-Fi SD Card helps solve that problem. The GUI (good 'ol MS!) is kinda clunky, but usable. I was going to stick with the Palm OS, but the Garmin iQue 3200 battery life only offers 30 minutes of handheld use with the GPS turned on. How weak is that?!? The M5 says it's good for about 5 hours with the GPS turned on and the battery is replaceable unlike the 3200. Anyway, I didn't have time to test it out yet. I'll report a week or so later on how I like it, but so far it ain't too bad.

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November 15, 2004

Sony HVR-Z1U

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Just in time for anyone to get me this for Christmas! Although, it doesn't come out until February '05 I think.

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November 09, 2004

RoboCats!

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This would be kinda creepy, if you ask me.

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November 04, 2004

hiPod

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Damn, how nice would this be?!? Too bad it probably wouldn't ever happen.

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September 07, 2004

Sony HDR-FX1 1080i 3 CCD HDV Camcorder

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Can someone please buy me this when it comes out? Thanks!

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September 03, 2004

Peugot Quark

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I'm not really a big fan of quads, but this really does look cool. Too bad it only lasts about 60 miles since it's powered by a fuel cell.

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August 12, 2004

Camera Phone Add On Lens

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Not sure if anyone would pay $18. for a camera phone add on lens which attaches with "sticky pads". Then again, there is William Hung of American Idol fame.

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August 02, 2004

Blackberry

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I'm not a big fan of BlackBerry, but the Siemens SK65 looks kinda cool. Time to upgrade, Lion!

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May 22, 2004

Why Cry?

This gadget reminds me of the Simpsons episode "Brother, Can You Spare Two Dimes?", where Homer's half brother, Herb Powell, comes up with a similar invention.

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May 21, 2004

Forensic MD5

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Pretty cool, in a geeky way of course! 3.3 GB/min is pretty damn fast.


The Forensic MD5 system is designed specifically for the requirements of law enforcement, corporate security, and cyber crime investigation of forensic computer data. This hand-held IDE hard drive data capturing system is ideal for fast disk drive data seizure. Using its built-in CRC-32 engine, the MD5 allows for imaging speeds up to 3.3 GB/min. The system’s non-tampering drive capture ensures bit-for-bit accuracy, guaranteeing zero chance of alteration of the suspect and evidence drives. With it's lightweight portability, rugged construction and field tested capabilities, the MD5 is simply the best forensic hard drive data collection system for law enforcement, corporate security, and cyber crime investigation and prosecution.

Posted by kance at 02:25 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

May 01, 2004

6 Wheeled Super Car

380HP and 6 wheels. I wonder how many spares it comes with. Covini claims that "4 steering front wheels permit to increase braking, comfort and directional stability." I guess!

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April 06, 2004

SOBIG Worm

I've been receiving this worm via email lately. Luckily, I'm on a Mac.

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April 02, 2004

Cox Premier Package

I thought I'd give this a shot to see how much faster it would be since I play a lot of games online. On paper, the specs seem decent. But after trying it out, the upstream speed isn't enough. If Cox really is serious about offering gamers and heavy internet users better broadband, they need to offer at least 700+ Kbps upstream. So if anyone sees this, I'd recommend looking elsewhere for better bandwidth. I just may look into switching to DSL in the future since Cox doesn't really offer enough, especially for the price.

Posted by kance at 12:16 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

March 20, 2004

VIP Lounge in LAX

Well, I'm about to board my flight in about 15 minutes and I figured I'd post a quick blog. We're in the VIP lounge of Thai Airways and they're nice enough to provide wireless internet access. A quick speed test at dslreports.com shows the geek in me that the service isn't too bad. This will probably be my last experience of decent broadband for about a week. Hopefully, I can still upload some pictures while in Thailand. Oh well, 18 hour flight here I come!

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February 13, 2004

MS Code and some interesting comments...

From CNN: Source code for Windows 2000 and Windows NT was leaked with comments such as ""I hope they hack the hell out of it" and "I'm so glad I have a Mac." Funny stuff.

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