OnButton - Notes on living la vida techie

AT&T Microcell Failures

Tue, 29 Jun 2010 12:45:00 -0400

The AT&T Microcell is a device that AT&T sells to consumers to boost cell phone signals in areas where their signal is weak (home, office, etc…). Basically, you give up some of your broadband so that AT&T’s mini cell tower can provide you better cell coverage over your Internet service. But, recently some customers have been finding out the hard way that it’s not all it’s cracked up to be. There have been reports of failures to set-up the device and even get it running at all. Here is one person’s experience. Here is TechCrunch’s coverage of the issue.

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Zeo Personal Sleep Coach

Tue, 15 Jun 2010 11:31:17 -0400

I just received an email from Zeo promoting the Sleep Coach as a gift for dad. It reminded me that I was supposed to write this review after I was to meet with their sleep coach for some tips on getting some better z’s. Tips, in addition to what they already provide on their website. That meeting hasn’t happened yet but it shouldn’t stop me from fulfilling my promise of writing this review.

Here is how it works:

* Unpack and set up the alarm clock. This is pretty straight forward.
* Perform your usual bedtime routine.
* Strap on the headband and adjust the fit. Not too tight that it wakes you up from the pressure, and not too loose that it falls off while you sleep.
Sleep!
* Wake up and place the headband on the alarm clock.
* Stare in awe at your horrible or great night’s sleep.

After a few night’s of sleep you can connect your Zeo SD card (that’s what saves your sleep data) to your computer and upload the data to their website (account required). After you upload your data you get a beautiful array of charts. I LOVE CHARTS!

Now, that’s easy enough but hardly enough to tell you how to get a better night’s rest. That is where the diary comes in. There are about four-five questions you answer and input into your profile along with each night’s score. Over time, you can run reports showing you a cross section of your answers and how they relate to how well you slept. Now, that is very helpful.

Did you have some caffeine before bed? Low score the next morning? Happened last week too? Notice a trend?

All in all it’s fun to check out your score each morning. Also it’s nice to see how many times you were awake, how much deep sleep, how much light sleep, how much REM (no, not the music group) you had each night.

“But what happens after I start getting better sleep? Do I need it anymore?”

I wonder if it becomes unnecessary to keep wearing the headband. Maybe you can share it with your spouse and let them use it for a while.

Honestly, if you are sleeping better because of the coaching and tips, then it’s worth the money. There are sleep centers that will analyze your sleep and I’m bet it’s pretty expensive. I think you need to be sent to them by your doctor as well. (Not sure on this one)

Anyway, it’s a good gift for someone who complains about having a bad night’s sleep on a regular basis. You will learn ways to get a better night’s sleep and find out what bed time routines are getting in the way of a restful night of zzzzzzz’s.

I’m really digging Safari 5’s new ScreenReader. It...

Sat, 12 Jun 2010 23:47:59 -0400

I’m really digging Safari 5’s new ScreenReader. It does a great job of removing the clutter around an article so you can focus on the article and send all the rest of the web page junk to the background. Watch the video to see what I’m talking about.

iPhone 4 Price and Launch Date

Mon, 07 Jun 2010 14:43:00 -0400

$199 for 16GB, $299 for 32GB

My guess at a sale date is June 30th…

***Drum roll please***

June 24th (I was wrong)

Pre-order June 15th

AT&T is upgrading eligibility details: If your contract is up any time in 2010, you can upgrade to the iPhone 4 (If you renew your contract)

Video Calling comes to the iPhone! It’s called Face Time...

Mon, 07 Jun 2010 14:34:00 -0400

Video Calling comes to the iPhone! It’s called Face Time and will work over wifi. Front and rear camera support and works in landscape or portrait mode.

iBooks comes to iPhone. Same notes, bookmarks, and pdf documents...

Mon, 07 Jun 2010 14:19:33 -0400

iBooks comes to iPhone. Same notes, bookmarks, and pdf documents across all your “i” devices. Automatically sync across each device. This has been available on the Kindle devices and apps for some time. Apple is just catching up on these features.

iPhone OS4 Name Changes to iOS4. Includes task switching and folders

Mon, 07 Jun 2010 14:10:57 -0400

iPhone OS4 Name Changes to iOS4. Includes task switching and folders

5 Megapixel Camera hits the iPhone

Mon, 07 Jun 2010 13:56:00 -0400

Backside illuminated sensor, allowing more light to get to the sensor, 5x digital zoom, built into the camera app, and LED flash

HD Video

720p at 30fps.

iPhone internals

Mon, 07 Jun 2010 13:54:11 -0400

iPhone internals

iPhone sports double the resolution and A4 Chip

Mon, 07 Jun 2010 13:50:22 -0400

7 hours of 3g talk, 6 hours of 3g browsing, 10 hrs of Wifi Browsing, 10 hrs of video, 300 hrs of standby

Guitar Hero on iPhone

Mon, 07 Jun 2010 13:26:03 -0400

Guitar Hero on iPhone

Farmville on iPhone

Mon, 07 Jun 2010 13:25:35 -0400

Farmville on iPhone

What’s coming to the iPhone? Netflix

Mon, 07 Jun 2010 13:18:03 -0400

What’s coming to the iPhone? Netflix

Spending the last two days watching start-ups pitch their...

Wed, 26 May 2010 12:45:02 -0400

Spending the last two days watching start-ups pitch their businesses to a panel of judges. Pretty interesting start-ups and some lame ones. I fond of the companies that complete the loop between social and commerce. WeReward (http://wereward.com) was one of them. I also like SQUARE (http://squareup.com) which allows anyone to accept credit card payments with their mobile device and iPad.

Techcrunch Disrupt - http://disrupt.techcrunch.com/

10 Things the iPad is good for and 5 it isn't.

Wed, 19 May 2010 15:44:41 -0400

10 Things the iPad is good for and 5 it isn't.

iPad update

Tue, 11 May 2010 14:34:14 -0400

After using the iPad for more than a month now I can give you my verdict. If you are one of the following:

Looking to buy a netbook
Looking to buy a e-reader

buy the iPad.

If you are:

in the mood to visit lots of flast websites and you care that iPad doesn’t support flash?

don’t buy the iPad.

The iPad has been great for surfing the web, watching rented movies, youtube, and email. It has even served to replace my kindle! I really enjoy using it and the fact that it doesn’t have a physical keyboard on it does not bother me. I have not even purchased the add-on keyboard. No need.

The iPad is coming! I can’t wait to get mine this weekend...

Tue, 30 Mar 2010 14:13:09 -0400

The iPad is coming! I can’t wait to get mine this weekend and share all the good and the bad here on this site.

Google Buzz

Tue, 09 Feb 2010 21:58:24 -0500

Google Buzz:

Watch out Twitter. Facebook, your next too!

Mobile App Showdown

Sat, 09 Jan 2010 17:04:52 -0500

Mobile app showdown

Shazam, tag, buy, and discover music on your mobile phone. Hear a song you can’t name? Run the app and it will listen and tell you what the name of the song is.

Truphone Voip calls on iPhone using wifi. Low rates apply for internation. No subscriptions or contracts. Free iPhone app. iPod touch compatible. Now iPod touch becomes a phone when on wifi network. Requires accessory to add mic to touch. Truphone to truphone is free. Includes instant messaging to popular IM’s.

Telenav GPS Provides navigation for sprint an AT&T phones. Now available as an iPhone app. Find as prices, buy movie tickets, send coordinates to other telenav application users.

SPB Mobile Shell Customize your phones’ user interface. Demo performed on Google Nexus One. 3D view of email shown. Screens set up on a multifaced 3D cube like interface. Motion sensitive. Organize contacts. Grab images for your friends from facebook. Also demo’d on windows mobile phone.

Gwabbit for blackberry Quick and easy way to add contacts to your blackberry without copy and paste. Video available at foxnewsradio.com

DateCheck App allows people to perform background check on potential suitor. Email, name, or phone number to search. Sleeze detector checks criminal records. After sleeze detector, money checker, astrology checker, property checker. Tiger woods joke included. Check social networks. Take notes and add photos. Rate individuals. Created by Intellius. Pretty models throw out condoms to crowd.

Aha iPhone app. Brand new app thr hits the market next month. Video presentation. Turned websites into radio stations for use in the car to drive safely. Play nearby traffic channel based on your location. Fox news radio is in the demo screen shot. Plays facebook wall status updates. Played 5 minute newscasts in demo. Food nearby. Driver rants - leave comments while driving. Twitter channel. Foxnewsradio tweets??? Robert Acker, President and CEO

Clixter Create and share photo events, uses GPS, popular events, invite people to follow your event. Share your media for event coverGe like CES. Web service is also available for those who don’t have iPhone to contribute to the event. Social networking behind photos.

Geodelic Mobile location discovery. Looks like Sherpa. Food, entertainment, theme parks, movie times, music and video demonstration. Instant info based on location. Lots of categories. Dancer on stage. Throwing dollars out to crowd. Available on android and iPhone. Crowd pleaser. Presentation or app?

Lots of free giveaways in exchange for votes. Also plants in audience to boost crowd cheering for winners.

Online winner - gwabbit Presentation winner - runoff for three apps. No plants Allowed. Finalists are truphone, clixster, and geodelic. Free offers fill the crowd. Winner is … Clixster

Dr. Evil And demobot present Pico Laser Projector

Sat, 09 Jan 2010 16:28:46 -0500

Dr. Evil And demobot present Pico Laser Projector